Lemonade Slushie Recipe — Just 3 Ingredients and a Blender

This frozen lemonade slushie comes together in about five minutes with store-bought lemonade, ice, and sugar - no squeezing lemons or dragging out a slushie machine. It's thick, icy, sweet-tart, and the kind of drink that disappears fast on a hot afternoon. Whether you're cooling off after a long run or making a batch for the kids on a summer day, this is the easiest frozen drink you'll make all season.

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What Do I Need to Make a Lemonade Slushie?

You only need three ingredients to make this frozen lemonade - plus a couple of optional garnishes if you want to dress it up. The sugar isn't just for sweetness - it actually keeps the ice from clumping into a solid block as you blend. Without it, you'll end up with an icy brick instead of a drinkable slush.

• Ice 
• Lemonade
• Sugar
• Lemon slices (optional)
• Mint leaves (optional)

Best Lemonade to Use for Slushies

Any store-bought lemonade will work here, but not all of them taste the same once they're frozen and blended. Here are a few things worth knowing:

Regular yellow lemonade is the most versatile choice - it gives you a classic sweet-tart flavor that works on its own or with add-ins.

Pink lemonade or strawberry lemonade adds a little sweetness and a great color. These are especially popular with kids.

Fresh-squeezed lemonade works too, but you may need to increase the sugar slightly since fresh lemon juice is more tart than most bottled options.

Sugar-free or diet lemonade will blend fine, but you'll still want to add the granulated sugar or a granulated substitute to keep the texture smooth. The sugar is doing double duty here - flavor and texture.

How Do I Make a Lemonade Slushie?

All you need is your blender and a few minutes to make your own frozen slush at home. Just follow these simple steps to whip up your own lemonade slushie.

Step 1 - Blend everything together.

Add the ice, lemonade, and sugar to your blender. Blend on high for about one to two minutes, or until the ice is fully crushed and the mixture is smooth and slushy. If the blender gets stuck, stop it, stir with a spoon, and blend again.

Step 2 - Pour and serve.

Divide the slushie between two glasses. Add a lemon slice and a sprig of mint if you'd like, and serve right away. This drink is best freshly blended - the ice starts melting within minutes.

Can You Make this Ahead of Time?

Not really - this drink is best served immediately after blending. If you let it sit, the ice melts and you end up with watered-down lemonade. And if you put it in the freezer, it'll freeze into a solid block. The good news is it only takes five minutes to blend a fresh batch, so there's no reason to try to make it ahead.

Lemonade Slushie Recipe Tips

With just three ingredients, this frozen beverage is refreshing for a hot summer day. And since you only need a few supplies to make it, it couldn't be easier to prepare! With the help of these tips and tricks, you'll be on your way to enjoying a delicious frozen drink in minutes.

• Chill your glasses. To help your frozen slushie stay cold longer, try placing your glasses in the freezer 15 minutes before you start blending. The glasses will have time to chill and frost, ensuring the ice in your frozen drink doesn't melt too quickly.
• Adjust the sugar as needed. Depending on the type of lemonade you use to prepare your slushies, you may need more or less sugar in your drink. Start by adding two tablespoons and tasting the mixture. Add more sugar, if needed, before blending.
• Add more lemon flavor. In addition to adjusting the sugar in your drink, you can also adjust the tartness by adding more lemon juice. Start by squeezing two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into the pitcher, then do a taste test and add more if needed.
• Use fresh lemonade. While this recipe is quick and easy to prepare with store-bought lemonade, you can also add freshly squeezed lemonade to the blender to prepare your drink. Use the same amount of fresh lemonade as storebought lemonade in the recipe.
• Try lemonade ice cubes. To give your slushie even more lemonade flavor, freeze lemonade in an ice cube tray before you start blending your drink. Then, replace the ice cubes in the recipe with the frozen lemonade cubes.
• Use different lemonade flavors. While traditional lemonade is a great option for this frozen drink, it's not the only flavor you can use! Try using pink, strawberry, or raspberry lemonade in place of plain yellow lemonade.

How Long Does It Take Lemonade to Freeze?

Using lemonade ice cubes is a great way to enhance the flavor of your slushie. But if you're not sure how far in advance you need to freeze the lemonade, it's a good idea to start up to one day before you plan to start blending.

Start by pouring the prepared lemonade into an ice cube tray and placing the tray in the freezer. Give the ice cubes at least 8 hours or up to overnight to freeze fully. Then, you can add the lemonade ice cubes to the blender with the rest of the slushie ingredients.

Is Frozen Lemonade Fizzy?

The drink has no carbonation since this recipe is prepared with lemonade and ice. That means you don't need to worry about fizz when drinking this frozen beverage. Most frozen drinks lose their fizz after chilling. The cold temperature helps reduce the effect of carbonation, causing less bubbles to appear in the fizzy drink.

Can You Make Lemonade Slushies for a Crowd?

Absolutely. This recipe makes two 14-ounce servings, so to scale up for a party, just multiply everything. For a group of 8, blend four separate batches - trying to quadruple the recipe in one blender usually doesn't blend evenly.

A few tips for serving a crowd: chill your glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving for a nice frosted look. Set up a topping station with lemon slices, fresh mint, and paper straws - kids especially love picking their own garnishes. If you're making multiple batches, blend each one right before serving. Slushies melt fast and there's no good way to hold them.

Can You Make This a Cocktail?

Yes - and it's really good. Add about 4 ounces of vodka or white rum to the blender along with the other ingredients and blend as usual. The alcohol will make the mixture slightly thinner, so add a little extra ice to keep it thick. Blend a regular batch for the kids first, then add the alcohol and blend a second batch for the adults.

Want a sports drink version? Try our Gatorade Slushie - same concept but with electrolytes. It's another 3-ingredient summer favorite.

What Garnishes Go with Lemonade Slushies?

Another simple way of customizing your slushie recipe is by decorating your drinks with fun garnishes! Try adding these decorations to your cups to make enjoying your frozen drink even more fun.

• Lemon slices or wedges
• Mint leaves
• Paper straws
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Pineapple rings
• Orange slices
• Lime slices
• Lemon rinds