If you love a cool and creamy Brazilian lemonade, we have a delicious cherry version for summer! Our cherry Brazilian lemonade recipe is dairy-free and so refreshing. You can make it traditional with limes or with lemons, which is also delicious!
If you haven’t tried a Brazilian lemonade yet, you’re missing out on a refreshing and creamy drink (ours is dairy free)!
We decided to take it up a notch this summer and add some cherries for a delicious twist on the classic Brazilian lemonade. It’s so yummy and has a beautiful color, too.
Brazilian lemonade is actually a limeade from Brazil made with sweetened condensed milk and whole limes (no juicing required). We use sweetened condensed coconut milk for ours to make it dairy-free.
We’ve tried this recipe with both traditional limes and lemons, and both are great for regular Brazilian lemonade and this cherry version! So you can use either limes or lemons for this recipe, and both taste delicious.
How to make a dairy free Brazilian cherry lemonade
To make a regular dairy-free Brazilian lemonade, you would pulse/blend whole lime, water, ice, sugar, and dairy-free sweetened condensed milk (like coconut or oat), then strain it to create a creamy and cool limeade.
When making a cherry version of Brazilian lemonade, I worked on 2 different methods:
For a more traditional-style cherry Brazilian lemonade:
Add the frozen cherries to the blender along with the other ingredients, blend, then use a wire mesh strainer to filter everything into a pitcher, and then divide into 2 glasses with ice. I used frozen cherries in my recipe, but fresh pitted cherries should work as well.
For a thicker, frozen cherry Brazilian lemonade:
Make your Brazilian lemonade first by blending everything together except the cherries, straining it to create your lemonade/limeade, then returning it back to the blender (after rinsing out the blender). Add the frozen cherries to the filtered lemonade/limeade and blend the frozen cherries into the drink to make a thicker frozen cherry Brazilian lemonade.
Out of the 2 ways to make this drink, I prefer the first option, made with everything going into the blender at once and then strained, since it makes a smoother drink.
Dairy free sweetened condensed milk options
I love using the sweetened condensed coconut milk in this recipe, the light coconut flavor pairs great with the lime. But you can always use the sweetened condensed oat milk instead, just be aware that some brands may not be certified gluten-free if you have celiac disease.
Here are some options for brands of dairy-free sweetened condensed milk:
- Andre Prost (the brand we used, this doesn’t separate as much in the fridge after opening, but it does contain xanthan gum)
- Let’s Do Organic (separates more in the fridge, but only contains coconut milk and sugar, with no thickeners)
- Nature’s Charm (no thickeners)
- Nature’s Charm sugar free (uses erythritol and includes thickeners)
- Nature’s Greatest Foods (does not contain thickeners)
- Thai Coco Organic
- Real Naturals
- Iberia brand
- Jamaican Choice
- Jiva Organics
- Nature’s Charm sweetened condensed oat milk
- Samui sweetened condensed oat milk
Please note I haven’t checked every brand listed for possible dairy cross-contamination or other allergens. Make sure to read all the labels and reach out to the brands directly if you have questions about whether dairy is used in their facilities.
Dairy Free Cherry Brazilian Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 medium lime
- 1 ½ cup cold water
- 3 Tablespoons unbleached cane sugar (or regular white sugar)
- 2 Tablespoons dairy free sweetened condensed milk (or either coconut or oat milk, I prefer the coconut milk one in this recipe)
- 1 cup ice cubes
- ½ to 1 cup frozen sweet cherries (or pitted fresh cherries)
Equipment
Instructions
- Wash and cut the lime in half, then cut into quarters or eighths. Add to a blender.1 medium lime
- Add the water, sugar, dairy free sweetened condensed milk, then add the ice.1 ½ cup cold water, 3 Tablespoons unbleached cane sugar, 2 Tablespoons dairy free sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup ice cubes
- There are 2 ways to make this drink with the cherries: #1: Add the frozen or fresh cherries to the blender with the whole limes, pulse a few times, then pour it through a fine mesh wire strainer. You don't want to completely puree everything, but you'll want to see some lime pieces so you can strain them out. #2: Leave out the cherries and blend the other ingredients and strain it to make a regular Brazilian lemonade. Then return the lemonade back to the blender (after rinsing out your blender), then add the frozen cherries to the Brazilian lemonade and blend it, making a slightly thicker cherry Brazilian lemonade.1/2 to 1 cup frozen sweet cherries
- Choose how you want to blend in the cherries, then pour your drink through a strainer and divide into 2 glasses with ice and serve immediately.
- You can save this for later, but I find that the lime peel oils get bitter if not enjoyed immediately, and the drink tends to separate as well. So this is best served immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist.