Having a passion vine in the backyard that produces pounds and pounds of fruit every year kind of turns you into a passion fruit expert. 😅 Over the years, we’ve gotten super creative at using this fruit in recipes. This passion fruit lemonade is a wonderful way to put a tropical twist on classic lemonade!
This recipe was inspired by this passion fruit simple syrup recipe. The syrup uses fresh passion fruit to amp up the flavor of any beverage. Using this syrup in a classic lemonade recipe really boosts the tropical flavor of plain old lemonade! The best part is that once you have made the simple syrup, it's oh-so-easy to make the lemonade!
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💕 why you'll love this passion fruit lemonade recipe
🍋 full of tropical flavor. This recipe puts a tropical twist on classic lemonade. It's perfect for channeling summertime vibes, no matter the time of year!
🙌 simple technique. Making this lemonade with simple syrup means it comes together in a flash. The bonus is that you can whip this up in a matter of minutes. That means you can spend more time with your family and friends while entertaining.
🤩 summery & refreshing. Most people have never truly tasted fresh passion fruit! This recipe is a great way to showcase the tart, sweet, tangy flavor of passionfruit to your friends and family.
❤️🔥 all about passion fruit
- Passion fruit grows on a vine, not a tree.
- The vine is a pretty aggressive grower, and it's technically known as an invasive species. If you plant it, be sure to be mindful, as it will grow fast and take over everything.
- There are hundreds of varieties of passion vines, but not all produce fruit.
- The fruiting varieties (known scientifically as passiflora edulis) typically produce either yellow or purple fruits.
- The outside of the fruits are hard, and when you pick a fruit up, you might think it's hollow. But, the edible part of the fruit is actually the pulp and seeds inside!
🧃all about passion fruit juice
- Passion fruit juice is made by combining passion fruit pureé and water.
- The purée comes from the pulp, or the small juice-filled sacs within the fruit.
- It can take up to 12 whole, medium-sized fruits to get ½ a cup of pureé. Knowing that, that's why it may seem pricey. Juicing passion fruit is truly a labor of love!
- You can use a blender, juicer, or a fine mesh sieve to get the juice out of the fresh passion fruit pulp.
- You can buy the pulp or juice frozen if you can't find fresh fruits near you. You can also have passionfruit shipped to you online!
🛒 ingredients
This passion fruit lemonade is made of only four ingredients!
- passionfruit syrup - check out my recipe for making your own passion fruit syrup, or use a storebought syrup for this lemonade! Making your own syrup will produce a much more pure passionfruit flavor. So, I always recommend taking the time to make it yourself if you can. You can use fresh or frozen passionfruit pulp or purée to make the syrup.
- lemons - naturally, you’ll need some fresh lemons for making this passion fruit lemonade. Opt for organic if you can, and if you're able to buy locally, that's always best! If you can't find fresh lemons near you, you can use storebought juice. Choose an organic brand if possible, and make sure to check the ingredient label to make sure it's 100% lemon juice!
- fresh passionfruit - I love garnishing this lemonade with some fresh passionfruit pulp and seeds. Though not necessary, it makes for a showstopping presentation.
- filtered water - water from your tap or fridge will do! If your water has a “funny taste,” you may want to opt for bottled water.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍳 instructions
This recipe is so simple. You really only need to juice the lemons and pour everything into a pitcher! Of course, if you are opting to make your own passion fruit syrup (which you know I think you should do 😉) it will take just a bit more time to throw together.
Step 1: Juice 5-6 lemons to get 1 cup of fresh lemon juice.
Step 2:Combine the lemon juice with ¾ cup of passion fruit syrup in a pitcher.
Step 3: Add 3 cups of water to the pitcher, and you’re done! If you'd like, you can add in some fresh passion fruit pulp for a garnish!
Step 4: Pour the homemade lemonade into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lemon, mint, and a half of passion fruit. Store the lemonade in a pitcher in the fridge for up to one week. Or freeze it in ice cube trays for longer storage!
Hint: use lemons that are at room temperature— they yield more juice than cold lemons! When citrus is cold, the membranes that hold the juice firm up. This makes it harder to extract the most amount of juice possible.
♻️ substitutions
- Store-bought syrup - in the words of Ina Garten, "if you can’t find fresh passion fruits to make your own syrup, store-bought is fine." Just be sure to taste and adjust for sweetness. A commercially made syrup may have more sugar than a homemade one. Monin makes a passion fruit syrup that you order online. However, I'm sure you know I'll tell you "fresh is best." 😏
- Store-bought juice - you can use store-bought lemon juice (or even store-bought lemonade) if you don’t feel up to making your own.
- Passion fruit juice + sugar - if you don’t have the time to make your own syrup or don’t want to, you can use passion fruit juice and sugar to make this passion fruit lemonade. Use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to passion fruit juice, and make sure to add your sugar to taste. Cerés makes a passion fruit juice you can buy on Amazon. Though, you might be able to find it in a grocery store near you! I've even seen frozen passion fruit purée in my local stores.
🎛️ variations
Try these variations, or comment below with your own!
- sparkling - add sparkling water instead of still water for a bubbly take on this passion fruit lemonade.
- tropical fruit - add in other tropical fruit juices, like mango and pineapple, to make this lemonade extra tropical!
- spiked - make a tasty cocktail using your favorite alcohol. Vodka, tequila or rum would work wonderfully with this passion fruit lemonade!
🧰 equipment
- pitcher - you’ll need a pitcher that can hold about 5-6 cups of liquid ideally. I love these pitchers from Bormioli Rocco!
- Lemon juicer - while you don’t need a citrus juicer, it’s a great “nice-to-have” item. If storage space is limited in your kitchen, a citrus reamer or hand citrus press will do nicely. You can store either one in a kitchen drawer— it’ll just take a little more effort to get the lemon juice.
🫙 storage
Once mixed together, you can store your passion fruit lemonade in the fridge for up to one week. If you'd like to store it longer, you can freeze it in ice cube trays for up to three months.
🔆 top tip
It may take a little time and patience to hunt down fresh passion fruit, but trust me— it’s worth it! You can search on Google. Or you can even use an app like Shipt or Instacart to see if it’s in stock in your area!
💬 q+a
Yes, passion fruit simple syrup is what makes this recipe super easy to throw together! All you need is the simple syrup and the juice from 5-6 lemons. Then add some water and simple syrup, and you have your very own tropical homemade lemonade!
Check your local specialty markets or farmers markets from January through November for passion fruit. I’ve also seen them at our local Whole Foods market. Do a Google search for specialty fruit stores near you—you might be surprised to find that you can source tropical flavors right in your own neighborhood! There are even companies online that will ship you fresh passionfruit, right to your door!
Make sure to store your lemonade in the fridge, and it'll keep for up to a week-- if you don't drink it all, first!
Absolutely! This passion fruit lemonade is the perfect base for a variety of cocktails and mocktails. Add 1-2 ounces of your favorite liquor like vodka, rum, or tequila. You can also add sparkling water to it for a fizzy refreshing beverage.
🍽️ recipe
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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🥣 recipe
Passion Fruit Lemonade
Equipment
- 1 pitcher 48 oz capacity
- 1 citrus juicer may use citrus press or reamer
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon juice from 5-6 medium-sized lemons
- ¾ cup passion fruit syrup see recipe here for making your own, or use store bought.
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Juice 5-6 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice.
- Pour the lemon juice into a pitcher.
- Add ¾ cup of passion fruit syrup to the lemon juice.
- Top with 3 cups of water. You can adjust the flavor by adding more or less water or simple syrup, to your preference.
- Serve over ice.
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