A healthy pink lemonade that kids can make independently, today’s Fresh Cranberry Lemonade is an homage to the Plaza’s most famous resident – Eloise from Kay Thompson’s classic book series.

Cranberry Lemonade Recipe

We usually try to get to NYC every other summer and that’s not happening this year, so we’ve been reminiscing about our favorite NYC memories.

On our last NYC visit, Ella and I were lucky enough to enjoy the Eloise Afternoon Tea at the Plaza’s famous Palm Court.

We were there a week before Ella’s birthday and it was the perfect way to celebrate. The setting was gorgeous, the food was unique and indulgent and they really know how to make a little kid feel special. (I guess Eloise trained them well!)

One thing I really appreciated about their Eloise Afternoon Tea menu was that the food was adventurous and introduced unique flavor combinations to both of us. There were a couple “picky eater approved” options, but for the most part, it was probably the most gourmet kids’ meal that I have ever experienced.

Since we’ve been missing NYC, I thought it would be fun to prepare our own afternoon tea, complete with a reading of Kay Thompson’s Eloise and bring our own spin to some classic afternoon tea selections. Pink Lemonade definitely seems like something Eloise would order at a fancy tea – but rather than just use a pre-made sugary mix, I thought we could make our own fruit-based lemonade for a natural pink hue. We’ve already made a natural strawberry lemonade, so Ella suggested we try a cranberry lemonade this time.

The result is a tart lemonade with just the right amount of natural, rounded sweetness thanks to a dash of maple syrup. (You could use honey instead.) This cranberry lemonade is refreshing and takes just a few minutes to whip up.

Kids can adjust the flavoring to their personal preference – adding more cranberry juice, lemon juice or maple syrup, as desired.

With our strawberry lemonade recipe, we made a strawberry syrup by boiling down strawberries with water until we had a very concentrated juice. For this recipe, we just used store-bought cranberry juice but you could use the other method if you have fresh (or frozen) cranberries already on hand. If using store-bought, make sure you grab a pure cranberry juice and not a cranberry cocktail if you want to avoid added sugars.

Ella made a cute video introducing this recipe and walking kids through it step-by-step, so be sure to check that out before scrolling down to grab your printable recipe card:

Cranberry Lemonade Ingredients

• Lemon
• Cranberry Juice
• Maple Syrup
• Water
• Fresh Cranberries, optional garnish

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: all quantities in this recipe can be adjusted to personal preference.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Citrus juicer <– I love how easy our glass juicer is to clean and it’s also so pretty!

How to Make Cranberry Lemonade

Fill your serving glasses with ice. Pour in cranberry juice, to personal preference.

Stir in the maple syrup or honey.

Juice one lemon and place the juice in serving glass. (About 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.)

Fill glasses with water and stir well.

Garnish with cranberries and lemon slices, if desired.

Pin this Easy Cranberry Lemonade for a refreshing twist on a classic lemonade:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our cranberry lemonade recipe:

I hope your kids loved Ella’s cranberry lemonade recipe as much as we did!

For more delicious drinks for the whole family, check out our full drink recipe collection here:

Or, for more book-inspired activities, check out our full collection of Book-Inspired Activities here: