This Brazilian lemonade—the latest viral drink on the internet—lives up to the hype! To clear things up, this lemonade is not made from lemons but from limes.

The reason why Brazilian lemonade is called a lemonade and not a limeade is due to the translation. In Portuguese, limão is the term for lime, so everyone calls it limonada. In Bulgaria we also call any type of citrus drink limonada; limonada generally serves as a broad term for any lime or lemon juice, hence the confusion in English.

This drink is creamy, citrusy, and refreshing. It’s only 3 simple ingredients: ice, limes, and sweetened condensed milk. Traditionally, Brazilian lemonade uses whole limes — pith, peel, and all. The whole limes are blended with water and ice to create the base of this drink, but I decided to remove the lime peels prior to blending, as the limes in Canada have really thick skin and can be extremely bitter.

Brazilian Lemonade

The Modern NonnaThe Modern Nonna
This drink is creamy, citrusy, and refreshing. It's only 3 simple ingredients: ice, limes, and sweetened condensed milk.
4.50 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • zest of 2 limes
  • 4 limes, peels removed and pith (the white coating between the lime flesh and peel) removed
  • 4 cups cold filtered water
  • ice
  • One 14-ounce (300-ml) can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions
 

  • Add the peeled limes to a blender with the cold water. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the blended liquid through the strainer. You should be left with a little bit of pulp which you can use for other recipes or compost.
  • Pour the strained liquid back into the blender with ice, lime zest and the sweetened condensed milk. Blend until frothy.
  • Enjoy with extra ice and if you're in the mood, you can absolutely add a splash of your favorite alcohol too.

Video

Notes

If you are not a fan of (or cannot tolerate) sweetened condensed milk, I would definitely try this drink with a can of coconut milk and some sweetener instead.
You don’t have to remove the lime peels but I prefer to, as it can be really bitter. If you want to add the limes in whole, do NOT blend for more than 20 seconds before straining. 
Feel free to add a splash of any alcohol of choice, if you’re in the mood. 
You can absolutely use lemons instead of limes. I do have a delicious recipe up from last year that uses lemons as well. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @themodernnonna or tag #themodernnonna!
If you love one of my recipes, please leave me a review.
Thank you for bringing me into your kitchen <3

2 Responses

  1. 5 stars
    Hi! I’m Brazilian and I just loved to see this recipe here! It’s very refreshing and all restaurants have it!
    Sometimes we remove the peel too. If not drinked right alway, the lemonade become very bitter.
    But it’s really good!
    Best wishes!
    Larissa

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Modern Nonna

Click the icons for my socials

Most Popular

On Key

Recent Posts

Plate of pasta with bacon on top

Carbonara

Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish that is loved in every Italian household. With its origins shrouded in history, this recipe offers a taste

Read More »
picture of ramen soup

Ramen Noodle Soup

This comforting Ramen noodle soup is perfect for those chilly autumn days or when you’re feeling under the weather. This heartwarming bowl of goodness is

Read More »
Share to...