Agua fresca is a light and refreshing fruit drink made with blended fruit, water, lime, and sweetener. Try these 7 delicious flavors - watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, peach, and chia fresca!
Aguas frescas are the most refreshing drinks to enjoy during the summertime! They're perfect for summer cookouts, picnics, and BBQs because they can be made ahead of time and can easily scale up to serve large parties.
The seven flavors of agua fresca I enjoy the most are watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, peach, and lemon chia fresca.
I find these are the best fruits to use during the hot summer months because they're all in season and perfectly sweet and ripe!
What is agua fresca?
Aguas frescas is a light, refreshing fruit based beverage that's popular in Mexico and Central America. It directly translates to mean 'fresh waters' in Spanish.
It's made by blending fresh fruit with water, lime juice, and sweetener. Other varieties include using rice to make horchata or adding chia seeds to make chia fresca.
During the spring and summer months, aguas frescas are sold everywhere from food stands, restaurants, open markets, and street vendors. They're sold in large, clear glass containers called vitroleros, which show off their bight, vibrant colors.
When I visited Mexico, I tried about a dozen flavors but I always went back to my favorites which were watermelon and cucumber.
Why you’ll love it
- It's perfect for summer cookouts, picnics, and large get togethers! You can make them a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Great for the entire family! It's a delicious non-alcoholic drink so it's wonderful for children to enjoy during the summer as well as adults.
- Healthier than fruit juice! Fruit juice usually has a lot of sugar but this homemade agua fresca is mostly water blended with fresh fruit.
- It's a versatile recipe! You can choose what type of sweetener to use and how much to add, if any. You can also decide whether to strain the agua fresca to make it smooth or keep the pulp for the fiber.
- It's one of the best summer drinks to have to cool down and hydrate!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Fresh fruits - watermelon, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, peach, cucumber; use ripe fruits that are in season
- Cold filtered water - helps chill the agua fresca immediately
- Lime juice - adds a bit of brightness
- Sweetener - sugar, agave, honey, stevia
- Herbs - (optional) mint, thyme, basil, rosemary
How to make it - step by step instructions
- Blend: Add the fresh fruit into a high speed blender along with cold, filtered water. Blend on high until it's pureed and smooth.
- Strain: This next step is optional, but highly recommended if you want a smooth drink without the pulp. I also recommend straining the pulp if you're making this in advance or plan on serving this at a party or picnic.
- Note: Some fruits create more pulp than others. For example, I found cantaloupe and peach to create more pulp when blended than watermelon and mango. I suggest straining the juice if there's too much pulp after blending.
- Sweeten: Taste the agua fresca and sweeten to taste. If your fruit is very sweet, you won't have to add much. Adjust according to your preference
- Add lime juice: Add as much or as little lime juice as you'd like. Some fruits are more acidic than others so add less lime juice for fruits that are more tart.
- Serve: garnish with a slice of fruit and serve chilled or over ice. If you're adding herbs, muddle them beforehand to infuse more of their flavors.
Expert tips & tricks
- Taste before adding sweetener and lime juice. Fruits can vary in sweetness and acidity so adjust according to your preferences.
- Strain the pulp if you want a smooth consistency. Some fruits have more pulp so I recommend straining those fruit juices.
- Freeze a portion of the agua fresca in an ice cube tray and add them into the pitcher before serving. This keeps it cold without diluting the flavor.
- Combine different fruits to make a mix of flavors! Cucumber and melon make a great combination as does strawberry pineapple. Experiment with different fruits to find your favorite!
- Muddle any herbs before adding them to your drink for maximum flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Agua fresca tastes like a light, refreshing version of fruit juice. The flavor is somewhere between fruit juice and fruit infused water.
While fruit juice is the juice extracted from fruit, agua fresca is fresh fruit blended with water, so it's a much lighter version of fruit juice, yet has more fruit flavors compared to fruit infused water.
Agua fresca tastes best if consumed the day it's made or the day after. You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Agua fresca can be a healthy, hydrating drink full of fiber and vitamins! Avoid straining the drink after blending the fruit to keep in the fiber. You can reduce or skip the sweetener or use a sugar free sweetener such as stevia if you'd like to avoid added sugars.
More recipes you'll love:
- Homemade Korean Strawberry Milk
- How to Make Coconut Milk with Fresh or Shredded Coconut
- Watermelon Balls with Lime and Mint Simple Syrup
- Vegetarian Summer Rolls with 3 Dipping Sauces
Recipe
How to Make Aguas Frescas - 7 Refreshing Flavors!
Equipment
☑ Ingredients
Watermelon Agua Fresca
- 6 cups watermelon - – cut into large pieces
- ½ cup filtered water
- 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice - – or more depending on taste
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – basil, mint, rosemary, thyme - – (optional)
- watermelon or lime slices for garnish - – (optional)
Cucumber Agua Fresca
- 3 large cucumbers - – cut into large pieces
- 5 cups filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice - – or more depending on taste
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – mint, basil, rosemary, thyme - – (optional)
- cucumber or lime slices for garnish - - (optional)
Pineapple Agua Fresca
- 4 cups fresh pineapple - – about ⅓ large pineapple
- 4 cups filtered water
- 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice - – add more if desired
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – mint, basil, rosemary, thyme - - (optional)
- slices of lime or pineapple for garnish - – (optional)
Mango Agua Fresca
- 3 cups mango
- 4 ½ cups filtered water
- 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice - – add more if desired
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – mint, basil, rosemary, thyme - – (optional)
- mango or lime slices for garnish - – (optional)
Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
- 4 cups cantaloupe - – about ½ cantaloupe melon
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice - – add more if desired
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – mint, basil, rosemary, thyme - – (optional)
- lime or cantaloupe slices for garnish - – (optional)
Peach Agua Fresca
- 3 cups peaches
- 5 cups filtered water
- 1 - 2 teaspoons lime juice - – add more if desired
- sweetener (see below for options)
- fresh herbs – thyme, rosemary, mint, basil - – (optional)
- peach or lime slices for garnish - – (optional)
Lemon Chia Fresca
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 cups cold filtered water
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- sweetener (see below for options)
- lemon slices for garnish - – (optional)
Sweetener (choose ONE, adjust according to taste)
- 1 - 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 - 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 - 3 Tablespoons agave
- liquid stevia drops - - to taste
Instructions
- Add the fruit and water to a high speed blender and blend on high until it's pureed. Avoid filling your blender more than two-thirds of the way full. Work in batches if needed.
- (Optional but recommended) Strain the pulp using a medium sieve.
- Pour the agua fresca into a large pitcher and taste for sweetness and acidity since fruit can vary from season to season. Add your sweetener of choice and lime juice according to taste. Muddle the herbs before adding them in. Serve chilled or over ice. Garnish with fruit slices. Makes about 6 to 7 cups.
- For the chia fresca, combine all the ingredients into a large pitcher and serve chilled or over ice.
✎ Recipe Notes
- Taste before adding sweetener and lime juice. If your fruit is very sweet, it may need very little sugar.
- Make this ahead a day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one day.
- Serving suggestions:
- freeze a portion of the agua fresca in an ice cube tray and drop them in the pitcher to keep it cold without diluting the flavors.
- add pieces of fresh fruit in the serving glasses for an extra treat
- combine lime zest and sugar to make lime sugar; use this to rim the glasses
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Jacqueline Debono
I've never made aquas frescas but this looks like such a refreshing summer drink. Can't wait for the warm weather to start so I can try out some of your versions. Watermelon sounds wonderful!
Uma Srinivas
Love all the flavor and color of these drinks! Love to try one by one on summer days. Saving this Aguas Frescas for later!
Erin
I can't believe I've never had this before! I love how many options you included and they all sound wonderful. I definitely need to give them a try! I can't wait for peach season to arrive because the peach version sounds dreamy.
Beth
What a beautiful rainbow of colors and flavors in this selection. These lovely aguas frescas make me think fondly toward summer!
FOODHEAL
Wow, I can't wait to try these aguas frescas, especially during summer. They look appetizing and makes me want to reach out for a fresh drink right now!
HEATHER PERINE
I've never had aqua fresca but they look so refreshing! I can't wait to try out these different flavors - I'm going for watermelon first 🙂
Amy Liu Dong
I've totally loved this kind of drink and it looks so delicious and very refreshing. The best part is that it's super beneficial to our health.
Sharon
So refreshing! A great treat for the afternoon and a good way to get your daily intake of fruit in as well.
Amy
Oh how much do I love these!!!! Still summer time in Australia and with Chinese New Year around the corner it would be absolutely perfect to have. Especially with all the red ones. So refreshing!
Julia
The colors are so lovely. I just to get these all the time as a kid, and didn't realize they could be made at home like a filtered smoothie. Definitely going to make these this summer when the weather gets a little warmer here. 🙂
Tara
I am so thrilled to come across this post - I have missed agua fresca so much. It is one of my favourite memories of holidays with my family as a child. This is just wonderful - thank you for putting this amazing collection together.
Allison
They all have such a beautiful color! I've been making these for my kids since I can adjust the amount of sugar and I feel good letting them have this since it's made with whole fruit. Amazing and refreshing!
Jamie
Thanks Allison! That's what's great about making agua fresca at home, you can adjust it however you want. It's such a versatile drink. So glad you and your kids love it!
Sandra Shaffer
I tried the watermelon and it was super refreshing. Made it a day in advance and put in a mason jar and packed it up for our beachside picnic. Next time I'll try the peach. Thank you.
Jamie
Thanks Sandra! The watermelon and peach are two of my favorite flavors of agua fresca! So glad you enjoyed it!
Beth
This was so yummy and so refreshing! My kids loved these! I made the watermelon agua fresca and trying the cucumber one next.
Jamie
Thanks Beth! So glad your kids loved it! 🙂
Anita
We love this at home. Aguas Frescas is extremely similar to what Indonesians call "jus", which is pretty much fruit juice. 🙂 Even the flavor combos are super close to what's commonly available back home. These drinks are definitely a big hit to counter the hot weather.
Jamie
Thanks Anita! We love this during the hot weather too!
Emily
All these agua fresca flavors are amazing! It's the perfect party drink and great for the summer!
Jamie
Thanks Emily! Glad you like them! 🙂
Alex
Aguas Frescas are a favourite of my partner - he loves a variety of flavours, but I had never tried to make them before.... I was so excited to come across your post. The information you include really meant I couldn't go wrong. My partner was thrilled - his favourite is mango and I loved the peach, but they were all incredible!!
Jamie
Yay! I'm so glad you and your partner loved these aguas frescas! And yes I agree, they're all so good!