Blueberry Lemonade

The thermometer is climbing as the warm summer temperatures arrive. To combat the heat, we should cool down with a tall glass of this large-batch Blueberry Lemonade, which strikes the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Makes a pitcher that keeps well in the fridge.

If you love, love love Blueberry Lemonade, you should also give my Arnold Palmer Iced Tea Lemonade Mocktail, Sweet Sunrise Mocktail and Strawberry Lemonade a try this summer.

In my opinion, the best way to combat the oncoming summer heat is to have a go-to warm weather drink.

My drink this year is Blueberry Lemonade.

Last week, I picked up a giant box of blueberries, as well as two large bags of fresh lemons, in preparation for the baby shower we hosted this past weekend. Our friends are having a boy, so I wanted a drink that was appropriately colored (even if the muddled blueberries leave this drink a little pinkish/purple), as well as something refreshing and non-alcoholic for our guests to enjoy!

A take on my Strawberry Lemonade recipe, I made this drink the day before the shower. I knew the preparations were going to get a little crazy the day-of, and I wanted to give myself as much time as possible to pull things together on Saturday.

Since this lemonade was made the day before the party, I didn’t have to fret about squeezing lemons and muddling blueberries while balancing the remaining party prep.

Unsurprisingly, the shower was a smashing success! And this Blueberry Lemonade was well-loved, too! 

Other lemonade recipes we adore during the summer months: Vodka Lemonade with Raspberry | Homemade Mint Lemonade | Cherry Lemonade Margaritas | Mixed Berry Mint Lemonade | Spiked Blueberry Lemonade

Looking for another refreshing summer drink? Be sure to check out my Nonalcoholic Drinks Recipe Index.

Recommended Tools and Products for Blueberry Lemonade

Disclaimer: The links below are affiliate links. If you click through and take action, I will receive a small commission. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about the affiliate programs The Speckled Palate participates in. 

• A Citrus juicer or a citrus reamer for juicing the lemons
• This (or a similar) muddler to break down the blueberries
• A pitcher, like my Kate Spade New York Raise a Glass Acrylic Pitcher
• Drinking glasses of your choosing

How to make Homemade Blueberry Lemonade

Make The Simple Syrup

In a saucepan over high heat, combine equal amounts of water and granulated sugar. Raw (turbinado) sugar works, too, though I do not recommend using brown sugar for this step.

As the mixture heats, swirl it gently until the sugar completely dissolves, and then turn off the heat.

Set this aside. You can make this 1-2 days in advance, and transfer it to a mason jar and keep it cool in the fridge once it’s cooled to room temperature.

Make The Lemonade

First and foremost, squeeze your lemon juice! (You can also make this step easier on yourself by purchasing freshly juiced lemons from the store OR using an electric citrus juicer.) This is the most time-consuming step and will take you a while if you’re doing this by hand since you’ll only get 1-2 oz. of juice per lemon.

Measure out the blueberries into a small bowl. Use a muddler to mush them up, and set aside. This is a really fun step for kids to complete if you’ve got tiny kitchen helpers on hand.

In a large pitcher, combine the water, simple syrup, lemon juice and muddled blueberries. Stir them together with a large spoon until combined.

Chill for a few hours or serve over ice! You can also add frozen blueberries as “ice cubes” to keep this pitcher cold for guests!

Pro tip: If you’re chilling the lemonade overnight, strain the lemonade before serving to remove the pieces of the blueberries, as well as extra lemon pulp. 

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips and Tricks

As I previously stated, Blueberry Lemonade (or any large batch lemonade) is really fantastic for entertaining in the summertime. (Think, like a Backyard Barbecue!)

Entertaining should be fun, so you want to make hosting easy on yourself. Which means… a few simple shortcuts can make all the difference in your attitude and mentality leading up to your gathering. And since I know you want to have fun, here’s what I like to do: 

• Make it in advance. And don’t be afraid to use shortcuts, like store-bought freshly squeezed lemon juice. 
• Serve with blueberry “ice cubes.” A pitcher drink should stay cold without getting watered down, and frozen fruit is a fabulous way to do just this! It adds color, too!
• Set it on a bar… and forget it! Since this makes such a large amount of lemonade, unless you’re hosting a ton of folks, you can let this hang out on the bar for guests to serve themselves without you worrying about it running out. And if you’re concerned about it running out, make a second pitcher in advance to ease those woes.

If you’re going to juice your own lemons, I salute you and your arm strength.

Here are some thoughts on getting the most juice out of the lemons you have:

The Best Tricks for Juicing a Lemon

• Don’t juice a cold lemon. A cold lemon won’t give as much juice as a room temperature one. If you keep your lemons in the fridge, let it come to room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds to get it to warm up.
• Roll the lemon on the countertop because this will bring the juices to the surface.
• Slice the lemon down the equator, not from the stem to the tip.
• Don’t just squeeze it with your hands… use a citrus reamer or a juicer to get that good juice out of it. Personally, I like a lemon reamer better.

Looking for an easy entertaining dishes to pair with this lemonade?

Here are some of our favorite summertime recipes to make and serve alongside this lemonade at a casual gathering.

• Vegetarian Taco Cups
• Pineapple Salsa Vinaigrette
• Pulled Pork Coleslaw Eggrolls
• German Potato Salad
• Patriotic Strawberry Bruschetta

What kinds of drinks do you enjoy during the summer months?