Nothing screams summer quite like some delicious strawberry-kiwi lemonade. Making homemade lemonade is a cinch and it is just so much better than anything you can buy. The same principle works for any kind of fruit lemonade you can think up. Raspberry lemonade? Just replace the strawberries and kiwis with raspberries. It’s awesome. You just need your base simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar), another equal part lemon juice, and then fruit and water. It’s super easy!

If you love summer drinks, check out our Mango Smoothie or Virgin Piña Colada.

Why Our Recipe

  • Comes together super fast using real fruit for the real deal kind of fruit lemonade.
  • Homemade simple syrup, but you can use other sweeteners as well.
  • Lemonade concentrate can easily be made in large batches and frozen for later.
Glass of strawberry kiwi lemonade with the pitcher in the background.

I love making this at the very beginning of the summer when you can buy pallets of fresh fruit on sale. It makes it so easy to host when I can just walk over to the freezer and pull out the lemonade concentrate. Just thaw it out enough to break into smaller pieces with your hands and get it into a pitcher. It’s already cold, so just add water and a little ice for a delicious treat. Guests are always super impressed with this made from scratch lemonade.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for strawberry kiwi lemonade arranged on a table.
  • Water + Sugar: Equal parts water and sugar are what constitutes a simple syrup. It’s the same ratio every time. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in your lemonade, simply use less of the simple syrup while mixing with lemon juice.
  • Lemons: You’ll need about six large lemons. Freshly squeezed lemon juice works best.
  • Kiwis: Make sure that they are ripe, not squishy, but have a slight give when you touch them.
  • Strawberries: Can use frozen strawberries, which are often a better price. They will blend better if they are at least halfway thawed. If using fresh, make sure to hull them to remove the stem.

Sugar Alternatives

Honey, Agave, and Maple Syrup: For a natural sweetener, you can use equal parts honey, agave, or pure maple syrup and water to form your simple syrup as a direct replacement for granulated sugar. These substitutes will impact the final taste of the lemonade.

Stevia: This sugar alternative has a less straightforward replacement. You’ll use 2 tablespoons of stevia powder per 1 cup of water. So in this recipe, you’ll use 3 tablespoons of stevia powder for 1 1/2 cups of water. A little goes a long way with this substitute and too much may produce a bitter result in your lemonade.

Bottled Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice has a brighter, cleaner flavor and is strongly preferred for making lemonade. Bottled lemon juice does not taste as fresh and can sometimes have a bitter, chemical taste. Any kind of lemon can be used to make lemonade, including Meyer lemons which have a distinct, sweeter flavor.

A glass of strawberry kiwi lemonade with a straw and cut strawberries and a kiwi.

Freezing For Later

We love making a huge batch because it freezes so well and then we can use it throughout the summer. Just pour the concentrate into a gallon freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer until solid. You can measure it out beforehand and mark it on the bag so you know how much is in there months later. I like to freeze it in varying sizes so I can have small sip-on-the-porch sizes and larger feed-a-thirsty-crowd sizes.

Thaw the lemonade by running the frozen bag under warm water until you can break it into small pieces with your hand. Then place the icy concentrate into a pitcher and add the appropriate amount of water to your liking. This additional water should be enough to thaw the rest. Give it a stir and serve.

More Lemonade Recipes