Hello, friends! Today, I am sharing my new favorite drink... Blueberry Basil Lemonade. I made a scrumptious Mint Lemonade last summer, and as I was perusing my fridge the other day, I spotted some leftover basil from the Caprese Pasta Salad. Right next to that was a pint of gorgeous blueberries I scored for $0.99 at the store. My little blogger brain put two and two together, and it went "Make a drink, make a drink!" So, Blueberry Basil Lemonade was born. Did I know it was gonna be delicious? Well, no, but I was hoping for the best. And honestly, this is the most amazing, refreshing, sweet but flavorful lemonade I've ever had. There's just so much flavor! Oh, this will blow your mind.
You need just a few simple ingredients for this delicious drink... lemons {of course}, blueberries, basil, sweetener, and water. And that's it! You can add as much or as little basil as you want, but I really feel like it adds a little extra oomph and a fresh little bite that goes perfectly with the tart lemons and sweet berries.
While this lemonade is absolutely delicious by itself, my personal favorite is drinking it Arnold Palmer style... half lemonade and half unsweetened iced tea. I don't like my lemonade to be overly sweet, so I find this to be a yummy way to mellow out the sugary-ness while still keeping the sweet-and-tart balance.
Being Italian, I grew up eating basil in tons of dishes, from pasta to salad to seafood, but definitely never in sweets or drinks. I thought this was a delicious way to combine some familiar things in an unfamiliar way to create a whole new level of yum! This drink is the perfect balance of sweet from the sugar and blueberries, tart from the lemons, and rich from the basil. The herb just adds another layer of complexity that takes this drink from good to great. And if you wanna add a splash of vodka to this, I'm not judging. 😉 Happy juicing and happy drinking!
blueberry basil lemonade
Ingredients
- 7-8 lemons
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 4-5 tablespoon Splenda to taste
- 4-5 cups water
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, juice all the lemons, taking care to not drop the seeds in.
- In a blender, combine the blueberries with a bit of the basil and about ¼ cup of water, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the blueberry mixture into the lemon juice, and add in the Splenda. Fill up the rest of the pitcher with water, and garnish with extra basil and fresh lemon slices. Taste the lemonade, and add more sweetener if necessary.
- Refrigerate until ready to drink!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
What a pretty drink! Sounds so yummy and refreshing! I might be adding a little vodka to mine. 😉 Great summer drink!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This is just the perfect Summer refresher. LOVE combining basil with berries so I can imagine how good this must have tasted too!
Rachel @the dessert chronicles says
I'm making blueberry everything around here after hauling way too many pounds from the orchards. This looks like the perfect summer drink and now I am so excited to have a new way to use up my berry supply!