Diy Sonic Cherry Limeade
I have to confess. I have a weakness for Sonic Cherry Limeade.
Especially at around 2:00 in the afternoon, which is Sonics “Happy Hour”
All drinks are 1/2 price…
So obviously, both my taste buds and my thrifty nature are tempted beyond belief.
Last week we had a birthday party for my Grandson, who turned 5 -
Yes, I will use any excuse to show off pictures of my grandchildren!
This one is such a character!
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Anyhoo, my daughters sister-in-law came to the party.
(Would she and I be considered shirt-tail relatives?
And where the heck did that term come from?
Never mind, I probably don’t want to know!!)
She brought this drink to the party, and I begged her incessantly asked her for the recipe.
It tastes just like the real thing!! And is even cheaper than getting it during happy hour!
It is almost embarrassingly simple to make….that is if I was the type to be embarrassed
about such things..
I am more the type to brag about how easy or how cheap something is!
Unless, of course, it was a date… you don’t want to brag about your date being cheap and easy…
Not that I am currently dating… I have been married 32 years for goodness sake..
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Moving on.
Here is all you need-
1 can frozen limeade concentrate,
1- 2 liter bottle Sprite,
Juice from 1 10 oz jar cherries
Fresh limes (optional)
Simply put it all together.. tough huh?
I added slices of limes to the pitcher and the glasss, and put cherries in the glasses only.
What is it about maraschino cherries? Are they even real cherries?
Or do they fall into the same category as hot dogs do-
The ’Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ category..?
On that note. If you do know what is in them and it is uber yucky
please don’t feel that you need to alert me to those ingeredients and /or
dangerous chemical canning process..
Because I will be busy drinking my way into limeade utopia..
And I mustn’t be disturbed..
Linking up with these par-tays!
Denise Harris
663 days ago
I have met my fellow Cherry Limeade lovin sista….I am in love with these drinks…and I can make the diet version with this recipe…thank you thank you thank you for sharing!!!
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Karen
663 days ago
Can I join your club? I make the diet version also! Sonic is really far from me, so I started making my own! Yummmmm!
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April @ Chronicles of a Compulsive Decorator
663 days ago
I also love cherry limeade though I don’t think I’ve tried Sonic’s version…I will have to try your concoction though! Yum! Thanks for sharing.
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Sandy
662 days ago
You are Soooo funny!! Joel asked me today why I thought you were so funny? He remembers that you told Xi on one of your comments that “You are dead to me” which I thought was hysterical…he obviously doesn’t think so…and he just doesn’t get it!! LOL
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Lynn
662 days ago
I love this post – looks yummy for sure.
The “don’t ask don’t tell” category comment made me chuckle.
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Samantha
662 days ago
We are huge Cherrly LImeade fans here and live way, way too far from the nearest Sonic! We’ll be making these very soon =)
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Kelly
662 days ago
Totally bookmarking this one! I have a serious weakness for Sonic also and I need to find cheaper alternatives lol!
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Melinda
662 days ago
Yum! Bless you! I have Sonic cravings often this time of year – and my nearest Sonic is 2 hours away! You just saved my gas budget!
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Marilyn
662 days ago
My daughter knows this is the drink to bring me when she and friends drive into town! Ha!! Now I can make my own and not have to wait for her to visit. I don’t like going to town, even for 1/2 off drinks during Happy Hours. ♥♫
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Laurie
662 days ago
Oh, thank you thank you thank you for sharing this… We don’t have Sonics here in Canada, but I was in AZ earlier this year and drove through Sonic every day for the Cherry Limeade Chiller which was honestly one of the yummiest things I’ve ever had. Now I can make my own again without having to fly south.
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Deborah
662 days ago
I had been using the maraschino cherry recipe but, then I discovered Torani cherry syrup. ( I buy it at World Market) A bottle of the syrup is $7.00 and last for weeks. I use diet 7-up….you know gotta save a few calories. I use bottled ReaLime juice.
I only recently found your blog……….it’s fun to see what the other cool Grandma’s are doing!
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Patricia
662 days ago
You cracked me up with this post. I was almost – I said almost – laughing too hard to grasp that you had given me the secret recipe to goodness. Yum. I can’t wait to try this.
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Judy
662 days ago
Oh–my–goodness. My FAVORITE! I especially love it with a Foot Long Chili Cheese Coney and Tater Tots! That is one very naughty meal!
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Sharon
662 days ago
Love diet cherry limeade! Will be trying this for sure!
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thehappynana
662 days ago
I LOVE my cherry limeades with Frito-Chili pie. Shame on me! I’m going to make this for my Bunco girls. They will be impressed by me…..OH…….I mean YOU! Thanks for sharing.
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Sharyl@Thelittlebrownhouse Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Mmmmmm- I must know what is this Frito-Chili pie of which you speak???
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Valerie Reply:
November 21st, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Fritos covered with chili and all the topping you put on chili. I use, sour cream, tomatoes, onions, cheese…
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Melissa
661 days ago
When I was 18 I worked at a Sonic’s Drive In. The cherry lime aid that you make is actually better then the one they do. All there’s is a pump (or two depending on size) of cherry flavoring, Sprite, some squeezed lime wedges and then the lime wedge and few cherries they top it off with. Kudos!
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Vicki V
659 days ago
I love Sonic diet cherry limeade. This recipe looks great! I have done a similar thing using diet cherry seven-up, lime juice concentrate (maybe a tablespoon or two that’s been thawed), and ice with good results. This is great if I just want a small portion and want to maintain the fizz.
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melesa garrison
659 days ago
Do you have a recipe for Diet Coke cause that’s what I want during happy hour here in my neck of the woods ?LOL …The recipe sounds great and I will pass it on to my daughters as they have small children that really like cherry limeaid. Have a great weekend
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Candy
653 days ago
has anyone found a diet frozen limeaide mix or anything that would work that is sugar free? Love these too!
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Mikki
653 days ago
Oh how fun! I love these drinks too.. especially during Happy hour!!!
I’m a new follower of your blog.. love it!
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Party Hire Melbourne
652 days ago
Check out my Diy Sonic Cherry Limeade recipe! Yummy!
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Laurie
642 days ago
Hello!! For the concentrate do you add the water it calls for on the can or does the soda take place of the water? SUCH a great idea, using it for my daughter’s 13th Birthday party! Thanks so much!
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Sherree Chmitlin
637 days ago
I love this drink. Thanks so much for the recipe. Now I can enjoy them without worrying about a strong lime taste. Sometimes, I can get them just like I want and other times, the lime is sooooo strong that I end up throwing it away. So all I need to do is go to Walmart and get the supplies and stop off at Sonic for a bag of “Happy Ice”. My girls tease me and say all we need to get to make mother happy is her ice! Thanks again so much for making me extra happy.
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Pam Waddell
631 days ago
Thanks for the info! This drink is my “lunch” after church every Sunday. Imagine, we have to pass Sonic to get home!!
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LadyJayPee at Eating, Etc
615 days ago
I just made a pitcher of these. So good. Thank you for sharing the recipe. ☺
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Olivia
601 days ago
I LOVE the strawberry limeaide! same recipe, but instead of marichino cherry juice, use sliced frozen strawberrys in syrup, let melt of course! and add!
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Stephanie
556 days ago
The strawberry-limeade version sounds awesome…and I’ll bet you could use lemonade concentrate and make a lemon berry slush which is my favorite. Thanks for the recipe!
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Stephanie
555 days ago
Awesome! I too am a Cherry Limeade fan! I can’t wait to make this!
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Crystal
554 days ago
I will definitely have to try this! I used to work at the company that made all of the syrups for Sonic Slushes and such…so it will be interesting to see how close this comes to the real thing
Thanks for sharing!
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D.
554 days ago
Thanks for posting! I don’t really want to make an entire pitcher… gonna play around with how to make it a glass-at-a-time. It’s really just a matter of how much frozen concentrate to add to the glass… should be able to ‘taste my way through it’
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Dawn
553 days ago
I KNOW!!! What is it about this drink??? I don’t like ANYTHING cherry flavored, but could drink these all day long!! I will definitley be making this! Thank you for sharing!! And your post had me laughing all the way through! You think like me…Oh, look! There’s a bird…..
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Taylor
553 days ago
I love their Cranberry Limeaides? How could I substitute cranberry for cherry? Do they make cranberries in a jar? ha! Thanks!
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Valerie Reply:
November 21st, 2011 at 10:22 pm
I was wondering how to make the cranberry also. I would think just cranberry juice instead of the cherry juice…
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Sonic Employee
553 days ago
As a Sonic employee for 8 years, I can tell you that it is very simple to make your own cherry limeades at home. I’ve never heard of using limeade concentrate, though I’m sure that would be very tasty.
At sonic we squeeze the juice of one lime wedge (one lime = 8 wedges), about a teaspoon of cherry juice, and add it to sprite. Thats it! That is for a 12 oz cup of cherry limeade.
@Taylor, you asked about the cranberry limeade? I would use cranberry juice cocktail concentrate. The same amount as cherry juice, about 1tsp per 12 ozs.
You can add more/less cherry or lime depending on personal preference, but that is how we make them at Sonic!
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Alexandra
552 days ago
Thanks I will enjoy making this at home. I am in No. CA and we do not have Sonic’s but I was in AZ recently and we went every day. This is one of my favorite drinks from Sonic. .
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Jane
539 days ago
I am in so much trouble now! I stop at least once a week on my way either to or from work for a cherry Limeade now I can have it all the time
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kathy
539 days ago
This is good stuff! Made it for my Sonic loving teens and they said it was better,and thats saying alot coming from them. I know I bought the cherries for the juice but couldnt find them[typical] and used grenadine instead..perfect. Thanks for the recipe!!
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Miranda
535 days ago
I love the Strawberry limeaides at Sonic do you have an ideas how to take out the cherry part and make strawberry!
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Miranda
535 days ago
I just asked how to do these ONES
I will have to try it!!
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tiffany williams
520 days ago
instead of using cherry juice I just used Genadine, it tastes sooo much like a lime-aid! it’s Awesome!
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amanda
492 days ago
Awesome find! Curious if you have or might know the recipe for the grape limeade?
Thanks
Amanda
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Pam
479 days ago
Loved reading your post and pics of the grandson….I love diet cherry limeade! Sonic always jips you on the cherries! wants to charge you for extra cherries…hell they dont put but 1 in there, 2 IF youre lucky! so now I can make my own and put as many cherries in it as possible!! lol thanks soooo much! How can I subscribe to your blog?
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Khyla
470 days ago
Thank you for the inspiration! We love grape strawberry limeades for
Sonic, so we did one bottle sprite, 1 can limeade, 1/3 cup frozen grape concentrate, and 1 cup puréed frozen strawberries..delicious!
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Melinda
467 days ago
We live about 25 miles from the nearest Sonic, so I was very pleased to find this recipe on Pinterest! I made it yesterday and it was soooo delicious, everyone loved it! I was afraid the Sprite would go flat before we could drink it all but between 3 people we polished it off before that was even an issue. The best part is, at home you can have as many cherries in your cup as you want! Next time, I think I will crush some ice in the blender to give it that slushy goodness that I love. Dare I say an adult version with a little (or a lot of) vodka would be excellent to try? I dare!
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Deb
465 days ago
You can make your own cherry syrup for the limeade. I found it on Pinterest. Just search for it.
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Faye
461 days ago
THANK YOU! I could hug you!
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Ami
442 days ago
I just made this and wow is it good!
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Anne Newman
440 days ago
Can we strawberry limeade folks have equal representation? I hate cherries but I love the strawberry limeade. Do you have a recipe for that? I have been trying to think what I could substitute for the juice out of the cherry jar???
Thanks!
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Rae
438 days ago
Do you mix the limeaid concentrate with water as the directions on the container say? I know simple recipe and I have to not understand!!!!
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KATHIE
421 days ago
I am embarresed to say that the girls at my Sonic know me sooooo well that they gave me a Christmas card last year with a free Route 44 coupon. I am totally addicted to Route 44 Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper. I guess to make mine I would follow your recipe but just add a little vanilla extract. I will have to experiment. Thank you for this post.
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Lynne Smith
407 days ago
Growing up with a Sonic right down the street never prepared me for life without…When Sonic came to many parts of Ca..I was so happy people thought I had lost my mind..but sadly they have yet to come even close to where I live..So I am JUMPING for joy at your recipe..and have now bought all the sprite, cherries and limeade my little ol’ cart could carry…tonight I drink like a queen..a queen at Sonic?? well you get the idea..
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Ottie
377 days ago
We didn’t have a Sonic up North in MN until last year. So for the last 15 years every time I would go down South to see my sister I would get off the plane and say ” Cherry Limeaide PLEASE” Thank heavens every Airbase down south has a Sonic close by,but the BEST one I ever had came from a little Mom and Pop drive in in Enid O.K. I can tell you though they do NOT know how to make Cherry Limeaids in MN they do not taste the same.
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Laura
372 days ago
Do you know how we can make a grape-limeade? My sister is pregnant and all she wants are grape limeades!! I thought about grape juice or grape koolaid but thought your expertise may help
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Caren
369 days ago
Laura re: grape Limeades: I bet you can use grape snow cone flavoring instead of the cherry juice. Walmart normally has it:) HTH
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anna
351 days ago
In australia we don’t have frozen limeade concentrate, or any kind of concentrate. Would lemon cordial be the sort of thing that would substitute or should i try something else?
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Brandi
305 days ago
Holy Crap this is good!! Thanks for sharing!!!
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Teresa
294 days ago
I love cherry limeades and sonic is my favorite place to stop (I drive by three on my way to work). I think this is better than what I get at the sonics where I live. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
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sheila
190 days ago
How many servings does this make?
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Beth
144 days ago
I made this for a party I hosted last weekend and it was a HUGE hit, thanks for sharing!
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Denise
2 days ago
Love this. It tastes just like the real thing. Yummy!
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