Gluten Free Vegan Bright Lemonade with Lime Zest
Tart, bright, and impossibly refreshing, this citrus drink is the kind of thing you'll want to keep a pitcher of in the fridge all week. The secret is a quick lime zest–infused agave syrup that steeps on the stovetop, layering in a floral, slightly tropical depth that plain sugar water just can't match. Agave dissolves beautifully and keeps the whole recipe naturally free of grains or gluten-containing additives — no specialty store runs required. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice does the heavy lifting on flavor, and you can dial the tartness up or down right in the pitcher before you serve. It's a genuinely clean ingredient list: citrus, agave, water, and zest, nothing hidden or processed. Poured over ice with a slice of lemon or lime, it looks stunning and tastes like something you'd pay too much for at a café.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the simple syrup
- ½ cup agave syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp lime zest (from about 2 limes), finely grated
For the lemonade
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6–7 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon or lime slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the agave syrup, 1/2 cup water, and lime zest in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the agave is fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup steep for 15 minutes so the lime zest infuses fully.
- 2
Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the zest lightly to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
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