Mango Lemonade – Immaculate Bites

How to Store Mangoes

Store unripe mangoes at room temperature. They should ripen in 3-4 days. You can speed up the process by storing them in a paper bag at room temperature.

While mangos taste best fresh at room temperature, you can keep them in the fridge to slow the ripening process. I prefer peeling them, cutting them into chunks, and refrigerating them in an airtight container for easy consumption. And they last in the freezer for up to 6 months, perfect for a delicious smoothie.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Mango – Fresh, juicy mangoes give the lemonade its tropical taste and beautiful color. You can also use frozen mango chunks. Check out my time-saving instructions on how to cut a mango.
2. Citrus – Freshly squeezed lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of both are essential for the classic lemonade flavor.
3. Simple Syrup – You can use sugar, but sometimes it doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquid. I love making a simple syrup with mint leaves for a burst of freshness.
4. Optional Alcohol –Turn your lemonade into a refreshing, tropical cocktail with a dash of Moscato wine or rum.

How to Make Mango Lemonade

Sugar Method

• Mix – Cut the mango into cubes. Then puree the mango, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, and about a cup of water until the sugar dissolves. Adjust to the desired texture and intensity with more water. (Photos 1-2)
• Serve – Pour over ice.

Simple Syrup Method

• Simple Syrup – Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Keep stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved—5-7 minutes. Throw in a couple of mint leaves if desired, and set aside to cool.
• Puree – Cut the mango into cubes. Place mango chunks in a blender and puree.
• Combine – Pour the mango puree into a large pitcher, then add the lemon and lime juice. Adjust the sweetness to your preference with simple syrup. Stir until everything comes together. Add alcohol, if including, and adjust with cold water, if needed.
• Serve – Chill and serve in tall lemonade glasses. Put ice cubes in the glass before pouring for extra refreshing mango lemonade.

Recipe Variations

1. Fruit add-ins. Replace ½ cup of the mango with ½ cup of strawberries, raspberries, peaches, kiwi, or watermelon.
2. Mango dragon fruit lemonade. Replace half of the mangoes with dragonfruit, and proceed with the recipe for a simple Starbucks knockoff. Add half a teaspoon of green coffee powder for even more authenticity and caffeine jolt. Enjoy!
3. Make a Slushy – Partially freeze the mango lemonade, then blitz it a couple of times in the blender to get a cool, refreshing slushy, perfect for a summer day!

Tips and Tricks

1. Adjust the sweetness to your tastes. For more tartness, add an extra squeeze of lemon juice. More simple syrup will increase the sweetness.
2. Lemons that are heavy for their size and thin-skinned usually have more juice.
3. Chill the mango lemonade for at least an hour before serving for an ice cold drink.

Make-Ahead Instructions

I love having a pitcher of mango lemonade ready when guests stop by. Mix it up the day before and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. On the other hand, you can keep frozen mango chunks on hand and quickly blend up a batch for last-minute visitors.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Enjoy this thirst-quenching lemonade served cold over ice.

Refrigerate leftover lemonade in a jar with a lid or pitcher covered with plastic wrap for up to 7 days. Give it a quick stir before serving to distribute the flavors evenly. Sometimes, I freeze leftovers in an ice cube tray. Add the ice cubes to ginger ale or Sprite for a refreshing twist.

What to Serve With Mango Lemonade

Mango lemonade is perfect on its own. But it’s also great for outdoor cooking with grilled shrimp kabobs or grilled salmon patty burgers.

More Tantalizing Mango Recipes to Try

1. Mango Salsa
2. Banana Mango Muffins
3. Avocado Shrimp Salad & Mango Dressing
4. Mango Chutney

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”JtWy2KlN” upload-date=”2020-07-25T03:40:58.000Z” name=”Mango Lemonade” description=”Mangoes are made for summer. This mango lemonade here is so refreshing, so juicy, and so deliciously tropical. A perfect drink to cool down this summer!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]

This blog post was originally published in July 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video