Patriotic Cherry Lemonade Recipe

Patriotic Cherry Lemonade Recipe

Patriotic Cherry Lemonade Recipe

Ohhh these fun, summer holidays just get better and better as the babies and toddlers turn into big kids, don't they?!

We've moved from freaking out over babies waking up when fireworks blast off, to the absolute awe and joy in those little eyes the first time they see a sparkler and get to stay up and catch fireflies, I am thoroughly enjoying this season of raising kids!

Celebrate the Fourth of July with a fun patriotic drink!

Little kids love lemonade, and this fun twist on the classic summertime drink, will definitely make them smile! We pick cherries the week of Fourth of July every year, so cherry lemonade has become a staple to enjoy on the 4th of July!

Skip the processed sugar and dyes - but still have fun!

Real food is so beautiful! Bright red cherries and vibrant blue blueberries are the perfect combo for this red, white, and blue treat! We swap the sugar for raw honey as well, and this cherry lemonade tastes so good! Cherries are naturally so sweet, especially when fresh picked/in season. If you have really little guys in the house, you could get away with half the honey, if any at all in the cherry syrup.

A probiotic option for the lemonade!

If you have the time to ferment the lemonade, that will give your drink a sparkling, bubbly twist that the kids (and their little guts!) will just love! Just follow the directions in this post to make fermented lemonade and use that as your lemonade base!

For the blueberry ice cubes:

- Blueberries (enough to fill the ice cube trays)

- Water (enough to fill the ice cube trays with the blueberries inside)

For the cherry syrup:

- 3 cups cherries, pitted

- 1 cup water

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the lemonade:

- 1/4 cup raw honey (organic pure cane sugar will work too - you might need to use more)

- 1 cup water

- 1/4 cup honey

- 3 cups water

- 1 cup lemon juice (You'll need about 5 large lemons)

1. Make the blueberry ice cubes. Fill your ice cube tray with blueberries, then water, and freeze. You can do this days, or even weeks in advance.

2. Make the cherry syrup. In a small sauce pan, bring the cherries, water, and lemon juice to a simmer for 20 minutes. Use a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon to squish the cherries and stir around here and there. Strain the cherry water (discard the cherry skins/pulp or use in a smoothie.), and stir in the honey. Return the cherry/honey water to the sauce pan and reduce by about 1/4 - you want a slightly thicker/syrup consistency (should take a few minutes of simmering). This is your cherry syrup. Put it in the fridge to cool (or freezer to cool faster!). It will get thicker as it cools - this is what you want. If it is too watery, it won't sit at the bottom of the cup to make the cool, layered look to the cup. You can make this syrup a day or so in advance.

3. Make the lemonade. Warm up 1 cup of water and stir the honey in to dissolve. Pour the water/honey "syrup", 3 cups of water, and lemon juice into a pitcher and stir. Place in the fridge to chill. You can make this a day or so in advance as well.

4. Assemble the drinks. Pour cherry syrup at the bottom of each glass. The amount will depend on the size glass. These were 8oz glasses and I used a heaping tablespoon of syrup - perfect for little ones. For adults you can use bigger glasses and 2-3 tablespoons of cherry syrup at the bottom. Pour the lemonade over the syrup, and then add the blueberry ice cubes. This batch made enough for my family of 5 (3 small and 2 bigger glasses).

(And because they are so darn cute, and I know I will get asked, I got the adorable red, white, and blue pinwheel straws here! I Amazon Primed them and had them in 30 hours flat!)

Patriotic Cherry Lemonade Recipe

About Renee:

Renee Kohley Renee is a wife and momma of 3, the vision behind Raising Generation Nourished, and the author of Nourished Beginnings, a cookbook focused on nutrient-dense recipes for infants, toddlers and beyond inspired by traditional foods. She is passionate about raising the next generation of kids with a better understanding where their food comes from, and how food affects their bodies. She is committed to teaching others that simple, real food can make positive changes in health and can be done on a tight budget, all while making the kids smile.

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