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Whipped Lemonade Is Just the Tart Frozen Beverage to Quell Your Heatwave Blues

But, what is it?

David Watsky Senior Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. Before, during and after earning his BA from Northeastern, he toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.
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David Watsky
3 min read
whipped-lemonade

I would like to take a cold nap on this cloud of whipped lemon goodness. 

 David Watsky/CNET

Whipped lemonade is the biggest summer sensation since The Beach Boys. The frothy frozen citrus drink took TikTok by storm a few summers ago and the viral warm weather tipple is back with a vengeance. So what exactly is whipped lemonade? How do you make it? And, most importantly, why did it take so long for whipped lemonade to come into our lives?

Whipped lemonade at it's core is simple to make but gussied-up recipes abound including those with the tequila (yes!,) vodka or gin. You can make your whipped lemonade kid-friendly with fresh mint, berries or any other number of flavors that compliment the star of the show -- lemon. 

Here's everything you need to know about whipped lemonade. 

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Whipped lemonade is even better than it looks. Thank me later. #foodtok #whipplemonade #summer

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What is whipped lemonade?

Whipped lemonade is a creamy, frothy, blended mixture of fresh lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream and ice. I'm a blender-holic and this pucker-inducing beverage seemed like a perfect foil for any sticky summer day, of which we are in no short supply.

When I heard about this viral drink, I scurried over to the bodega to pick up the necessary ingredients, all of which are easily obtained. I'd seen some dumbed-down versions that use powdered lemonade in place of the fresh lemon and condensed milk, but those didn't sound nearly as appealing. I also made my whipped cream from scratch because it's fairly simple and, honestly, there's just no comparin'. 

whipped-lemonade-2

Everything you'll need to make whipped lemonade, minus the blender and ice. 

 David Watsky/CNET

How to make whipped lemonade

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of ice
  • 2 cups of whipped cream (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Vanilla extract (if making whipped cream)
  • Granulated sugar or sugar substitute (if making whipped cream)

Directions:

  1. If you're making your own whipped cream, beat 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) with a tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a cold bowl or cocktail shaker until peaks appear. I used a handheld milk frother for this, but a manual whisk or electric mixer works too. Set aside in the fridge.
  2. Combine ice, condensed milk, fresh lemon juice and 1 cup of the whipped cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy with no ice chunks left.
  3. Pour into a glass and top with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
  4. Lower sunglasses and enjoy. 

Is whipped lemonade any good?

Honestly, it was fantastic, akin to a lemony creamsicle, and it took just 15 minutes from start to finish (mostly whipping the cream and juicing lemons). I don't love super sweet things but I do love me some sour, so I cut down on the sugar in my whipped cream and used about 25% less sweetened condensed milk than the recipe I found called for. It was still plenty sweet but not overbearing. I could -- and did -- finish the entire thing. 

I also didn't splash any vodka, Bourbon or tequila into this batch of whipped lemonade, but there's no telling what'll happen the next time my blender comes out. Fresh or frozen berries would also make a nice addition to this summer-friendly drink. 

Thanks, TikTok. Don't ever leave us.