How to Make Strawberry Agua Fresca
on Mar 27, 2023, Updated Feb 09, 2024
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Learn how to make strawberry Agua fresca, a fruit infused drink that originated in Mexico that will cool you down and hydrate you on a hot summer day! This simple recipe is made with fresh strawberries, water, lime juice and a little sugar.
Get this Mexican classic drink from your favorite street vendors, or learn how you can make it at home.
This delicious flavored water literally takes minutes to throw together. Kids and adults love this fruity drink that uses simple ingredients you might already have on hand.
Strawberry season is a great time to learn how to make this tasty treat.
This Strawberry Agua Fresca Recipe Is…
- Made with fresh fruit.
- Easy to make
- Hydrating and refreshing fruit drink
- Versatile
- Kid friendly
- Non-alcoholic beverage
Ingredients Needed
We have the Aztecs to thank for this delightfully refreshing drink that is well known all over Latin America and beyond.
This simple strawberry lime recipe is delicious, but feel free to make it with many other fruits for something different.
Here’s what you need:
- Fresh strawberries: The main ingredient in this recipe is fresh strawberries used to provide a sweet and fruity flavor to the aqua fresca. They also add a bright, cheerful color to the drink.
- Fresh water: The water is used as the base for the aqua fresca, diluting the sweetness of the fruit and creating a refreshing, hydrating beverage.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is added to the aqua fresca to provide a tangy, citrus flavor that complements the sweetness of the strawberries. It also helps to balance the overall taste of the drink.
- Sweetener: Granulated sugar or another sweetener, such as agave, is added to the aqua fresca to enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit and balance any tartness from the lime juice.
- Garnish: Fresh strawberries or lime slices are optional garnishes that can be added to the finished drink for a touch of visual appeal.
How to Make it
Full steps are featured below in the recipe card. This is a quick walk through on how to make this fun drink.
Place 2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries, 2 cups of cold water, 2 tablespoons of sweetener (granulated sugar or agave), and the juice of ½ a lime in a blender.
Blend the mixture until it becomes smooth, which should take about 1-2 minutes depending on the blender you’re using.
Note: A high-powered blender like a Ninja may only need a minute, but a regular blender may require more time.
Taste the aqua fresca to determine if it’s sweet enough for your liking. If not, add more sweetener and blend for a few more seconds.
If desired, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any pulp or seeds. Alternatively, you can enjoy it as is over ice.
For a decorative touch, garnish the aqua fresca with fresh strawberries and lime slices.
Variations to Recipe
- Instead of ripe strawberries, try watermelon, cantaloupe, or pineapple. Feel free to change up the type of fruit used.
- Do a mix of fruit if you want to create a mix of flavors to your drink. Tropical fruits are delicious for this drink.
- Instead of granulated sugar, use agave syrup, monkfruit sweetener, or cane sugar.
- Add a splash of sweetened condensed milk to make this a creamy strawberry agua fresca.
- Add a little extra lime for more lime flavor in the drink.
Tips for Success
- Strain the strawberries through a fine mess strainer with a cheese cloth to remove the strawberry seeds if you prefer to not have them in your drink.
- If you have a high speed blender it takes about a minute to make this strawberry puree drink. If it isn’t high powered it takes a minute or two longer.
- Feel free to adjust the flavor with your favorite fruits, just aim for the same amount of fruit as the recipe recommends for consistent end results.
- Flavor your drink to your preference. Start with a little sugar and taste, so you don’t add too much sugar to your drink. It is to sweeten just a bit. The amount of sugar used is up to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, Agua Fresca dates back all the way to Aztec culture and has grown and been treasured all over Mexico and the Caribbean and beyond ever since. Learn more about the history of Agua Fresca here.
Aqua fresca is a flavored water, typically made by blending fresh fruit with water and sweetener. While it contains water, it also contains additional flavors and sugars from the added fruit and sweeteners. Therefore, while it can contribute to your daily hydration needs, it should not be considered a substitute for plain water.
The amount of sugar in an agua fresca can vary depending on the recipe and the amount of sweetener used. Typically, aqua fresca recipes call for a moderate amount of sweetener, such as 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. You are in control of how much sugar you add to sweeten your drink.
Print the Recipe
Strawberry Agua Fresca
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 TBSP lime juice, juice of about ½ a lime
- 2 TBSP granulated sugar, or other sweetener, we used agave
- Fresh strawberries or lime slices for garnish, optional
Instructions
- To your blender, add strawberries, water, sweetener, and lime juice.
- Blend until smooth, 1-2 minutes, depending on your blender.
- Note a high powdered Ninja type blender only takes 1 minute, but I think a regular blender will take longer.
- Taste, for sweetness and add more, if desired. Blend again for a few seconds, if needed.
- If desired, strain through a fine mesh strainer, or enjoy as is over ice.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries and limes, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.