Cherry Limeade
Our easy cherry limeade is the perfect cold drink any time of year. We make it with lemon lime soda, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and homemade cherry simple syrup that adds plenty of real cherry flavor.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love a good cherry limeade, and this one is good! It has just the right balance of cherry and lime flavors combined with lemon lime soda for the base.
It’s sweet, tart, and fizzy without tasting artificial. We make a homemade cherry simple syrup to flavor the limeade, and it only has three ingredients: frozen sweet cherries, granulated sugar, and water. That means you don’t need a cherry pitter!
Our drink isn’t a copycat. We like it even better than the restaurant versions. Speaking of restaurant copycats, I’m kind of partial to our iced white chocolate mocha, too. You should give it a try the next time you want iced coffee and don’t want to spend a fortune at the coffee shoppe.
Kim’s Limeade Tips
- If you have some cherry simple syrup leftover, freeze it in an ice cube tray and save it for next time or whenever you need flavored simple syrup for another recipe.
- Make a single glass or a large batch depending on how many people you’re serving. See the recipe card below for the amounts.
Ingredients
- Use lemon lime soda for the base of the cherry limeade. Something like Sprite or 7-Up works well. If you’re making a pitcher, a 2 liter will be plenty. Otherwise, 12 ounce cans are great.
- We opt for cherry simple syrup for the cherry flavor. This is what keeps it from tasting artificial. If you’d rather not use the homemade simple syrup, maraschino cherry juice or cherry drink syrup make good swaps.
- We recommend using fresh-squeezed lime juice. If you decide to use lime concentrate, start by only using two tablespoons then taste before adding more.
How to make an easy cherry limeade
Start by making the cherry syrup. Place the cherries, water, and sugar juice in a saucepan. Simmer over low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Use a potato masher to mash the cherries as they cook.
Let the fruit simmer for 8 to 10 minutes so the fruit can break down. Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove the solid pieces. Transfer the simple syrup into a glass jar and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
When you’re ready to make the cherry limeade combine the soda, cherry syrup, and lime juice in a large pitcher.
Stir to combine, and serve in individual glasses over ice. Garnish with maraschino cherries and fresh lime wedges. For another refreshing party drink, try this mixed berry mocktail made with ginger ale and fresh lime.
How to Video
Ingredients
For the Cherry Simple Syrup
- 16 ounces dark sweet cherries, frozen (pitted)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For a Pitcher
- 48 ounces lemon lime soda
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup cherry simple syrup, or cherry drink syrup like Torani or Monin brand
- 4 cups ice
For a Single Serving
- 12 ounces lemon lime soda
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cherry simple syrup
- 1 cup ice
💌 Don't forget to save this recipe!
Instructions
- Add the cherries, sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low-medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to gently smash the cherries as they cook.16 ounces dark sweet cherries1 cup water1 cup granulated sugar
- Let the mixture simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cherries have softened and broken down.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and let the syrup cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the cherry pieces, pressing lightly to extract as much syrup as possible.
- To make the cherry limeade, combine the lemon lime soda, lime juice, and cherry simple syrup in a large pitcher or single serving glass. Stir gently to combine.48 ounces lemon lime soda¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice¼ cup cherry simple syrup
- Pour the cherry limeade over ice, and garnish with lime wedges and maraschino cherries. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use more or less of the lime juice and cherry syrup depending on how tart or sweet you want the limeade. It’s easy to adjust.
- Make sure to buy sweet cherries not tart cherries. It makes a difference in flavor.
- Use fresh cherries instead of frozen if that’s preferred.
- I recommend making the simple syrup ahead of time so it has time to cool in the fridge. This also saves you time when making the limeade. The time it takes to make the simple syrup is including the in prep/cook time.
- Turn leftover cherry limeade into popsicles or ice cubes to use in the next batch of limeade.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. If possible, store the soda separately from the lime juice and simple syrup.
