Made with fresh lime juice, cilantro simple syrup (which is unique and easy to make), and water, this Cilantro Limeade is a fresh and unique take on the classic limeade. It's a great blend of tangy, sweet, and bright cilantro flavors and is perfect for outdoor entertaining.
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Why You'll Love It
- Unique as all get out!
- Easy to make
- No heat required
- Can be made in advance
Why Cilantro Limeade is a Good Drink for a Group
It's unique and interesting, making it a great conversation starter!
It's very inexpensive and uncomplicated to make.
You can easily adjust the sweetness level of the drink based on dietary preferences. See the Variations section below.
Ingredients
- Lime Juice - fresh lime juice is ideal. If you don't want to faf with juice limes, I recommend the Santa Cruz Organic Lime Juice, which can be found at most grocery stores and online.
- Cilantro Simple Syrup - This takes about 5 minutes to make and will give your limeade a fresh, clean flavor. Plus, it can be made ahead of time.
- Basic Simple Syrup - A basic simple syrup allows you more control over how intense the cilantro flavor is and how sweet the limeade becomes.
- Garnishes - fresh cilantro and fresh lime slices or lime wedges make for beautiful garnishes. Fresh berries also work well.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Pick the Best Limes:
Below is a quick overview of how to pick the best limes. However, for an in-depth overview, read this article: How to Pick The Best Limes
When picking limes, find ones with smooth skin with yellow patches.
One has smooth skin and a nice yellow patch. The other lime is dark green and bumpy. I call this Dino Skin.
Here are the two limes cut open. The bumpy dark green lime is visibly more fibrous with cells that are less full, which means less juice. The smoother lime on the right has visibly more juice in each cell and will yield more juice when squeezed.
Fresh cilantro has fluffy, evenly colored leafy tops with firm, crisp stems.
Fun fact: The majority of the cilantro flavor is in the stems!
Cilantro simple syrup can be made well in advance and in large quantities.
Instructions
In short, mix all the ingredients in a large pitcher and serve over ice. After it's mixed, taste for sweetness and adjust with additional simple syrup. Yes, it really is that simple.
Additions / Substitutions / Variations
Make it spicy! Jalapenos are a spicy addition that you can stir in at the end, just before serving, or use as a garnish.
Low sugar variation: If you know some of your guests prefer lower sugar or options, you can make this with half the sugar or double the water and serve fresh limes and additional sweeteners, such as ginger or cardamom simple syrup, on the side. This will allow guests to increase the sweetness to their preferences.
Make it pink! Yes, you can make this a little extra tangy and PINK by adding hibiscus syrup as well.
In a rush? Store-bought limeade with some cilantro simple syrup mixed in also works great. Just make sure you taste the drink before serving it so it's not too sweet.
Related: Simple Syrups for drinks
Helpful Hint:
Below, I've garnished the cilantro limeade with fresh blueberries. Garnishing limeades with fresh fruit often provides a pop of color that can make the drink visually stunning. The sweetness will make the limeade taste more tart and tangy!
Advance Preparation / Storage
Advance Preparation - All the ingredients can be prepared in advance, such as juicing the limes and making the cilantro syrup. The limeade can be pre-mixed the night before as well.
Storage - You can store the prepared limeade in any air-tight food-grade glass or plastic container.
Related: If you like lime, I highly recommend my Rose, Ginger, and Lime Sparking Mocktail (non-alcoholic cocktail)
Equipment
Really, all that's needed is a large pitcher or drink dispenser. An electric juicer, like the Cuisinart electric juicer, will make your life easier if you cook with or use a lot of citrus juice.
Related: How to Pick the Best Limes
Troubleshooting common limeade problems
Why is my limeade bitter?
Lime peels can be very bitter, especially if left in a drink for long periods of time, such as overnight. To prevent limeade, or any drink with limes, from becoming bitter, be sure to remove any lime slices from the drink quickly.
FAQ
Cilantro had a cup-shaped stem, similar to the shape of a celery stalk. It has flat, leafy tops, with a group of three petal-like leaves at the top of each stem.
And I mean.... you can always just taste it.
An eclectic juicer will make your life so much easier and save your hands from becoming fatigued. I like my basic Cuisinart electric juicer. Serious Eats tested several electric juicers with various price points.
Tips
Juice the limes well in advance and freeze the juice for up to 3 months.
Related: How to Pick the Best Limes
Store cilantro like you'd store fresh flowers. Trim the stems just slightly, gently rinse, and pat the leafy tops dry, then store the cilantro in the fridge, in fresh water, in a glass jar. See the picture above!
Hosting Tips
If you're preparing for a large party and fridge space is limited due to the sheer amount of prep, I recommend making just the simple syrups and lime juice and mixing in the water just before serving.
Simply follow steps 1-3 in the recipe card and store the lime juice and cilantro syrup mixture in the fridge. When it's time to serve the drink, follow steps 4-5
Cheers!
Susan
📖 Recipe
Cilantro Limeade
Equipment
- 1 Large pitcher
Ingredients
- 2 cups Lime Juice
- 2 cups Cilantro Simple Syrup
- 4 cups water or sparkling water
- 1 - 1 ½ cup simple syrup
Garnishes
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced Limes
Instructions
- Make the limeadeMix the cilantro syrup, lime juice, and water in a large pitcher. Taste, and adjust sweetness level by adding in the plain simple syrup in ½ cup increments until you reach the desired sweetness.
- Serve over ice.
- Optional - GarnishGarnish with fresh cilantro and lime slices
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