Watermelon Basil Lemonade

This Watermelon Basil Lemonade has a juicy sweetness and a hint of fresh garden basil. 

Our watermelon basil lemonade recipe

This Watermelon Basil Lemonade was inspired by Sara Moulton’s Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade.

We pumped a bit more lemon into Sara’s recipe, since we like things to have a bit of a punch. And, we toned down sugar a bit to really let the watermelon sweetness shine through.

But our twist really comes down to the addition of the basil.

Basil may seem a bit different here, but stick with us.

But, imagine getting a good whiff of a bountiful herb garden as you sip a cool lemonade on a warm summer’s day.

That’s just where the basil takes you here, making this a perfect summer drink.

Making this drink could not be any easier. The lemonade ingredients get added to the blender and blended until smooth and drinkable. We add the whole basil leaves after crushing them slightly. They are a nice accent, like if you added some mint leaves and cucumber to your water on a hot summer day.

More summer watermelon recipes

If you love watermelon, you will want to check out our recipe for watermelon gazpacho. It is a sweet and fruity twist on the classic Spanish summer vegetable gazpacho soup.

And if you like adding herbs to your drink, you will want to try this Middle Eastern mint lemonade.

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5 from 1 vote

Watermelon Basil Lemonade

This Watermelon Basil Lemonade has a juicy sweetness from watermelon and a hint of fresh garden basil. 

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: African

Servings: 4 people

Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere (inspired by Sara Moulton)

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon, cubed (seeds removed)
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 c fresh basil
• Ice (for serving)

Instructions

• In a blender combine the watermelon, lemon juice and zest, and sugar. Puree until smooth.
• Taste and add additional sugar if desired.
• Pour mixture into a pitcher.
• Bruise the basil leaves by laying a few in one hand and smacking them firmly with the other hand. (This will help speed up the releasing of their oils.) Add bail to the pitcher. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• To serve, pour over ice and garnish with additional basil leaves.

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

www.curiouscuisiniere.com/about/