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This Vanilla Lemonade is sweet, refreshing and sophisticated with the sensual scent of real vanilla beans. Elevate a simple summer drink into something truly magical.
It drives me crazy that people use the word vanilla as a synonym for plain or boring. This luxurious ingredient is anything but boring. Vanilla pods are harvested from orchids that are native to Mexico and are presently grown in lush, tropical locales like Madagascar and Tahiti these days. Each flower must be hand-pollinated to produce those fragrant pods full of precious vanilla beans. It's the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron.
Does that sound plain or boring to you? Sure, there's lots of fake "vanilla-flavored" things out there that don't hold the true complex flavor (or the beautiful magical properties) of the real thing. But anybody who thinks that vanilla is boring just hasn't been paying attention. This spice is warm and sensual and, in my opinion, absolutely irresistible.
What makes Vanilla Lemonade so awesome
That makes vanilla the perfect addition to a classic drink like lemonade. We make our simple syrup to sweeten the lemon juice with real vanilla beans and pods so that complex, heady flavor is infused throughout. The pods get strained out, of course, but the tiny vanilla beans still fleck the drink.
I love serving this for summer outdoor entertaining. It's a great thirst quencher. If you wanted, you could make it bubbly by adding sparkling water. You could also give the option of adding vodka if you wanted a boozy option. Mix up a bit pitcher, be sure you have plenty of ice, and get ready to swoon over these gorgeous flavors.
Magical Properties of Vanilla
Vanilla is precious, rare, and difficult to grow, making it expensive and luxurious. Because of this rarity, it's powerful in spells for money and abundance. Ruled by the planet Venus and the element of water, it's also associated with love and seduction spells. Use vanilla to call in peace, energy, and a clear mind. (Source: WitchCraft Cocktails by Julia Halina Hadas)
For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this drink. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Sugar
- Water - I use regular tap water for making the syrup but filtered water for adding to the lemonade
- Lemons - You'll need the peel and the juice. You might also want to have some bottled lemon juice on hand in case you need a bit extra.
- Vanilla bean - It's worth it to use the real thing. Don't forget to add the pod to your vanilla sugar jar after it's finished infusing your syrup.
- Salt - Brings out the flavor of everything
How to make Vanilla Lemonade
The first thing we need to do when making this Vanilla Lemonade is to make the lemon vanilla syrup. It's simple. We add equal parts sugar and water to a small sauce pan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove just the yellow part of about half a lemon in fat strips. Split a vanilla pod down the middle, use the back of your knife to scrape out the beans, then add the lemon peel, vanilla beans, and the pod to the pot. Heat the whole thing over gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool and infuse with the lemon and vanilla.
Strain this into a big pitcher. Some of the vanilla beans will get through, but I don't mind this at all. Then we're going to top this up with lots of lemon juice. I use a mix of fresh squeezed and bottled lemon juice depending on how many lemons I feel like squeezing. The rest is just water. Use filtered water here if you have it. Taste and adjust for your level of sweetness. Just remember that if you're going to serve it over ice, it will get watered down even more, so keep it a bit strong in the pitcher to compensate.
I hope you enjoy the subtle sophistication of this Vanilla Lemonade. It's definitely not boring. In fact, it absolutely awesome.
If you're looking for more ways to make lemonade, try Ginger Iced Tea Lemonade or Raspberry Lemonade.
PrintVanilla Lemonade
This Vanilla Lemonade is sweet, refreshing and sophisticated with the sensual scent of real vanilla beans. Elevate a simple summer drink into something truly magical.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 slices of lemon peel
- 1 vanilla bean
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 8-10 cups water
- Lemon slices, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start by making a lemon simple syrup. Add your sugar and water to a small sauce pan and stir to combine. Use a vegetable peeler to remove just the yellow part of the lemon peel . Three slices or about half the lemon will do. Add this to the pan. Split your vanilla pod down the middle and use the back of your knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the pan. Add in a pinch of salt.
- Heat the syrup over medium heat just until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and let it gently simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool and infuse the lemon and vanilla flavors. You can make this part well ahead and just let it steep.
- Once the syrup is cooled, strain this into a large pitcher. You may want to hold some back to adjust the sweetness at the end. Or just dump it all in and add more water. You do you.
- Add your lemon juice to the pitcher then add your water. Taste as you go until you get the balance of sweet and tart that is best for you. Add lemon slices to garnish if you like.
- Serve over ice.
Recipe slightly adapted from Simply Scratch.
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