Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade Recipe

In the heat of summer, nothing hits quite like a frosty glass of lemonade… unless you take it up a notch with tart, ruby-red cranberries! 🍋 This Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade is fizzy, tangy, sweet, and ridiculously refreshing. Basically, it’s the summer drink you didn’t know you needed.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: cranberries = Thanksgiving. And sure, they’re in season in the fall, but why limit ourselves? Frozen cranberries mean you can enjoy their sweet-tart punch all year long—and when you pair them with fresh lemon juice, honey, and sparkling water, you’ve got yourself a sunshine-in-a-glass situation.

Why This Recipe Works

• Refreshing fizz: sparkling water keeps things light and bubbly.
• Sweet + tart balance: cranberries + lemons + honey = flavor magic.
• Customizable: make it sweeter, tangier, or even spike it for a cocktail.
• Easy to whip up: just boil, strain, pour, sip. Done!

What is My Take on Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade Recipe?

This is not your average lemonade stand situation. My version is slightly tart (because I love that cranberry bite), balanced with honey for smooth sweetness, and finished with fizzy bubbles for ultimate summer vibes. Add a sprig of fresh mint and suddenly you’re sitting poolside at a fancy resort—even if you’re just on your back porch in flip-flops.

Easy Side Dishes

Looking for tasty snacks to enjoy with your refreshing lemonade? Try these irresistible bites!

• Fried Korean Egg Rolls with Ground Beef
• Korean Nachos
• Spicy Sweet Potatoes
• Mango Peach Salsa

The Ingredients

Because fresh cranberries aren't available in July, I used Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries, which made this recipe super easy to make. The cranberries were fresh, tart and firm. Once thawed, it was like I was eating a fresh cranberry.

I also recommend using fresh lemon juice. The bottled lemon juice just doesn't have the same flavor - I actually don't like it at all. Fresh lemons are the way to go!

Lemonade Variations

How Do You Make Sweet Lemonade?

The obvious answer is sugar. However, for this recipe, a combination of honey and sugar is used to sweeten the cranberry lemonade. If you don't want to use honey, you can use all sugar. You can also try using just honey, but I found it was difficult to get it sweet enough due to the tartness of the lemons and cranberries combined.

How Do You Make Sparkling Lemonade?

The key is soda water, seltzer water, or sparkling water. Make your cranberry lemonade ingredients first, and just before serving, combine with the sparkling water.

How to Make Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade

Combine the cranberries, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add additional sugar to taste if you'd like it sweeter. Remove from heat and strain.

From there it is easy. The syrup can be stored for a later date, or used right away. Fill a glass with ice and fill halfway with sparkling water. Add the syrup to taste and garnish with fresh mint (optional). I like the freshness the mint adds.

Typically, I fill the glass half with sparkling water, half with the syrup.

How to Make Spiked Lemonade

I'm not a drinker myself. But I know you guys are out there. You can add vodka, champagne and/or orange liqueur to make a spiked lemonade spritzer.

Expert Tips

• Adjust sweetness: cranberries are tart! Add more sugar or honey if you prefer a sweeter sip.
• Batch it up: make a big jar of the syrup ahead of time, then mix individual glasses with sparkling water.
• Cocktail twist: add a splash of vodka, gin, or prosecco for an adult version.

Common Questions

Storing Instructions

• Store the cranberry syrup in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Mix with sparkling water just before serving (so you don’t lose the fizz).
• Freeze leftover syrup in ice cube trays for instant lemonade magic later.

👉 So, are you ready to sip on the ultimate summer cooler? This Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade is a little tart, a little sweet, and a whole lot of fun in a glass. Cheers!

It's BBQ season guys! Check out some of these other awesome summer BBQ recipes:

Goat Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Burgers
Grilled Fruit Skewers with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
Grilled Corn with Togarashi Miso Butter
Gochujang Marinated Flat Iron Steak
Roasted Corn and Poblano Macaroni Salad
Jamaican Jerk Grilled Eggplant Skewers

Did you make this cranberry lemonade spritzer? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!

Recipe

Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade

This sparkling cranberry lemonade is perfectly sweet, tart, tangy and fizzy for the perfect refreshing summer drink!

5 from 8 votes

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Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 89kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup frozen cranberries
• ▢ 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ ½ to ¾ cup sugar to taste
• ▢ Sparkling water
• ▢ Fresh mint optional

Instructions

• Combine the cranberries, fresh squeezed lemon juice, honey and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add additional sugar to taste is you'd like it sweeter.
• Remove from heat and strain to make a syrup.
• Fill a glass with ice and fill halfway with sparkling water. Add the syrup to taste and garnish with fresh mint (optional).

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 26.9mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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