Made from just 3 ingredients, this Frozen Strawberry Lemonade is the perfect way to cool off when it’s hotter’n blue blazes outside your door!
I go way, way back with Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. And by way, way back, I mean back to my first job out of college. I was working in a bank in Durham, North Carolina. The job itself wasn’t much to speak of, but there were a few perks. There was the customer who brought us donuts every Friday. And we did get to watch the NCAA tournament every March via the tv in the lobby. Come to think of it, maybe that job wasn’t so bad after all! Another side bonus of that job? There was a Fazoli’s located right next door.
Have you heard of Fazoli’s? It’s a fast-food Italian restaurant, and based on their website it looks like they’re mostly located in the mid-western states. But they had a location in Durham, NC back when I worked at that bank. (It’s now closed. Bummer.) I don’t recall whether the food itself was any good, but I do remember that Fazoli’s had a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade that appeared on the menu every summer. And I do remember driving through the drive-thru every Friday afternoon to get a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. You know, in case I got thirsty on the way home.
I have no idea what made me think about Fazoli’s and that Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, but I totally got a craving for one the other day. Seeing as how Fazoli’s has all of 0 locations in the entire state of New York, I decided to make my own version of this summertime treat. (Google Maps is telling me the closest Fazoli’s is on the Connecticut turnpike…only 2.5 hours away.) Yup, homemade version for the win…and the gas money!
To make this lemonade, I grabbed a bag of lemons at the store along with a container of fresh strawberries. I sliced the strawberries and then put ’em in the freezer overnight. The next afternoon, I juiced up those lemons and dropped ’em into a blender with the frozen berries and some simple syrup. Blend. Blend. Blend. Done! This homemade version was super easy to make, and it totally brought back memories of sipping on a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade during those very hot North Carolina summers.
If it’s hotter’n blue blazes outside your door right now, then cool off with a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade! Cheers, friends!
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water divided
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups strawberries sliced and frozen
- 1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Using a small saucepan, combine sugar with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool; refrigerate until cold.
- Using a blender, add chilled syrup, remaining 1 cup of water, lemon juice, strawberries and ice cubes; blend until smooth.
Looking for more summer drink ideas? Check out these other favorites, too:
Pineapple Coconut Martini
Peach Margaritas
Wow! This is super easy to make a super delicious and refreshing beverage! This time of year all I want are cold drinks and cold food! My kids would think this was a special treat and be as happy as can be! 🙂
This strawberry lemonade would indeed be a special treat for the kids! It’s tart but sweet at the same time…just the way lemonade should be. And it’s a cinch to make, too. Thanks so much, Kathy!
Strawberry lemonade is the BEST! I’ve never had it frozen though. It’s clearly time for me to expand my summer beverages repertoire :). This looks awesome. And since it’s hotter’n blue blazes most of the time here I might just have to try it this afternoon. . .
Yes! Expand that summer beverage repertoire…and then serve that frozen strawberry lemonade with a strawberry lemonade cupcake! 🙂 Thanks so much, Kelsie!
What a great idea to freeze the strawberries and since I have several lemon trees this is a perfect recipe for me.
Oh what I wouldn’t give to have lemon trees in my backyard! I’m so jealous, Gerlinde! But, yes, grab some strawberries and make this frozen strawberry lemonade…it’s perfect for summer! 🙂
Tell me about this heat (but better don’t)! I’ve heard some stories when people drove few hours to get a famous cheesecake/cake, and I can somehow understand this. But having a long drive to get a frozen lemonade isn’t worthy at all. I’m glad you ended up with this homemade version. This one looks so refreshing, David! I wouldn’t mind a few glasses of this, perhaps with an addition of basil or mint.
Haha, yeah…I wasn’t about to drive 3 hours for frozen lemonade. I’m not sure I would drive 3 hours for cake/cheesecake either. I’d just make it at home instead! And I’m with ya on the addition of basil or mint for an herby essence to these drinks. And maybe some rum, too? haha!
I love strawberry lemonade! It’s so refreshing – right up there with watermelon as a favorite summertime thirst quencher.
I’m with ya, Nicole! Strawberry lemonade with its combination of sweet and sour just tastes even better on a really hot afternoon. Thanks so much!
Donuts every Friday? What a great customer! Though, if I had this strawberry lemonade every Friday I’d be just as happy! Love that it’s ‘frozen’ too…looks like a real thirst quencher. Bet it would be lovely spiked with some vodka for a weekend cocktail too 😉
You are totally right, Dawn. Thinking back, we were a bit spoiled with donuts every Friday. I mean, that customer would miss a Friday here and there…and it always so disappointing! So this frozen strawberry lemonade? Legit! Like I didn’t want to stop sipping on it long enough to take these photos. Hah! And I totally second the call to spike it with a bit of vodka or rum. Delicious!
Such a bright and refreshing summer drink you’ve got there David. And even in Scotland we’re experiencing a heat wave so this would be welcome here too!! My first job out of college was a bank job. I sold loans and insurance. We didn’t have a TV in the lobby. However when football (soccer) was on we did have a TV in the back office. (Mine that I brought from my house! LOL). 😀
Umph, I totally helped sell loans and insurance, too. And I hated it! How funny that we had similar jobs way back when and we both ended up writing food blogs? Maybe there’s a correlation there? Haha! Thanks so much, my friend!
Hi David! Perfect for the sweltering heat we’ve had for the last month. As you said great for adults and the kids, what kid doesn’t love a slushy cold drink? And adults can add a little something (rum or tequila come to mind) if they want. I agree with Ben that fresh mint would be a nice addition. My son works for a bank and there are certain perks that make the job better 🙂
You nailed it when you said sweltering heat, Dorothy! Even up here in the northeast, we’ve had a record summer of high temps and humidity. I’m pretty sure the humidity out there today is about 120%. Hah! All of the windows in our house are fogged up from it. I definitely support making a big batch of this one to cool off…and, yes, the adults can sneak a little something extra in. I’d be all about the rum! 🙂
I have heard of Fazoli’s and the food isn’t too bad. We have one about 30 minutes from where I live. This frozen strawberry lemonade sounds perfect for the summer months, so refreshing.
Interesting! I saw on their website that they’re mainly in the midwest…but that’s still a long way from us. Thanks for reporting back, Dawn! The internet is an amazing place like that. 🙂 And this frozen strawberry lemonade is really tasty. Perfect for hot summer months! Thanks, my friend!
Lovely recipe David. I think if we avoid adding sugar in it this recipe can also be used for Low Carb Diet. Thank for sharing such a healthy and wonderful recipe. 🙂
You make a good point about avoiding sugar for a low carb recipe, Puja…but I’m afraid the sugar might be needed to balance the lemon juice. I think this would be SO tart without the sugar for the lemonade side. But it might be a fun experiment, too! Thanks so much, my friend!
My whole family would love this — especially my strawberry loving 12 yr old. And I’m all about using as many seasonal summer fruit as I can, while I can! Tart + sweet = delicious! 🙂
Yes! The combo of sweet and tart is what makes this frozen lemonade hard to stop sipping on. It just screams summer to me! Thanks so much, Valentina! 🙂
Haha – yup, this delightfully delicious looking frozen strawberry lemonade would go down well here in Athens where it sure has been “hotter’n blue blazes ” down here {though I first read that too fast and totally replaced one of the words and was like WOA I thought Spiced was a family-friendly blog 😉 } !!!
I hadn’t heard of Fazoli’s before but I am curious how long your ride home was from that location in Durham?
Haha! I try to keep it family-friendly around here, but you never know. I sometimes need a proofreader. 🙂 So my ride home from Fazoli’s was only about 15 minutes (and I used to complain that I had a long commute…hah!), and that frozen strawberry lemonade hardly ever made it all the way home. It was usually gone by the time I hit the highway! Thanks, Shashi!