This sweet, bubbly Strawberry Limeade is perfect for sipping on during hot summer afternoons, or enjoying with family and friends and a fun evening barbecue. We start with a simple Strawberry Sauce (make it with vanilla), add juice from fresh limes, lots of ice, and Sprite.
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberry Sauce – This simple fresh strawberry sauce can be used in so many ways! Over pancakes or waffles, on ice cream or cheesecake, over angel food cake with whipped cream, you really can’t go wrong. Here we use it to add that fresh strawberry flavor to our limeade.
- Limes – Look for smaller limes with thinner skin. These will usually have the best tasting juice for beverages, but any limes will do. Fresh lime juice is a must here. Leave the bottled stuff on the shelf!
- Sprite – You can use regular or diet Sprite here.
How To Make Fresh Strawberry Limeade
- Make your strawberry sauce. Wash strawberries and remove stems. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can roughly chop the berries. Combine berries, sugar, and vanilla extract in medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for five minutes, stirring/breaking strawberries up with a wooden spoon constantly.
After five minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly (if you have a glass blender jar) and a lot (if you have a plastic blender jar). When cool enough, transfer mixture to blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. You can also use an immersion blender, which makes things super easy! For more details and pictures of this process, see the original Strawberry Sauce post. Allow sauce to cool in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, fill a cup with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the ice.
3. This is where it gets hard. Fill the glass halfway full with Sprite.
4. Then add about 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. This will largely be to taste and also how frothy your strawberry sauce is (the frothier it is, the more you’ll need).
5. Fill the glass to the top with Sprite. Stir it up gently with a straw (or don’t if you like the pretty red swirls). Add another lime slice or two and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time? Can I make it for a crowd? Absolutely! Prepare your strawberry sauce up to a few days ahead of time and store in the fridge. You could juice fresh limes up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate as well. Plan on 2 tablespoons of juice per glass, as well as any slices you may desire for garnish. Make sure your Sprite is chilled. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice, and follow the instructions as written.
Serving Suggestions
Have leftover strawberry sauce? Here are some other ways to use it up!
Light & Crispy Waffles
100% Whole Wheat Pancakes
Strawberry Cheesecake Squares
Looking for similar beverages?
Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade and Limeade
Brazilian Lemonade
Frozen Blackberry Limeade
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture on tag me on Instagram, then come back and give this recipe a rating!
Fresh Strawberry Limeade
Ingredients
- STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1 pint strawberries
- FOR EACH GLASS OF LIMEADE
- 1 tall glass
- Lots of ice
- Sprite or Diet Sprite...or Ginger Ale if you're feeling wild
- 1 1/2 limes about 2 tablespoons juice and a slice or two of lime for garnish
- 3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Sauce
Instructions
Make your strawberry sauce:
- Wash strawberries and remove stems. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can roughly chop the berries.Combine berries, sugar, and extract in medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for five minutes, stirring/breaking strawberries up with a wooden spoon constantly.After five minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly (if you have a glass blender jar) and a lot (if you have a plastic blender jar). When cool enough, transfer mixture to blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. You can also use an immersion blender, which makes things super easy! Cool and refrigerate.
Make your drink:
- Fill a glass with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass over the ice.Fill the glass about halfway with Sprite. Add 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. Top the glass off with Sprite and add more strawberry sauce if desired.Garnish with lime wedges (which you can also squeeze into the glass before drinking. Definitely best when served with a straw.
Questions & Reviews
Hey Kate,
I’m so sorry that you’re family is sick. That is the hardest when you’re mom. I know! Honestly, before I read about that, my mouth was watering over your pictures. One of my favorite flavors is lime, and I have stawberries I need to use too! Thanks for this easy recipe. I love new drink ideas!!! Get well soon! (hugs)!
Love a new way to use limes! ANd … LoVE that little square plate you have everything displayed on, it screams out spring! If you remember where it came from, can you share, please … because I’m sure my girls would eat anything on those plates! Hope you are feeling better soon, it’s the worst to be the sick Mom!
Meredith–Thanks, girl! I’m feeling so much better today–I’m seriously so thankful for antibiotics. I got that plate at Target a few years ago, so I don’t think they carry it anymore, but I ALWAYS find cute, cheap stuff there! 🙂
That looks awesome! Now let’s see a picture of your puppy!
So did you already know of my addiction to all varieties of lemonade and limeade before you wrote this?! Seriously, I buy the Minute Maid cherry limeade every time we go to Walmart {because that’s the only place that seems to sell it and it’s cheap – I splurge when I buy the Simply brand of raspberry lemonade ;)} and it’s always gone within 2, maybe 3, days of opening it! And this is just 10x better because it is made with Sprite and will have some fizz to it. 🙂 Unfortunately I have no strawberry sauce on hand, i.e. strawberries are going on my grocery list RIGHT now!
This looks like it could be better than the strawberry limeades from Sonic. Seriously, I would know. I worked at one for 4 years.
Yeah!! Thanks to a $1 per pound sale this week I have a boatload of strawberries!! And thanks to your cookbook I now keep limes in my refrigerator at all times! The sprite I’m going to have to work on, but I may just have to swing by happy hour at Sonic today then just add this stuff to it. Thanks for the recipe and I hope you get feeling better!! The Momma should never be sick! If I lived on your street I’d totally make you some chicken soup! Excuse my unhealthy obsession with exclamation points 🙂
Oh that looks so yummy! If I had strawberries, and Ice… and limes I would make it right now. 🙂
I just wanted you to know that I posted about your cookbook today on my blog. I absolutely love it!
Thanks for posting this limes are on sale this week and I will be drinking this recipe up.
This is PERFECT for the hot days that are approaching!