There’s no better drink to celebrate summer! Big batch Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade is the perfect fizzy drink for cookouts and potlucks!
Why We Love Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade
- Sweet, tart and wonderfully bubbly, kids and adults love Cherry Limeade… especially poolside!
- Making a large pitcher of Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade is so easy! That way you can focus on the fun rather than making drink after drink for all of your family and friends.
- Cherry Limeade is just as delicious when diet or no sugar added soda is used, so no one has to miss out on the fizzy fun!
- There are no complicated ingredients needed for this easy recipe. Just a little measuring, a little squeezing and mixing, and a whole lot of yum!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Cherry Limeade at Home
FRUIT: Freshly squeezed limes bring a bright freshness to this drink so grab a bag of limes. (See my tips below if you won’t have time to juice the limes.) You will also need a jar of stemless maraschino cherries with syrup.
SIMPLE SYRUP: Simple syrup can be found in most grocery stores and every liquor store. It’s incredibly easy to make so if you have time, why not whip up your own batch with this How to Make Simple Syrup recipe!
SODA: Your favorite lemon-lime sodas are perfect for this recipe – such as 7UP, Sprite, or Sierra Mist. You could also use diet and sugar-free versions of lemon-lime soda if you prefer.
ICE: Don’t forget the ice! You will need ice for the pitcher and to keep all the drinks cool so make sure you have a lot. You could even go the extra mile and grab a bag from Sonic!
How to Make Cherry Limeade
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 To a large pitcher, add the ice. Stir in the cherries with all the syrup, lime juice, simple syrup, and lemon-lime soda.
STEP 2 Pour into ice-filled glasses, garnish with a cherry and lime wedge, and enjoy on a hot day!
Tips & Tricks
- If you know that you won’t have time to juice the limes, you could substitute limeade concentrate instead. Add about 1/2 cup of concentrate instead of fresh juice. Then mix everything is mixed together and taste the drink to see if you need more lime flavor.
Pro Tip: If you’re using limeade, wait to add the simple syrup. Since the limeade is sweetened, you may not need as much or any syrup to balance out this drink. - Soda does go flat after a while so don’t make a pitcher of copycat Sonic cherry limeade too far ahead of time.
- Make sure to add the syrup from the jar of maraschino cherries, it gives the drink a little fruity sweetness.
- Looking for a sweeter Cherry Limeade recipe? Try adding a splash of grenadine! This sweet-tart syrup is non-alcoholic and pairs perfectly with the flavors of a Cherry Limeade. If you have grenadine and everything else to make this recipe but you’re out of maraschino cherries, substitute 1 cup of grenadine for a cherry sweet limeade, without the cherries!
Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade FAQ
What is Sonic’s cherry limeade made of?
Cherry limeade at Sonic uses “cherry flavor” from syrup, maraschino cherries, fresh-squeezed limes, Sprite, and their signature ice. (via the Sonic website)
Does Cherry Limeade have caffeine?
Sonic Cherry Limeades and this copycat recipe are both caffeine-free. The lemon-lime soda used to make the drink sweet and bubbly are caffeine-free and so are the other ingredients.
What flavor is limeade?
Limeade is simply lime juice that has been sweetened so it tastes like sweet limes. The lime juice can be sweetened with simple syrup or other sweet syrup and mixed with water for a cool limeade drink or mixed with vodka for a delicious cocktail.
Other Recipes You May like
- Hawaiian Punch Recipe
- Cranberry & Cherry Punch
- Blackberry Lemonade Recipe
- Blackberry Limeade Punch
- Hurricane Party Punch Recipe
Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces stemless maraschino cherries with syrup (1 jar)
- 1 cup lime juice freshly squeezed (see note)
- ½ cup simple syrup
- 2 liters lemon-lime soda
- Ice
- Lime slices or wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a 2-quart pitcher 1/4 of the way full with ice.
- Pour in all the cherries and syrup, lime juice, simple syrup, and lemon-lime soda. Stir to combine.
- Pour into glasses over ice. Garnish with a cherry and lime wedge or slice.
Notes
- If you know that you won’t have time to juice the limes, you could substitute limeade concentrate instead. Add about 1/2 cup of concentrate instead of fresh juice. Then mix everything is mixed together and taste the drink to see if you need more lime flavor.
Pro Tip: If you’re using limeade, wait to add the simple syrup. Since the limeade is sweetened, you may not need as much or any syrup to balance out the drink. - Soda does go flat after a while so don’t make a pitcher of copycat Sonic cherry limeade too far ahead of time.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Brenda says
It tasted just like Sonic”s Simple to make and soooo refreshing on a hot day.This recipe is a must to try.