Refreshing and delicious limonana – Middle-Eastern special mint lemonade recipe loaded with fresh mint and lemon juice flavors. A perfect thirst quencher!
I love lemonade, and as much as I love the simple lemonade, I love the flavored versions too. I have shared sweet and spicy limeade (kulukki sarbath), fresh cherry lemonade, barley lemonade, and Indian-style shikanji.
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We recently enjoyed this mint lemonade in a local Moroccan restaurant, and I loved it. It was unique, very refreshing, and slushy-style mint lemonade. Upon researching, I found that in the Middle East, this mint lemonade is called limonana, and it’s quite popular there.
Irrespective of the weather, this mint lemonade has become our all-time favorite, and I make this quite regularly these days. This week I am sharing some recipes from the Middle East. Earlier, I had shared baba ganoush, the eggplant dip, and now I am sharing this delicious and easy-to-make limonana.
My version is quite simple. I don’t make any sugar syrup for this lemonade. I blend all the ingredients with water and ice cubes and enjoy them immediately. It’s as simple as that. :-)
Ingredients required
Fresh lemon juice: We need 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Not-too-sour Meyer lemons work well, but you can use the available local varieties.
Fresh mint leaves: You need 1 cup of fresh mint leaves. Discard the stems and wash the leaves before use. One cup might sound like a lot, but trust me; it adds a lot of flavors. You can reduce it to ¾ cup but don’t reduce it any further.
Sugar/Sweetener: I used sugar. But you can use a sweetener like monk sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey. Adjust the sugar to taste.
Water and Ice Cubes: You can adjust the water and ice cube measure per your preference. For a frozen/slushy style lemonade, opt for more ice cubes.
You can add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors. I have tried with and without salt. For this recipe, I did not add any salt.
Please check the recipe card for detailed measurements.
Make ahead options
During peak lemon season, you can blend the mint, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and little water and freeze them. Then, you can blend the required amount with water for a frozen mint lemonade.
VVK Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh mint leaves.
- Make sure you are discarding the hard stems from the mint leaves.
- Enjoy the juice immediately, or store it in an air-tight container for a day but not more than that. If you plan to store it for longer, I recommend freezing it, as I mentioned above.
Dietary specifications
This limonana is naturally gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. Make sure to use raw/vegan sugar for a vegan option.
How to make mint lemonade
- Add all the ingredients in a blender or mixer jar – ice cubes, mint leaves, lemon juice, sugar, and water.
- Blend them all together until smooth.
- Transfer it to serving glasses, add more ice cubes if needed, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Adjust the sugar to taste. Instead of sugar, you can use stevia or monk sugar too. Alternatively, reduce the sugar and add agave nectar or maple syrup before serving.
- I don’t strain the limonana, but if you don’t prefer the tiny mint pieces, you can also strain the juice.
- Add more ice cubes and less water for a slushy mint lemonade.
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📖 Recipe
Limonana | Mint Lemonade Recipe
Equipment
- Blender like Blendtec
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 cup ice cubes or as required
- 1 cup mint leaves tightly packed, cleaned, and stems removed
- 1 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed (I used four medium-sized lemons)
- ½ cup sugar or to taste
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients in a blender or mixer jar – ice cubes, mint leaves, lemon juice, sugar, and water.
- Blend them all together until smooth.
- Transfer it to serving glasses, add more ice cubes if needed, and enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the sugar to taste. Instead of sugar, you can use stevia or monk sugar too.
- Alternatively, reduce the sugar and add agave nectar or maple syrup before serving.
- I don’t strain the limonana, but if you don’t prefer the tiny mint pieces, you can also strain the juice.
- Add more ice cubes and less water for a slushy mint lemonade.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
This is one of our favorites! This is a great refreshing drink to have all through the summer.
Thanks :-)
Limonana such a refreshing drink! Its my personal favorite, a colorful and a zesty drink for the summers!
Thanks Priya.
Oh , I love lemonades ! This Moroccan style with mint looks and sounds so refreshing. I generally make it with jaggery and we all love it .
Yeah adding jaggery is a great idea. thanks Vaishali.