Beat the heat this summer with Frozen Lemon Daiquiris reminiscent of the New Orleans classic cocktail. Sweet and tart, this citrus and rum cocktail is like a fresh frozen lemonade. Made right in the blender. It is easy to make and oh-so-refreshing.
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About this Frozen Lemon Daiquiri recipe
I have long been a daiquiri fan. It all started with bright red, super sweet and booze-less frozen strawberry daiquiris at my best friend’s bat mitzvah in 7th grade. Then on a trip to New Orleans in college, there were more of those too-sweet, too-colorful daiquiris — this time with alcohol. But later, in bartending school, I discovered the real deal. The path to a good classic daiquiri, I learned, is paved with quality, fresh ingredients.
This frozen lemon daiquiri a discovery I made on another New Orleans trip, at a gumbo restaurant in the French Quarter. (It can be hard to tell if a place a tourist trap, but this was the real deal, with lots of locals in line. A man picking up takeout told us his mom made the best gumbo, but this place made her favorite. Sold.)
On the drink menu were frozen daiquiris, which I might have ignored, because — to recap — I was hooked on the good songs now. But these intrigued me because they boasted that they were made with fresh juices, kind of like this frozen mango daiquiri I made a few years back.
I ordered a frozen lemon one, featuring rum, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and ice — all mixed up together in a blender. And it was glorious. It tasted like frozen lemonade, but so much better.
Note from the author
2026 update: I first published this recipe back in 2018, but all this time later, it still holds up. I’ve just updated it with new photos and even more tips. This recipe is so much fun — I know you are going to love it! It’s absolutely perfect for Mardi Gras and all your summer get-togethers.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made with real ingredients, this is way better than the daiquiris you can find at bars or on the streets of New Orleans.
- This is a simple riff on a classic that’s worth trying. Swap lemon for lime in the classic daiquiri, and you’ll end up with liquid gold.
- It’s zesty, frozen and oh so delicious. A frozen daiquiri is the ultimate summer cocktail.
How to make a good daiquiri
The daiquiri is more than just a cocktail. It’s actually a family of cocktails featuring rum, citrus juice and sugar. It’s what we call a “sour” cocktail, and there are many variations depending on the type of citrus.
A few years ago, my husband and I went to a food festival in Richmond, Va. We were super lucky to get to take a few classes from cocktail wizard David Wondrich, who taught us all about making daiquiris. One of the classes we took was an entire class on the Hemingway Daiquiri — yes, that Earnest Hemingway’s favorite cocktail.
And that’s when I feel back in love with daiquiris. It’s a tart little thing, with rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice and Luxardo liqueur, plus a lime wedge garnish. If you like grapefruit, I recommend this one! Fresh juice will make any daiquiri stand out.
Don’t miss Rum 101 where you can learn more about which bottles to buy.
Ingredients
These frozen lemon daiquiris are like eating lemon ice cream or sorbet — so delicate and decadent and delicious. To make these ice-cold lemon daiquiris, you only need a few items.
Every daiquiri starts with rum. This recipe calls for white rum (AKA silver rum) but you can use any rum that you have on hand. You may use gold rum or even spiced rum for more spiced flavor, but keep in mind they may change the color of the finished cocktail.
The trick to a perfect lemon daiquiri is fresh lemon juice. You could skimp on the fresh lemon juice and use the pre-bottled concentrate, but if you have the time to squeeze some lemons, you will have a better cocktail. The concentrated stuff will provide a big change in quality.
I always recommend making your own simple syrup. It’s so very easy! Just equal parts of sugar and water. You can even skip the stovetop step and make your syrup right in the blender to save time.
Have fun with flavors! You can also have some fun with flavors here. Try making a mint syrup or honey syrup to impart more depth to your finished daiquiris. Both made with zest, my lemon syrup and oleo saccharum would add a more robust lemon flavor that you can’t get from the juice alone.
Instructions
The first lemon daiquiri I tried was a sweet-tart, citrus delight reminiscent of the frozen lemonades I loved at baseball games as a child. (And I still love lemonade anything, if this limoncello lemonade isn’t enough proof.)
So I set out to make my own frozen lemon daiquiris at home and I wanted to share the recipe with you — here’s what I recommend after years of making these for family and friends on the weekends:
- Throw your rum, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup into a blender.
- Add some ice. (Always add liquids first so your blender can do its job properly!)
- Then blend away until smooth and no ice chunks remain.
- Pour (or spoon) into glasses. You can use coupe glasses * like I did, or whatever you have! I like to serve them with straws.
Tips & tricks
- Use fresh juice if you can! It makes a huge difference.
- Stick to silver rum, which will let the lemon flavor shine through.
- Always add liquids first so your blender can do its job properly!
Serving suggestions
Blend it up with other flavors like fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries — just throw a handful in with the juices. It will taste just like a frozen strawberry lemonade.
If you’d rather, you can enjoy this as a shaken daiquiri. Skip the blender and throw everything into a cocktail shaker * instead. Shake well and strain into a coupe glass *.
This lemon cocktail is super delicious with anything fruity or lemon. Try it with lemon cookies or lemon tarts. Lemon also goes incredibly well with salty foods, especially seafood and fish — try it with popcorn shrimp.
FAQ
A quality silver rum and fresh citrus juice will make your daiquiris better every single time.
Yes, you can either skip the rum entirely or you can make this with a non-alcoholic rum alternative.
Yes, the easiest way is to multiply and measure out all the liquid ingredients and combine them into a pitcher, then just blend with ice as you go. You’ll be able to make as many as your blender can handle — Fill the blender about half way with liquid and the rest with ice.
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Frozen Lemon Daiquiris
ingredients
- 4 ounces light rum
- 2 ounces lemon juice fresh-squeezed
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 3 cups ice
- mint sprig for garnish
instructions
- Place all ingredients except the garnish in a blender. Blend on high until the ice is thoroughly crushed, about 2-3 minutes.4 ounces light rum, 2 ounces lemon juice, 1 ounce simple syrup, 3 cups ice
- Serve in a coupe glass * and garnish with a mint leaf.mint sprig
notes
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Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
SUZE. I am absolutely OBSESSED with these gorgeous daiquiris, and I cannot wait to try one! You know, when I can have booze again and whatnot. 😉 Also, what a fun backstory about your evolution with the daiquiri. 🙂
Laura Maury says
This is so annoying, I can’t even find the recipe, all I see are pop up ads everywhere. #annoying
Susannah says
Hey Laura, I’m so sorry you experienced that. My ads are the reason I can provide free recipes for you — my full time job is actually with the company that provides my ads. If it helps, my recipes are always at the bottom of the post.
Carol Aggas says
Frozen lemon elderberry daiquiri…please
Susannah says
Thank you for this idea, Carol! Without testing it myself, I would suggest adding elderberry syrup in lieu of the simple syrup and adjusting from there!