This Paleo Frozen Lemonade is a healthy Chick-fil-a copycat your family will love! It’s cooling, refreshing, tangy and sweet. Plus, this frozen lemonade is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, nut-free, egg-free, with vegan options. It’s lighter than a milkshake but still a creamy, cool treat.
Why we love this Paleo Frozen Lemonade
Chick-fil-a has been a favorite of mine since my best friends all worked there at age 16 in Houston, Texas. Chick-fil-a didn’t come out with frosted lemonade until much later in 2015, but it was a fast, refreshing favorite!
This copycat version only has 5 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to mix together. I love that it is sweetened by only honey (or maple syrup), no refined sugar. We love the result of this thickened in an ice cream maker. But, I included a blender version as well!
Do I have to have an ice cream maker?
No, but I absolutely adore my ice cream maker! I don’t love having a lot of extra things and my ice cream maker I have used way more than I ever would have expected. The biggest reason? Because I can make dairy-free + paleo ice cream and treats without a lot of ingredients, additives, or refined sugar. And the texture is AMAZING.
I definitely recommend investing in an ice cream maker. We are pretty budget-focused in this household, but an ice cream maker was such a worth-it investment for us! We love this Cuisinart one, so simple and fast.
But, if an ice cream maker is not gonna happen, I included a way to make this with ice. It won’t be as thick and creamy, but still a tasty treat.
Ingredients
- Lemon juice – As there aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, I would recommend using fresh lemon juice for this recipe. I make lemon juicing fun by using this stainless steel lemon squeezer from Amazon. You know it’s fun when my kids love doing it for me?!
- Coconut creme – No, canned coconut creme is not the same as canned coconut milk. It’s higher in healthy fats and its ability to get solid. Make sure you are using canned coconut CREME to get nice thick results. I prefer this one (pictured above) by Thai Kitchen that I find at Walmart. I don’t like coconut flavor but don’t find it very noticeable in this recipe. And follow directions carefully to only use the SOLID part of a chilled can of coconut cream for this recipe. I save the liquid part of the coconut cream for a smoothie another time.
- Vanilla nutpods or other dairy-free milk – Vanilla nutpods are perfect for adding a really rich flavor to this drink without a lot of ingredients. I find them at my local Walmart or Winco. I highly recommend it in this drink if you can find it! But, if that’s not accessible to you, you can use whatever dairy-free milk works for you!
- Honey – I love honey in this drink as a natural sweetener that gives nice and thick results. I also feel like it yields a more neutral flavor over maple syrup. But, if you need a vegan option, you can sub maple syrup as well.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is ideal, but you can absolutely use imitation vanilla if that’s what’s accessible to you!
Paleo Frozen Lemonade
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 large or 4 medium lemons, juiced (a little more than a 1/3 cup juice)
- 1 13 oz canned coconut cream, chilled, solid cream part only
- 1/2 cup vanilla Nutpods recommended, but can sub dairy-free milk of choice
- 1/2 cup honey recommended, but can sub maple syrup for vegan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups ice** **ONLY if not using an ice cream machine
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all ingredients. ONLY add the ice if you are not using an ice cream maker!
- Blend until well combined. If you are using an ice cream maker and have a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) blend on low (I use level 3 on my Vitamix). Overblending at high speeds will result in a chunky texture!
- If not using an ice cream maker, blend on high speed until well combined and enjoy.
- If using an ice cream maker, once blended until just combined, add to ice cream maker and mix until nice and thick. This takes me 15 minutes in my cuisinart ice cream maker.
- Serve and enjoy!
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