I Tried Making Creamy Strawberry Lemonade (and Spoiler: It’s So Refreshing)

When I noticed this “creamy lemonade” circulating on TikTok, I was immediately interested because of the sweetened condensed milk addition. I have only tried sweetened condensed milk in iced coffee/tea beverages (like Thai iced tea or horchata), so a fruity application was extremely intriguing to me. Adding sweetened condensed milk to citrus drinks is nothing new — Brazilian lemonade calls for it, along with plenty of limes — but I am clearly late to the condensed milk and citrus party, because I have never tried anything like it, so I knew I had to taste it.  

Making “creamy lemonade” couldn’t be any easier. First, add some ice and the juice of 5 to 6 large lemons into a pitcher along with some lemon slices. Then, quarter a few strawberries and juice those into the pitcher, adding the mashed strawberries to the pitcher after they’ve been pressed. Next, add about 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Fill the pitcher with some cold water and give everything a good stir. Congrats! You’ve made creamy *strawberry* lemonade.

Did I actually think that sweetened condensed milk was going to let me down? Of course not. It never has, so I didn’t expect it to start now. This lemonade was so delicious and refreshing. The sweetened condensed milk added a subtle thickness and of course, creaminess, which was super tasty. I loved the addition of fresh strawberries, not only because of the subtle pink hue that it gave the drink, but the strawberries also imparted an extra fruity sweetness to the whole beverage. I would totally make this for any summer get-together or beach hangs. Frankly, I wouldn’t be mad at a spiked version of this, either — I think vodka or white rum would both be great.

1. Add whatever fruit you like. If I were to make something like this again, I would probably get a little bit more creative with the citrus and berry combos. I might try a cherry lime version or maybe a blueberry, lemon, and orange mixture. The possibilities are endless and Sweetened Condensed Milk Girl Summer is only just beginning.
2. Give it a pinch of salt. I feel very strongly that every sweet beverage still needs a tiny pinch of salt to help bring out all the flavors. You’re welcome.
3. Measurements are arbitrary. Even though the video calls for 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup sugar, I think you’re better off just adding a little and going by taste. Because my pitcher was a bit on the larger side and I added a good amount of water, I ended up using the entire (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk. Same goes for granulated sugar — add some, and if you feel like the drink needs a little more sweetness, then add more. You’re much better off tasting the drink and fine-tuning the additions than getting super hung up on measurements.

Have you made creamy lemonade? Let us know in the comments!