Jalapeno Limeade
Turn your fresh-made limeade up a notch with sweet heat from the jalapeno-infused simple syrup. This Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Limeade copycat is sweet, tart, spicy, and the perfect summer sip! Not to mention, the BEST spicy margarita mixer!

When life hands you …limes, make homemade jalapeño limeade! These step-by-step instructions will show you how to make a smooth, sweet, and slightly spicy pitcher of refreshing jalapeno limeade. The best part? It tastes exactly like the jalapeno limeade from Trader Joe’s!
This jalapeno limeade is delightful to sip on its own. It tastes like a margarita mocktail, but if you really want to spice things up make it a cocktail! Jalapeno limeade is the perfect margarita mixer. Just add tequila! Cheers.
💭 Why You Should Make Jalapeno Limeade From Scratch
- If you love Trader Joe’s Organic Jalapeno Limeade, you’ll love this DIY version even more.
- Served over ice, this drink is the ultimate thirst-quencher on a hot day.
- It doubles as the BEST margarita mixer.
🌶️Ingredients
- Water – Straight lime juice packs a punch, so you’ll need distilled or filtered water to dilute the sour juice to make limeade.
- Lime juice – Make sure you have enough fresh limes to squeeze 1 cup of juice. It must be fresh!
- Jalapeno-infused simple syrup – Making homemade jalapeno syrup doesn’t take much effort, but if you’re short on time you can make this without jalapeno simple syrup. You’ll need unflavored simple syrup and fresh jalapenos instead (see below).
- Fresh jalapeno & lime wedges – for garnish!
- Recommended Tools:
- Pitcher
- Whisk
- High-ball glasses
🥣 How To Make Limeade With Jalapeno
1️⃣ Step One: squeeze fresh limes.
Start with the limes. Squeeze enough fresh lime to make 1 cup of juice.
2️⃣ Step Two: whisk ingredients.
Then, pour the lime juice, water, and jalapeno-infused simple syrup into a pitcher. Whisk together until fully combined.
3️⃣ Step Three: chill in the fridge.
Set the pitcher in the fridge until the mixture is cold.
4️⃣ Step Four: garnish & serve.
Once chilled, pour in tall glasses over ice. Garnish with fresh jalapeno slices and lime wedges. Enjoy!
👉 How To Make Without Jalapeno Simple Syrup
- Start with 1/4 cup of unflavored simple syrup.
- Whisk the syrup with 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh jalapenos, 1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, and 4 cups of water in a large pitcher.
- Set the pitcher in the fridge and let chill overnight.
- Before serving, strain out the jalapenos. Pour over ice, garnish and serve!

💭 Recipe Tips
- Jarred, pickled jalapenos have a salty briny flavor. Fresh jalapenos only!
- Let your limeade chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. It will taste bolder and brighter once the ingredients have time to mingle.
- For an even spicier jalapeno limeade, add freshly sliced jalapenos directly to the limeade and let chill. You can remove the jalapeno slices before serving, or serve with the slices to improve the presentation.
🍹Variations
This jalapeno limeade is delightful served over ice. Check out delicious modifications below:
Make it a margarita! Making margaritas with limeade could not be easier! It already has the features of a well-rounded margarita. All you need to do is rim your glasses with salt and add the tequila.
- Margarita pitcher – To make a pitcher, stir 3/4 cup of your favorite tequila in with the limeade before serving.
- Single-serving margaritas – Fill a salt-rimmed glass with ice. Add 1.5 ounces of tequila and fill the rest of the glass with limeade. Stir well and enjoy!
Infuse with cucumber – Cool & refreshing cucumber pair perfectly with tart lime juice and spicy jalapenos. To infuse cucumber flavor, add fresh cucumber pitchers to the pitcher and then chill in the fridge.
Infuse with cilantro – Wash a bundle of cilantro leaves well. Then, add the leaves and stems to your limeade and chill in the fridge. Strain out the cilantro before serving.
🧊 How To Store
Storing: Keep extra limeade in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The longer it’s refrigerated, the stronger the flavors become.
Freezing: Pour into a freezer-safe container leaving room at the top for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays, to then use in other drinks.
❔ FAQ
Limeade is lemonade, but with limes! It’s made with fresh lime juice, water, and sugar.
Yes. Trader Joe’s sells limeade year-round. You should be able to find it in the cooler section with the chilled juice.
It was introduced as a spring/summer seasonal product. Finding it off-season is hit or miss. If your local Trader Joe’s no longer carries it, this DIY version is here to help.
🧋 More Specialty Sips
Brown Sugar Lemonade
Chocolate Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Copycat)
Activated Charcoal Lemonade
Strawberry Almond Milk

Jalapeno Limeade
Equipment
- 1 pitcher half gallon
- 1 Whisk
- 4 high ball glasses or tall glasses
Ingredients
- 4 cups water filtered
- 1 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup jalapeno-infused simple syrup see notes
- jalapeno freshly sliced; for garnish
- lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Squeeze enough fresh lime to make 1 cup of juice.
- Add the freshly squeezed lime juice, water, and jalapeno-infused simple syrup to a pitcher, and whisk until fully combined.
- Set the pitcher in the fridge until the mixture is cold.
- Once chilled, pour in tall glasses over ice, garnished with fresh jalapeno slices and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
How To Make Without Jalapeno Simple Syrup
If you don’t have jalapeno syrup on hand, follow these instructions:- Start with 1/4 cup of unflavored simple syrup.
- Combine the syrup with 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh jalapenos, 1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, and 4 cups of water in a large pitcher.
- Set in the fridge and let chill overnight.
- Before serving, strain out the jalapenos. Garnish and serve.