Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Michael Eisenwasser

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A pitcher of strawberry basil lemonade sweetened with plain cane sugar, with fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and muddled basil.

Prep 10 min

Cook 5 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice (from 5 to 6 lemons)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) cane sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water (for simple syrup)
• 1/4 cup (about 15 to 20) fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 4 cups (960 ml) cold water
• Ice cubes
• Optional: 1 to 2 cups plain sparkling water, to top
• Lemon slices and extra strawberries, for garnish

Instructions

Simple syrup

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cane sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes. This is the only cooking step, and it helps the sugar dissolve so the lemonade isn't gritty.

Strawberry base

1. Add the hulled strawberries to a blender or food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth puree, about 20 to 30 seconds.
2. For a clearer lemonade, pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, pressing with a spatula to extract the juice. For a fuller, pulpier drink, skip the strain and pour the puree straight in.

Muddle basil

1. Add the basil leaves to the pitcher. Muddle gently for 10 to 15 seconds. Press and twist to bruise the leaves and release the oils. Stop before the leaves shred; you want fragrant, not pulverized.

Build the pitcher

1. Pour in the lemon juice, the cooled simple syrup, and the 4 cups cold water. Stir well to combine.
2. Taste and adjust: add another tablespoon of simple syrup if you want it sweeter, another splash of lemon if you want it sharper.
3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes if you have the time. A cold pitcher keeps the ice from melting fast and diluting the drink.

Serve

1. Fill 6 tall glasses with ice.
2. Pour the lemonade over the ice, leaving an inch at the top if you plan to top with sparkling water.
3. Add a splash of plain sparkling water to each glass for fizz, if using.
4. Garnish with a lemon slice, a halved strawberry, and a basil sprig.

Tips & Substitutions

• Swap sugar for pure maple syrup. Use about 1/3 cup maple syrup in place of the simple syrup. It dissolves in cold liquid without the stovetop step, so you can skip the saucepan entirely. It tastes a little deeper than cane sugar, which pairs well with strawberries.
• Stick to plain sparkling water. On flavored seltzer labels, watch for apple, pear, or mango juice concentrate, inulin or chicory root fiber, honey or agave, high-fructose corn syrup, and polyols like sorbitol or xylitol. Plain sparkling water, club soda, or soda water are all fine.
• Use cane sugar or maple syrup instead of honey or agave. Both honey and agave are fructose-dominant and can make the drink high-FODMAP at any meaningful pour. Cane sugar, simple syrup, and pure maple syrup are the low-FODMAP sweeteners.
• If you're tracking serves, here's the strawberry amount per glass. The low-FODMAP cap on strawberries is 10 medium berries or about 150 g per serve, which is generous. This pitcher uses 300 g total across 6 glasses, or 50 g per serve, under the limit.
• Make it ahead. The full pitcher (minus ice and sparkling water) holds in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Stir before pouring, since the strawberry pulp will settle.
• Frozen version. Blend 2 cups of the finished lemonade with 2 cups of ice and 1 extra cup of strawberries for a slushie. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.
• If some people want alcohol. The base pairs cleanly with 1.5 ounces of vodka or white rum per glass. Add the alcohol to individual glasses, then top with lemonade.

Why This Works

Strawberries are low-FODMAP in a typical serve. Monash lists fresh strawberries as low-FODMAP up to 10 medium berries or about 150 g per sitting. This recipe spreads 300 g across 6 glasses, so each pour lands at roughly a third of the cap. You can double the strawberries in the pitcher and still stay in range.

Lemon juice is unlimited on the low-FODMAP list. Fresh lemon juice doesn't carry a portion cap, so you can make the drink as tart as you like without tracking milliliters.

Cane sugar keeps the sweetener simple. Sucrose is glucose and fructose already paired 1:1, so it doesn't trigger the excess-fructose issue that honey and agave do. A few tablespoons per pitcher sits well within the low-FODMAP range.

Fresh basil has no FODMAP cost. Basil leaves are unlimited on the Monash app. The muddled leaves add the aromatic top note that separates this from a plain strawberry lemonade.

No hidden high-FODMAP swaps. Honey, agave, apple juice concentrate, and flavored seltzers with inulin are the usual ways a homemade lemonade goes wrong. Skipping all four keeps the drink safely in range.

Storage

The finished pitcher keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours at 40°F (4°C) or below. The strawberry pulp will settle — stir before pouring. Hold off on the ice and any sparkling water until serving so the lemonade doesn't get watered down, and the sparkling water stays fizzy. Simple syrup on its own keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.