Artificial Food Coloring Free Cherry Lime Soda
That deep ruby cherry syrup is the star here — made by simmering fresh or frozen cherries with just honey and water until they release every drop of their natural color and sweetness. No dyes, no mystery ingredients, just real fruit doing all the heavy lifting. Bottled sodas and flavored drinks are some of the sneakiest sources of synthetic colorings, so making your own at home is genuinely the easiest way to sidestep that entirely. The bright hit of fresh lime juice cuts through the sweetness beautifully, and the chilled sparkling water brings the fizz without any of the additives you'd find in a can. It comes together in two glasses with just a handful of wholesome ingredients, making it feel a little fancy without any real effort. Garnish with a few fresh cherries and a lime wedge and it looks like something you'd pay way too much for at a trendy café.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
For the cherry syrup
- 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet cherries, pitted
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
For serving
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 2 lime wedges (optional)
- 4 fresh cherries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the pitted cherries, water, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the cherries gently with a spoon, until the cherries have softened and released their juice and the liquid is a deep ruby color, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Pour the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the solids firmly to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the solids. Let the cherry syrup cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
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