Limonada (Brazilian Lemonade)

By Gabriella Lewis

Updated October 11, 2023

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist. Mariana Velásquez.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(2,615)
Comments
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Creamy, frosty and tart, this popular Brazilian drink is a fantastic refreshment for a hot day. In Brazil, it’s also known as limonada Suíça, which translates to Swiss lemonade, because it typically includes sweetened condensed milk, which was marketed by the Swiss company Nestlé in Brazil in the 1940s. Sweetened condensed milk is essential to Brazilian sweets, including desserts like brigadeiros. A shelf-stable dairy product that doesn’t curdle in the presence of acid, it gets blended here with limes, sugar, ice and water to make this tangy beverage creamy. Limonada Suíça always includes condensed milk, but limonada sometimes leaves it out. And even though it’s called lemonade, it often uses limes since the word limão is often used interchangeably for lemons and limes in Portuguese. Pulsing the entire lime into this drink adds an extra layer of brightness and depth from the rind. This drink takes only minutes to blend and is best served immediately.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 4 limes, scrubbed and washed, plus wedges or wheels for serving

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  • 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (or, for a dairy-free version, use 7 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk)

  • 4 cups cold water

  • 4 cups ice, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

34 grams carbs; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 163 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 56 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 30 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut off and discard the tips of the limes, then cut the limes in quarters.

  2. Step 2

    Working in batches if your blender is smaller, pulse limes, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water and ice in a blender 5 to 8 times until the ingredients are just combined. You’re looking to extract flavor from the limes, but not to pulverize them, which can make the drink too bitter. Pieces of lime rind may still be visible.

  3. Step 3

    Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher or bowl with a spout. Use the back of a spoon to push out as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

  4. Step 4

    Divide among tall, ice-filled glasses, garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,615 user ratings
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Comments

Jennie

I know we are all thinking this…what alcohol would pair best to make this an adult beverage?

Big Talulah

Ok we made this and it was delicious albeit quite messy… my brother in law then proceeded to just mix storebought limeaid with condensed milk and zested a lime over top, poured it over crushed ice and it was, dare I say better??

Siri C

I have lived in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil for 40 years and have never heard of adding sweetened condensed milk (aka “Leite Moça”) to Limonada Suíça. We blend the cut up line with sugar or sweetener, water and ice and serve in a tall glass with a straw. Very refreshing on a hot day!

Betsy

Made this exactly as written except halved the recipe. I followed the directions to pulse only 5 -8 times. And strain. Not bitter or overly sweet for us. Declicious for a hot summer evening! Half a recipe made a nice 4 approximately 8 ounce glasses. Thanks! We loved it

Gabi

Really delicious! I made exactly as written and found it perfect, not too sweet, not too bitter. I wonder if the people who found it bitter have completely pulverized the limes (as mentionned in the instructions). I did about 10 pulses of the blender and strained all the large pieces of lime left.

MER

Following this recipe I ended up with a refreshing but bitter drink. The second time I zested the limes to avoid the bitter pith, then juiced the limes before blending. No need to strain. Delicious - and easy

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