Calling all lovers of Dill. Pickle lovers will rejoice for a glass of this iced cold refreshing pickle lemonade. Made with pickles, lemons, and a basic recipe, this is one drink you'll keep on hand this summer.
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If you've ever found yourself chowing down on a bag of Dill-flavored potato chips, drinking the pickle juice from a jar, or snacking on some pickle spears like there's no tomorrow, this Pickle Lemonade recipe is for you.
Usually, when you think of pickles you picture Dill Pickle Potato Salad or a topping on a Party Sub Recipe, but today we're bringing you a beverage like no other.
Lemonade and sunshine go together like coffee and creamer, and while I usually opt for Orange Lemonade, Strawberry Pink Lemonade, or plain Homemade Lemonade, I always make room to try new flavorful combinations.
Pairing pickles and lemons may sound a bit different, but I urge you to try it. The sweet, sour, salty combination is a full workout for your tastebuds, and it's sure to have you feeling refreshed.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. We keep this Pickle Lemonade recipe plain and simple with basic ingredients so that it's much more user-friendly for anyone willing to give it a try.
- Easy to follow steps. The steps needed to make this recipe are simple and easy, making it perfect for everyone to give it a try! Dissolve the sugar and mix it all in a pitcher. Add ice and serve.
- Pickles! As if you needed another excuse to eat pickles, this Pickle Lemonade recipe uses pickle juice in the lemonade and pickles for garnish too.
🛒 Ingredients
Sugar- You will need some granulated sugar to help sweeten this recipe and round out the tangy flavors.
Pickle Juice- Use some juice from your favorite jar of dill pickles or buy a bag of ready-to-drink pickle juice from the store.
Pickle Spears- This is optional and just for garnishing the cups later. You can use hamburger-cut pickles too, if desired.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Lemon Juice Options: Use fresh-squeezed lemon juice for the brightest flavor, or save time with bottled lemon juice concentrate. If using concentrate, taste and adjust with additional sugar, concentrate can be more tart.
Pickle Juice: Any dill pickle brand works, classic dill, kosher dill, or even spicy dill if you want a kick.
Pickle Lemonade Slushie: Turn this drink into a frozen treat by blending 2 cups of pickle lemonade + 4 cups of ice until slushy.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use bottled lemon juice. It's usually cheaper than fresh lemons and works perfectly in large-batch drinks.
Save your pickle brine. Instead of tossing the juice after the pickles are gone, repurpose it for this lemonade.
Buy pickles in bulk. Larger jars often cost less per ounce and give you more brine to work with.
Skip garnishes. Lemon slices and pickle spears are optional, leaving them out keeps costs low with no impact on flavor.
🥄 Instructions for Pickle Lemonade
Step 1: Add your sugar and 1 cup of water to a small pot and place it over medium heat.
Step 2: Cook and stir just until the sugar has dissolved.
Step 3: Add it to a large pitcher and add in the remaining 3 cups of cold water.
Step 4: Add in the pickle juice.
Step 5: Pour in the lemon juice.
Step 6: Stir and add in the ice cubes and any sliced lemons or pickle garnishes.
Pour into serving glasses and add any additional garnishes desired.
Serve cold, and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Different sweetener options. If you don't want to make the simple syrup on the stove top, check out how to make Microwave Simple Syrup. Or try a creamier variation with condensed milk like in my Creamy Lemonade.
- To squeeze more juice out of fresh lemons, a tip I like to use is microwaving them for about 10-30 seconds. Then before slicing them in half, roll them back and forth along the counter while pushing down on them, like you're rolling out a dough log. This helps to get more juice out of the lemons.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store leftover pickle lemonade in a sealed pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving, as flavors may settle.
Make Ahead: Mix the lemonade ahead of time but hold off on adding ice and garnishes until serving. This keeps the drink cold without watering it down.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Pickle lemonade pairs well with classic summer foods like burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, and chips. It's also great with salty snacks such as pretzels, fried pickles, or veggie trays with ranch. For a full pickle-themed spread, serve it alongside Dill Pickle Potato Salad.
- Dill Pickle Egg SaladRecipe $1.05 / Serving $0.21
- Dill Pickle Potato SaladRecipe $3.68 / Serving $0.37
- Classic Macaroni Pasta SaladRecipe $4.37 / Serving $0.55
- Apple Pie Baked BeansRecipe $18.53 / Serving $1.15
❓ Pickle Lemonade FAQs
You can! A lot of people (especially athletes) enjoy pickle juice from the jar. Some find it helpful for muscle cramps too.
I highly recommend it. Dissolving the sugar in warm water only takes a moment, but if you add the sugar to the pitcher with cold water, you'll be stirring for quite some time to dissolve the sugar instead.
Yes, salt is a natural flavor enhancer and helps to bring out the other flavors and sweetness in recipes. In our case, this pickle juice lemonade recipe uses the saltiness of the pickles to make the lemonade taste even sweeter.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Single Serving LemonadeRecipe $0.89
- Strawberry Banana Orange SmoothieRecipe $1.67 / Serving $0.84
- Banana Oreo MilkshakeRecipe $2.15
- Blue Raspberry LemonadeRecipe $2.60 / Serving $0.26
🐝 If you tried this pickle lemonade, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Pickle Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar - ($0.36)
- 4 cups water, divided - ($0.00)
- 1 cup dill pickle juice - ($0.63)
- 1 cup lemon juice - ($0.88)
- ice cubes - ($0.00)
Optional Garnish
- pickle spears
Instructions
- Make syrup. Add the granulated sugar and 1 cup water to a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves.
- Build base. Pour the simple syrup into a large pitcher and add the remaining 3 cups cold water.
- Add flavor. Stir in the dill pickle juice and lemon juice until combined.
- Chill. Add ice cubes and stir to cool the lemonade.
- Serve. Pour into glasses, garnish with pickle spears if desired, and serve cold.
Notes
- Recipe Tips. For extra juice, microwave lemons for 10 to 30 seconds and roll firmly before slicing. Lemon concentrate can replace or supplement fresh lemon juice.
- Storage. Refrigerate for up to 5 days and stir before serving.
Nutritional Information
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