Blueberry Lavender Lemonade
If you've ever wondered how to make the blueberry lavender lemonade from Panera, you're in luck because this recipe is even better! This lavender blueberry drink uses fresh ingredients, and it's the perfect drink recipe for hosting since it's fancy without being fussy!
Whether you're hosting brunch, packing for a picnic, or just want to treat yourself to a cute, fancy drink, this lavender blueberry lemonade recipe is bound to be a crowd-pleaser!
For more summer drink ideas, check out this soursop juice recipe, this strawberry limeade, or this tropical frozen lychee margarita!
Recipe Overview: Blueberry Lavender Lemonade
✅ Recipe Name: Blueberry Lavender Lemonade
🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes with only 10 minutes active prep
👪 Yield: 2 liters
🍽 Calories: 80 calories per cup (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: blueberries, culinary-grade lavender, lemon juice, water, sugar
👌 Difficulty: Easy!
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Why You'll Love This Compote Recipe
- No soapy flavor! This recipe specifically uses culinary-grade lavender, so it has a smooth taste that doesn't taste like soap or perfume.
- It's easy but fancy! This blueberry lemonade is the perfect way to trick everyone into thinking you spent more time on something than you actually did!
- It's the perfect way to use those too-soft or wrinkled blueberries in the back of your fridge, and frozen blueberries work just as well too!
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Key Ingredients
Culinary lavender. Dried culinary-grade lavender buds are steeped in hot water to extract the flavor. Do not use lavender extract; its flavor can be overpowering and very perfume-like.
Lemons. Only lemon juice is used in this recipe. If you're like me and don't like to waste anything, save the zest from your lemons for these simple lemon cupcakes or this honey lemon layer cake! Freshly squeezed lemon juice has a more balanced flavor, while bottled lemon juice tends to be overly sour.
Blueberries. Raw blueberries are cooked and reduced into an easy blueberry compote before being incorporated into the juice. Both fresh and frozen blueberries work for this recipe.
Sugar. I recommend using granulated sugar to avoid masking the flavors of the other ingredients. Avoid honey since it has its own distinct flavor.
How to Make Blueberry Lavender Lemonade
- Step 1: Make the blueberry compote.
- Step 2: Add the water and lavender buds and let them steep covered for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Strain, add lemon juice and sugar, then chill to serve!
FAQs
Fruits are naturally high in pectin and other soluble fibers. When blended, this fiber is released and causes the juice to thicken. This fiber will typically settle out at the top in a gel-like consistency. Pectin continues to thicken when exposed to acid (in this case, the lemon juice) and sugar. This will result in a very thick drink that is more consistent with a smoothie.
To avoid this, cook the fruit either by making a compote (like in this recipe) or boiling it. The heat will break down the pectin, giving you a smooth juice. Cooking will also intensify the flavor of the fruit and give it a more vibrant color.
If your lavender drink has a soapy or overly floral taste, it is likely one of 2 reasons.
First, using aromatic lavender instead of culinary-grade lavender will give a soapy taste since it has higher percentages of camphor. Culinary lavender has a smoother taste. Get your lavender buds from the grocery store in the aisle with extracts and other flavorings. If buying online, be sure to check that it is labeled for culinary use.
Second, steeping the lavender in water that is too hot or steeping it for too long encourages the release of bitter compounds called tannins. Tannins have an astringent taste that is very perfumey. To minimize the amount of tannins released, avoid using boiling water or steeping the lavender buds for more than 20 minutes.
Culinary lavender has a sweeter, more floral flavor that is more desirable for foods and drinks. On the other hand, "regular" lavender is usually an aromatic version of the plant, lavandin. It is in the same family but has a much more pungent and "soapy" flavor. Lavandin is more suitable for making soaps and fragrances, and is used in aromatherapy.
Yes! Fresh and frozen blueberries work equally well for this recipe since they are reduced into a compote.
Ainseanlea's Top Tips
- Zhuzh this lemonade up! Add a splash of gin or even vodka to copy Outback's blueberry lavender lemonade cocktail. If you want to keep this alcohol-free, adding club soda is a great way to make it even more luxurious!
- Don't skip the sugar. Sugar plays a crucial role since it intensifies the natural flavor of the blueberries. Omitting it altogether will give a muted flavor, but feel free to reduce the amount if desired or simply avoid adding any more after the blueberry reduction.
More Blueberry Recipes You'll Love!
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Blueberry Lavender Lemonade
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the blueberries and the 3 TABLEspoons of sugar to a large pot and use a spoon or potato masher to crush the blueberries. Stir to evenly distribute the sugar.12 oz blueberries, 3 TABLEspoons granulated sugar
- Cover the blueberries with a vented lid and allow to reduce over medium heat about 10 minutes. It should resemble a chunky blueberry syrup once done.
- Add the water to the pot, stir, and turn the heat up to high. Once the water starts to simmer (do not let it boil) turn the heat off then add the lavender buds.7 cups water, 2 tablespoon culinary lavender buds
- Cover and allow the lavender to steep for a minimum of 10 minutes but no more than 20 minutes.
- Strain the blueberry/lavender mixture through a fine-meshed strainer into a pitcher using a spoon to press any excess liquid out of the blueberries.
- Add the lemon juice and more sugar to taste, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.I usually use ½ a cup to a full cup of sugar when making this lemonade.½ cup lemon juice, additional sugar to taste
- Refrigerate until cold and serve over ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprig of mint as desired. Best enjoyed within 2 weeks for optimal flavor.mint, lemon wedges
Nutrition
Notes
- Don't skip cooking the blueberries - you'll end up with a thickened juice that's more like a smoothie. Cooking breaks down some of the natural pectin in blueberries and potentiates the blueberry flavor.
- Avoid blending the lavender buds. Friction encourages tannin release from the lavender buds, which will make the lemonade bitter and overly floral - almost like soap. Pressing the lavender and blueberries through a strainer is sufficient to get out all the juice.
This lemonade recipe is exquisite! I made it for a garden party and everyone was in love!! I even used the recipe to make a cocktail with gin and it was delicious also. This is a summer hosting must!