Sweet Lime Juice (Simply Limeade Copycat!)
Refreshingly sweet & tart, this ice cold, tangy limeade is what summer dreams are made of! Fill your favorite glass with ice, sweet lime juice, & a straw, and sip away those hot summer days!
What Makes This Recipe Work
While it’s easy to buy storebought Simply Limeade, the homemade version is even tastier (& healthier!). Made with just three simple ingredients, this lime juice recipe is quick, easy, with endless options for how to drink it!
Whether it’s over ice, spiked with tequila, or frozen into a popsicle, this sweet lime juice recipe will cool you off, satisfy your sweet tooth, and make your summer super refreshing!
Best part? This simply limeade copycat recipe is made with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners, and is vegan (if made without honey), gluten-free, dairy-free, and allergy friendly!
How to Make This Simply Limeade Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Limes: Fresh limes are best for this recipe, however, if you need a substitute in a pinch, see “Tips & Tricks” or recipe notes for helpful substitutions.
Water: Use ice-cold water if you’re going to serve immediately, or refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
Honey: If you’re vegan or don’t prefer honey, feel free to use granulated sugar. You can also use your favorite sweetener of choice (granulated monk fruit sweetener, agave, etc).
Step by Step
- Juice your limes. 6 limes should yield a little more than a half-cup.
- Dissolve your honey (or granulated sugar) to make a simple syrup. Add the 3 tbsp honey to a small bowl along with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Combine! Add ice to a pitcher along with 6 cups of water. Add in the lime juice and the honey simple syrup and stir well.
How to Serve
Serve this refreshing simply limeade in your favorite tumbler or glass over ice with a slice of lime and enjoy!
Other Ways to Use Limeade
Simply Limeade Margarita Recipe: If you want to spike your simply limeade to make a margarita, add 1 shot (1.5oz) of Blanco tequila to a cocktail shaker, along with ice, 4oz of limeaid, and shake for one minute. Rub a wedge of lime over the rim of your glass and dip in salt or sugar if desired. Fill your glass with ice and strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into your glass. Enjoy your simply limeade margarita with a slice of lime for garnish.
Frozen Limeade Margarita Recipe: If you prefer your limeade margarita frozen instead of on the rocks, simply dump the contents of the margarita (ice, tequila, limeaid) into your blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Follow the same instructions for a salt or sugar rim, and pour the contents of the blender into your favorite glass. Garnish with a lime wedge, and enjoy!
Sweet Lime Juice Popsicle Recipe: A fun & easy idea for both adults and kids! Grab a silicone popsicle mold (amazon, walmart, dollar tree, etc), and pour from your pitcher of limeade into each compartment. Freeze for at least 4 hours and serve! Tip: Make sure to grab a mold that also includes the sticks!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Refined Sugar-Free: I use honey instead of granulated sugar, as it works super well and tastes amazing. Because honey is a natural sweetener, this makes it refined sugar-free. If you’re keto or prefer a sweetener with a lower glycemic index, granulated monk fruit sweetener by brands like Lakanto is also an option (this is a 1:1 sugar substitute). If you prefer not to use honey, regular granulated sugar will work for this, as well. 3 tbsp would be my recommendation. Feel free to add more if you like it on the sweeter side!Â
Less Sweet: Reduce the amount of honey to 2 tbsp if you prefer less-sweet lime juice.
Sugar-Free: To make this limeade copycat sugar-free, omit the honey or sugar completely. It will be very tart, but refreshing!
Double Batch: To increase the serving size, hit “print recipe” and you can adjust the number of servings there.
Lemonade: This recipe also works with lemons to make homemade lemonade!
Prep your Limes: To get the most juice out of your limes, heat the full limes in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. This will help the cells in the lime burst and will produce more juice! Alternatively, you can roll them on the counter while pressing down.
Lime Juicer: While squeezing fresh citrus juice is totally possible by hand, you actually end up wasting a ton of juice! I LOVE my lime juicer and find it so easy to use, with zero waste and my hands don’t hurt! Get your own handheld lime juicer or regular lime juicer– you won’t regret it!
Lime Juice Substitute: Fresh lime juice is really the best for this recipe, but if you only have a few limes on hand, you can supplement the rest with lemons, True Lime packets, or bottled lime juice. Just be aware that each of these will make the taste vary a bit. If you try a substitute and love the taste, let me know in the comments!
FAQs
Limes are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. The juice has been known to improve immunity, reduce heart disease risk factors, prevent kidney stones, aid iron absorption, and promote healthy skin.
Typically, there is about 2 tbsp of juice in one lime.
It lasts a few days, but it must be refrigerated. This Simply Limeaid copycat is best if used within 4-5 days and stored in the refrigerator. Stir before serving.
Yes! In 1/2 cup of lime juice (about 6 limes) there are 10 total carbs in 4 servings. This means the lime juice in this recipe is about 2.5 carbs per serving. The rest of the carbs come from the honey.
To make this Keto Simply Limeade, use granulated monk fruit sweetener instead of honey. One serving of keto simply limeaid will only be 2.5 carbs and 8 calories!
More Delicious Beverages
Strawberry Cucumber Mojito Mocktail
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Sweet Lime Juice (Simply Limeade Copycat!)
Ingredients
- 6 limes, juiced – makes a little more than 1/2 cup of juice
- 6 cups water, + 1/4 cup for dissolving honey
- 3 tbsp honey, can sub 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Equipment
- drink pitcher
Instructions
- First, juice your limes. To get the most juice out of them, heat the full limes in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. This will help the cells in the lime burst and will produce more juice! Alternatively, you can roll them on the counter while pressing down. 6 limes should yield a little more than a half cup.
- Next, dissolve your honey to make honey simple syrup. Add the 3 tbsp honey to a small bowl along with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Add ice to a pitcher along with 6 cups of water. Add in the lime juice and the honey simple syrup and stir well. Serve over ice with a slice of lime and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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