The 4-step TikTok tangy, whipped lemonade recipe that has everyone talking

The latest TikTok trend is the summer afternoon pick-me-up you didn’t know you needed — until now. The whipped lemonade recipe is creamy, refreshing and easy to make. But first, let me explain why my 12-year-old niece owes me big.

When my 12-year-old, TikTok-loving niece’s food writer uncle — me — heard about something called whipped lemonade, a new viral drink making its rounds on the social media platform (and others), I immediately asked her for the 4-1-1. After two unanswered texts, I discovered that her mom, my sister, had confiscated her device temporarily, as parents will do from time to time when they see the eyes start to glaze over. 

But this was important, so back in her hands went the phone (score!) and onward we marched to learn more about the sweet and sour frothy drink that is whipped lemonade — and that is being liked and shared from all corners of the social media-verse.

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Whipped lemonade is even better than it looks. Thank me later. #foodtok#whipplemonade#summer

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What’s the big deal about whipped lemonade? 

Not unlike the South Korean-born Dalgona (whipped) coffee that went uber-viral during quarantine, whipped lemonade is a frothy, creamy, blended mix of fresh lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream and ice. I’m a blend-a-holic and this pucker-inducing beverage seemed like a perfect foil for the sticky summer days we find ourselves in.

After huddling with my niece on a game plan, I scurried over to the bodega to pick up the necessary ingredients, all of which are easily obtained. I’d seen some dumbed-down versions that use powdered lemonade in place of the fresh lemon and condensed milk, but those didn’t sound nearly as appealing. I also made my whipped cream from scratch because it’s fairly simple and, honestly, there’s just no comparin’. 

Is whipped lemonade worth the hype? 

Honestly, it was fantastic, akin to a lemony creamsicle, and it took just 15 minutes from start to finish (mostly whipping the cream and juicing lemons). I don’t love supersweet things but I do love me some sour, so I cut down on the sugar in my whipped cream and used about 25% less sweetened condensed milk than the recipe I found called for. It was still plenty sweet but not overbearing. I could — and did — finish the entire thing. 

I also didn’t splash any vodka, Bourbon or tequila into this batch of whipped lemonade, but there’s no telling what’ll happen the next time my blender comes out. Fresh or frozen berries would also make a nice addition to this summer-friendly drink. 

Read more: Best blenders of 2021

The easy-peasy whipped lemonade recipe 

For the basic whipped lemonade recipe, all you’ll need is:

• 3 cups of ice
• 2 cups of whipped cream (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• Vanilla extract (if making whipped cream)
• Granulated sugar or sugar substitute (if making whipped cream)

1. If you’re making your own whipped cream, beat 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) with a tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a cold bowl or cocktail shaker until peaks appear. I used a handheld milk frother for this, but a manual whisk or electric mixer works too. Set aside in the fridge.

2. Combine ice, condensed milk, fresh lemon juice and 1 cup of the whipped cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy with no ice chunks left.

3. Pour into a glass and top with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

4. Lower sunglasses and enjoy. 

Thanks, TikTok. Don’t ever change. 

For more TikTok trends, here’s how to make your own TikTok Duet and how to make a Picrew avatar of yourself. Also, did you know that TikTok now lets you post videos up to 3 minutes long?