Today, I’m excited to share my copycat recipe for a Sonic Cherry Limeade. I make these as a special treat for my children. They are so easy to make! Just like Sonic, this can be a very sweet drink, and I will also teach you a less sweet variation that hits the spot.
More sodas and mocktail recipes: Roy Rogers Drink, Virgin Mojito Recipe, Shirley Temple Recipe, Virgin Mojito, Homemade Fruit Punch and Easy Homemade Grenadine. And you have to try our Wendy’s Frosty Recipe.
Table of contents
Ingredients in a Cherry Limeade
- Lemon Lime Soda – 7Up or Sprite. You can use any lemon-lime soda. Alternatively, you can use club soda for a less sweet option.
- Lime Juice – Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor.
- Maraschino Syrup – You can use the syrup directly from the cherries bottle or purchase a maraschino syrup. Alternatively, you can use grenadine if it’s easier to locate.
- Lime Wedges – For garnish.
- Maraschino Cherries – For garnish.
- Pebble Ice – While you can use any ice, pebble ice makes the drink most like the Sonic version.
I used these mason jars with handles for glassware. They are my favorite glasses for serving fun drinks to my kiddos.
How to Make a Cherry Limeade
Fill a glass with ice. Pour maraschino syrup over the ice. Squeeze lemon juice over the ice. Top off with a mini can of lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a cherry and lime wedge. Serve with a straw and enjoy!
Tips for Making
- To create a less sweet version, use club soda instead of sweetened lemon-lime soda. Or if you want to be even more sneaky, use half and half—this is what I typically do for my children’s drinks.
- Bright red maraschino cherries are a must!
- Pebble ice (also called nugget ice) is the best ice for this drink. I get mine in a bag from Sonic and keep it in my freezer for up to a week at a time.
- Mason jars with handles are a great option to serve this drink in.
Related Recipes
Other cherry recipes you may like:
- Our Best Cherry Recipes
- No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake
- Classic Shirley Temple Drink
- More Mocktail Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cherry limeade made of?
This recipe is made with lemon-lime soda, maraschino syrup, cherries, lime wedges and ice.
Does a cherry limeade contain caffeine?
No. This recipe contains no caffeine.
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Ingredients
- 7 ounces lemon-lime soda (mini can )
- 2 tablespoons maraschino syrup
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 1 wedge lime
- 1 maraschino cherry
- 2 cups ice (pebble ice )
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour maraschino syrup over the ice.
- Squeeze lemon juice over the ice.
- Top off with a mini can of lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a cherry and lime wedge. Serve with a straw and enjoy!
Notes
- To create a less sweet version, use club soda instead of sweetened lemon-lime soda. Or if you want to be even more sneaky, use half and half—this is what I typically do for my children’s drinks.
- Bright red maraschino cherries are a must!
- Pebble ice (also called nugget ice) is the best ice for this drink. I get mine in a bag from Sonic and keep it in my freezer for up to a week at a time.
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
So fun and I love the idea of using the syrup from the jar of maraschino cherries for flavoring!! My kids are sensitive to food coloring (they get sooo hyper) so we haven’t been getting many actual Sonic drinks due to the food dyes in the syrups. But luckily I’ve found dye free maraschino cherries! I’ll have to make these for them soon!
That’s a great idea! There is so much room to tweak recipes and make them healthier at home 🙂 Thanks for reading. XX
Let me know if you have any questions! I love this recipe!