Homemade Cherry Limeade

Tart lime and fresh sweet cherries are the perfect pairing in this refreshing homemade cherry limeade.

Have you ever made your own lemonade or limeade?

I’m not talking about the Country Time stuff, although I know a lot of us grew up on that. (And I won’t turn down a glass of it these days, either.)

No, I mean grabbing some fresh lemons or limes to make the truly homemade stuff. 

I love making a pitcher of homemade strawberry lemonade or watermelon lemonade during the summer. It’s the perfect way to enjoy an afternoon by the pool.

This year, I’m all into this homemade cherry limeade. It’s tart and sweet and so refreshing on a hot day!

Cherry limeade with fresh sweet cherries

There are a few different ways to make cherry limeade. I know that doing a Sonic copycat recipe with lemon-lime soda and maraschino cherries and/or grenadine is popular.

And don’t get me wrong—that’s a delicious way to go! But personally, I really love making cherry limeade with fresh lime juice and fresh cherries.

There’s just something so good about the tart flavor of the lime juice paired with the sweetness of the cherries. Plus, I think the color is really pretty!

You can absolutely make this recipe using frozen cherries so it’s easy to throw together any time of year. You’ll definitely catch me making this in the middle of winter when I just need to pretend it’s summer!

How to make my homemade cherry limeade

This is such a simple recipe to make. I know you’re gonna want to put it on repeat!

Ingredients you’ll need

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups pitted fresh or frozen sweet cherries
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups cold water, divided use

Simple ingredients list, right? 

The best part of this recipe is that you can use fresh or frozen cherries. So even when fresh cherries aren’t in season, you can make this cherry limeade. 

If you use frozen cherries, just make sure to thaw them completely before using them. 

I am going to beg you to please use fresh lime juice in this recipe. Yes, it means you have to juice them yourself, but it’ll be worth it for the best flavor. 

If you don’t want to buy a big juicer, you can get a smaller electric citrus juicer. It’ll make it easy to make lime curd, frozen margaritas, or lemon bars, too. 

Making this limeade

To make homemade cherry limemade, you’ll start by making simple syrup. 

Add the water and sugar to a saucepan. Place it over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool before using it.

You can make the simple syrup ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks before using it in the limeade.

Next, add the cherries to a blender with 1/2 cup of the cold water. Blend until smooth, then press the puree through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve the juice and discard the solids.

Add the cherry juice, simple syrup, and lime juice to a 2-quart pitcher. Stir to combine.

Add 3 to 5 more cups of cold water. How much you use here is going to depend on how you personally like your cherry limeade, so use as much or as little as you like.

I like to let my limeade chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving, but you can certainly serve it right away. 

Recipe variations

I love this recipe as-is, but there are a couple of ways you can change it up, too.

For sparkling cherry limeade, make the recipe as written, but do not add the cold water after mixing the cherry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When you’re ready to serve, top with sparkling water. You can top the whole pitcher if you plan to serve it all at once, or top individual glasses as you serve them.

You can also make a boozy version by replacing 1 cup of the cold water with 1 cup of vodka or even gin!