I’ll never forget the first time I tried McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade on a blistering 103-degree Texas afternoon. After hours of running errands, I pulled into the drive-thru, desperate for anything cold. That first sip it was tart, sweet, and gloriously icy! It was like an instant cool-down button for my overheated system. I was hooked immediately and found myself making special trips just for this perfect summer refresher.
You can recreate this refreshing beverage in your kitchen with just three simple ingredients and five minutes of your time. Plus, making it yourself means unlimited refills and the freedom to adjust the sweetness or tartness to your preference.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
What makes this McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade recipe so successful is its simplicity—just three ingredients transform into a restaurant-quality frozen treat. The secret lies in the layering technique: by pouring the blended frozen lemonade over a base of strawberry syrup, you create that signature McDonald’s swirl effect that makes the drink both visually appealing and delicious.
Unlike some copycat recipes that overcomplicate things, this version stays true to the basic elements that make the original so popular. The use of prepared lemonade (whether store-bought or homemade) provides the perfect tart base, while the strawberry ice cream topping delivers that sweet berry flavor without requiring fresh strawberries or extra prep work.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Lemonade – Provides the tart, citrusy base flavor that defines this drink
- Ice – Creates the crucial frozen slushie texture
- Strawberry Ice Cream Topping – Delivers the sweet strawberry flavor and signature red swirl
You can start with fresh lemonade if desired. McDonald’s does not make fresh lemonade, but you can if you prefer it. I recommend using Country Time lemonade drink mix to make this frozen lemonade.
How to Make McDonalds Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
- Place lemonade and ice in a blender.
- Blend until the ice is crushed completely.
- Place strawberry ice cream topping in the bottom of a glass.
- Pour the frozen lemonade over the strawberry topping and enjoy a delicious copycat McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade for a cool and refreshing drink.
Need more drink recipes? Try these cool and refreshing drinks!
- Cherry Limeade
- Lucky Charms Milkshake
- McDonalds Smoothie
- Ocean Water
- Orange Julius
- Rice Krispie Milkshake
- Starbucks Pink Drink
- Strawberry Frappuccino
- Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino
- Strawberry Limeade
Popular McDonald’s Copycat Recipes
Be sure to check out more of my easy summer drink recipes and the best McDonalds copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!
McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade – McCafé Copycat
Ingredients
- 16 ounces lemonade
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 2 tablespoons strawberry ice cream topping
Instructions
- If using powdered lemonade drink mix, prepare the lemonade according to the package directions.
- Place 16 ounces of lemonade and 2 cups of ice in a blender.
- Blend until the ice is crushed completely.
- Place about two tablespoons of strawberry ice cream topping in the bottom of a glass and pour frozen lemonade over the strawberry topping.
I use daiquiri mix and real strawberries. It turned out perfect
I didn’t see this on the menu recently, I loved this recipe.
If you want a really easy cold strawberry lemonade just throw your lemonade into a blender and add strawberry sorbet to it rather than ice.
You can also mix it together and freeze in plastic containers to use as the “ice” for a punch.
Sounds like a great idea.
That’s NOT REAL Lemonade! Shame on you McDonalds serving that crap!!! The ONLY lemonade I’ll drink is the REAL PURE Lemonade I make!!
Still good
No recipe found for this
The recipe is on this page, how are you connecting to the internet?
Where is the recipe for this?
Hello!
Thank you for posting this recipe, I’m addicted to these things! I have a couple of questions: what type of strawberry ice cream topping do you use? Perhaps it’s just my crappy blender, but I find that the consistency is not the same as when I buy it from McDonalds. (Mine is more foamy?) Do you have any tips on how to make the drink look more accurate (perhaps a setting on the blender)?
I use a vitamix on high power and on the 10 setting for a couple of seconds. I don’t have a standard blender any more. The strawberry topping I used was Mrs. Richardson, I believe McDonald’s has their especially made for them.
Just amazing! Fresh squeezed lemonade works well too if you have the time to make your own lemonade.
I am sure this would be real good with fresh lemonade as well.
Absolutely Refreshing! Must mention that the Red shade looks an even more captivating look to the beverage. Cheers !
This was really tasty. I used frozen strawberries instead of the strawberry topping,they were chunky, but it tasted good!
Dangit woman! You are a genius! I love these! Thanks for sharing!