Limonada | Brazilian Lemonade
on Mar 30, 2026
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This Limonada – Brazilian Lemonade is about take your summer afternoon Nimbu Paani up a notch. It’s a refreshing, sweet, sour, creamy concoction that is just perfect for this hot weather.
When life gives you lemons, you make Limonada! 😁
If lemonade flavors met a pina colada, that’s what Limonada is. Growing up, I’ve always associated the summers with a big, cold jug of nimbu paani, or lemonade, waiting for me in the kitchen. From coming back after playing outside to coming home after a long day of work, my glass of nimbu paani has been a constant in the summers for all these years.
So of course it would not come as a surprise that when I discovered Limonada, a Brazilian lemonade preparation, that I had to try it right away. This is one of those recipes that you just have to try for yourself to understand the taste, which is why I had to share it with you right away. Summer afternoons just got a whole lot better.
jump to section: Limonada
- This recipe is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy (and you don’t even have to squeeze the lemon!)
- You only need 5 ingredients (and two of those are ice and water)
- It’s a unique spin to the traditional lemonade or nimbu paani that we know and love
Ingredients For Limonada
- Lemons – traditional Brazilian Lemonade uses limes but locally available lemons work perfectly fine for this recipe. If your locally grown lemon has a lot of rind, feel free to substitute whole lemons with lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Condensed Milk – adds a creamy richness to the drink
- Sugar – just two tablespoons, to offset the sourness along with the condensed milk. I used white granulated sugar but any kind will work. You can even substitute sugar with powdered jaggery, stevia, honey or maple syrup, of course, the taste and texture will be different, but still worth it!
- Ice – this is for texture and temperature. It’ll make our lemonade nice and thick – and cold!
- Water – cold water, use cold water as this drink is meant to be consumed immediately!
Richa’s Top Tricks
- Blend the mixture for no more than 5 seconds on high speed or blitz it at 2-second intervals about 3 times rather than continuously blending. The more you blend, the more bitter the drink will turn
- Make sure to strain the drink using a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher filled with ice. Serve with a lemon wedge if you’re feeling fancy! You can also squeeze more fresh lemon into the pitcher for an extra kick.
- Serve this Limonada right away – don’t store this as the lemon will get more bitter and alter the taste.
- This recipe makes 4 tall glasses, reduce it or double it to your preference. I would recommend making just as much as you need, as you cannot store this drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
A traditional substitute to condensed milk is powdered milk mixed with hot water, but that will not work with this recipe as we want our Limonada to be icy COLD and CREAMY! This is a classic Brazilian recipe so it’s best to use the original ingredients.
Yes, you can, use lemon juice and zest instead. Although again since this is the traditional preparation, I would recommend that you try out the original recipe first and then identify any tweaks you’d like to make to suit your taste.
Before adding the lemons, remove the pith, that is the white skin on the flesh of the lemon. Furthermore, if you are very worried about the bitterness, skip adding whole lemons. Instead use lemon juice and zest!
Customisation Ideas
- Add soda or a sparkling water instead of regular cold water for a quick fizzy drink
- Mix in some berry or grape juice for a fruity kick
- Tear some mint, basil or thyme leaves and mix them before serving a gentle herby flavor
- A tiny shot of vodka or rum make it a fun boozy summer drink for the adults
- Replace sugar with honey, stevia, brown sugar, or maple syrup for a sugar-free version
This Limonada is the perfect summer drink to add to your weekly rotation as the weather has been getting warmer. Its preparation may seem new and unusual to you, but don’t let that deter you from trying it out. It’s become a staple in my home ever since I first made it!
Watch Limonada Recipe Video
Limonada | Brazilian Lemonade
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 100 ml condensed milk
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 2 cups ice
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
- In a blender, add the sugar, condensed milk, lemon, ice, and cold water.
- Blend the ingredients for about 5 seconds on the highest speed. Be careful not to blend for too long as it can make the drink bitter.
- Strain the mixture to remove lemon seeds, peel and pulp.
- Serve the Limonada in glasses filled with ice.
Video
Notes
- Blend the mixture for no more than 5-7 seconds or blitz it at 2-second intervals rather than continuously blending. The more you blend, the more bitter the drink will turn!
- Make sure to strain the drink using a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher filled with ice. Serve with a lemon wedge if you’re feeling fancy! You can also squeeze more fresh lemon into the pitcher for an extra kick.
- Serve this Limonada right away – don’t store this as the lemon will get more bitter and alter the taste.
- This recipe makes 4 tall glasses, reduce it or double it to your preference. As this drink can not be stored, I’d recommend making just as much as you need.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
