Creamy Brazilian Limeade (Limonada) is a sweet condensed milk, family friendly nonalcoholic summer drink. Made with 5 ingredients!
We're a little obsessed with lemonade variations and fun mocktails. Watermelon Lemonade is one of my loves, and Blackberry Pear Lemonade might make you swoon.
This limeade recipe has been a family favorite for many years, especially with our Cinco de Mayo crowd. I use a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, and less sugar than a lot of other recipes out there. I also add good quality vanilla because it makes a HUGE difference in taste and I love it. Even more than when I have it at Fogo de Chao!
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Why You'll LOVE This Recipe
- Easy! It takes a little time to juice the limes, but it really is so simple to mix together.
- Tastes like key lime pie! No joke, it's heaven in a glass.
- This creamy limeade is nonalcoholic, and is one of my FAVORITE family-friendly summer party drinks!
- Only FIVE ingredients! No fussy measurements either, I use a whole can of condensed milk for this drink and less sugar since the milk is sweetened.
- Doesn't use a blender so no weird pulp or bitter taste. This is easier than the blender version in my opinion, you don't have to peel the limes or strain the juice to get the pulp out!
🛒 Key Ingredients
✏️ Substitutions
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - can be fat-free.
- White Granulated Sugar - coconut sugar can be used.
- Limes - 8-10 limes make 1 cup of juice, it depends on the size of the limes. I always buy a few more than I think I'll need, and use extra for slicing into the pitcher for garnish.
- Vanilla - this is what makes it taste like a little creamy key lime pie mocktail! SO delicious!
🆒 Variations
- Add mint for a minty limeade mocktail.
- Lemons instead of limes? Absolutely! Use lemons to make Brazilian lemonade!
- Add a little coconut milk and coconut extract for a creamy coconut lime drink.
- This makes it taste like a creamy key lime pie without the crust. Yum!
- A pinch of cinnamon is quite delightful in it!
🧑🍳 Instructions
Step 1. In a large pitcher (at least 3 quarts) combine the water (it's okay if it's cold) and white granulated sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2. Add lime juice and vanilla and mix well.
Step 3. Add sweetened condensed milk last and whisk until it's smooth and creamy.
Add ice to equal 3 quarts and lime slices to serve!
📌 Top Tips
- Start with cold water with no ice and mix the sugar into it until dissolved. I do this first because once you add everything else and ice it takes longer for the sugar to dissolve, and we don't want crunchy bits in our drink.
- Use a lime squeezer to make quick work of getting the lime juice ready!
- VANILLA. Trust me. It makes it taste like a creamy key lime pie without the crust. Yum!
- Put them in cute little glasses with lime wedges and gold straws and it's a classy limeade mocktail!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Limes or lemons, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and water. I add vanilla to make it even more divine!
It separates over time because of the acid in the lime or lemon juice. No problem! Just whisk it up again and it will be just fine.
Some recipes put the entire lime in a blender, which means the peel and "pith", the white part of the peel, makes the juice not just sour, but bitter too.
This recipe doesn't use a blender however, so that isn't a problem here!
I don't, here's why. The peels and "pith", the white part of the peel, make the drink bitter every time I've used a blender.
To prevent that, I peeled the limes first, which is more fussy to me than just juicing the limes in the first place and kind of defeats the purpose of using a blender to make it easier.
I just make it the traditional way to guarantee it will be delicious every time and not bitter!
I haven't tried it with alcohol as we don't drink, but I don't think you'd go wrong with a little coconut rum.
🌴 More Delicious Summer Recipes
Nonalcoholic drinks and lemonade mocktails are my favorite! Here are a few refreshing drink recipes we love with some other fun summer treats!
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Brazilian Limeade
Ingredients
- 2 quarts (8 cups) cold water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (8-10 limes)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ice to serve
Instructions
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine water and granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Add lime juice, and vanilla and mix well. Then add in the sweetened consed milk and whisk until it's creamy and smooth. Add ice to total 3 quarts.
Sariah says
I have never had anything like this before! I love these flavors together, and this was super easy to make. I will definitely make this again!
Stephanie says
I had to make it when I saw this post! It really doesn't take much time at all to make this recipe - even when hand squeezing the limes! My husband loved it and so do I! It is a nice little summer drinkity drink!
Annie B. says
WHAAAAAT!!! This is like the refreshing drinkable version of key lime pie (✿◠‿◠) Thank you thank you thank you! I hereby declare it my official drink of summer picnics, socials, camping trips, mom driving, and motivational reward for yard work.
Katie Christiansen says
This was absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!