One of J’s favorite things to do is to go to a restaurant (or fast food joint in this case) and see if he can mimic the way what he orders is made. He does this for three reasons: it tests his culinary ability, gives him something to do, and saves us money when we find something really yummy.
The Limeade Sparklers are $2.99 each at our local franchises. They are yummy, but that adds up, and TB isn’t close to my house. Here’s our solution.
You’ll Need:
- Sierra Mist, Sprite, or 7UP. We recommend Sierra Mist, because that’s what they have at TB.
- Frozen Limeade concentrate, thawed. If you want the Cherry Limeade, use a frozen Cherry Limeade concentrate.
- Ice
- Limes
Fill a cup with ice. The ice is what keeps the limeade at the bottom of the cup and produces the Taco Bell look. (If it’s cold, but doesn’t have ice, you won’t quite get the same thing!)
Put 2 to 4 ounces of your choice limeade concentrate in the bottom of the glass, depending on how strong you want the lime flavor, and how big your glass is.
Fill to top with Sierra Mist. Slice lime into quarters. Place in top of glass for garnish or squeeze juice into drink. Serve and enjoy!
This drink isn’t really healthy for you, but it is certainly refreshing. For an adult twist, add a shot of rum or tequila.
Now you can get everything you need to make several servings of these drinks for around what you pay TB to make one for you. 
Have you tried Taco Bell’s Limeade Sparklers? What do you think?
Image Credit: Taco Bell
This post was written by...
Cindy Watrous – who has written 146 posts on Its Foodtastic.
Cindy is a wife and mother who works as a freelance writer and WordPress web designer, with a love for good food.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE the cherry limeade from Taco Bell. Unfortunately the closest TB to me is an hour away, so I will definitely be giving this a try, thanks!
We haven’t tried the cherry version yet, but we will be soon! We find ourselves making these at least once a week.
Love your copy-cat recipe; made some this afternoon with Diet Sprite (so a little better on the sugar calories). Very yummy and MUCH better for the budget. Thanks so much.
I’m not much on diet soda, but when I feel the need for one when my diet starts after Christmas, I’ll give it a try! I can’t stop drinking these things, LOL. Thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely love the cherry limeade. It is extremely thirst quenching.
Any suggestions on limeade concentrate? I love the Taco Bell limeade and would like to make them at the beach…maybe with a little tequila…
We have used both the Great Value (Wal-Mart) brand and Minute Maid. Both seemed to work fine. There wasn’t a noticeable difference between the two.
Try Sierra Mist , ice, and Rose’s lime juice
Sounds like it would work, too. Next, we’re going to try the limeade concentrate with a plain naturally flavored lime sparkling water, to hopefully reduce the sugar content without sacrificing taste.
I am SO addicted to these…..I find myself going to Taco Bell for the Cherry Limeade more than the food!
I definitely want to try this recipe!
God bless the Internet. Was Jonesing for one of these and realized the TB closed a half-hour ago. Off to the grocery store… Thank you!!!
Glad we could help! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m pregnant and crave these drinks I make my husband go buy at least one a day for me I have tried using lime juice lime syrup roses sweetened lime concentrate and none of them taste like taco Bell then I found this God sent recipe it’s exactly the same and I used sprite because it’s what I had on hand thank you thank you thank you!!! You just cut my limeade budget into a quarter of what I’ve spent maybe less! I found 1.5 oz tastes the best to me just a personal opinion thanks again!!!
Oh, bless you! When I was pregnant, I craved Sonic Birthday Cake shakes….I never thought to check the Internet for a copycat! I am so glad you found a version you like.
All of these sound good and I am so addicted to these things. I will try the recipe.
I do know though that the actual taco bell lime and cherry aides are made with soda water (aka club soda, carbonated water or sparkling water). I have not tried any of these but I will try to post back once I have.
I thought I was the only one addicted to these Limeade Sparklers. I HAVE to have one (sometimes two) every day. I was thinking how this is costing too much for my cravings. I can’t thank you enough for coming up with this perfect match.
You’re so very welcome! Glad you like it!
I LOVE this drink… I mix it with Malibu Rum
Best thing you can buy at Taco Bell…..well at least as far as drinks go. Yummy!
105 degrees today..went and got 3 taco bell limeades and poured em all in one big glass..loooove these. Glad to come across thos recipe to cut the cost! Not a huge fan of cherry flavor but it sounds like I need to try it.
I am so glad that I stumbled upon your recipe!!! I am pregnant and this is the biggest thing I crave! I literally get at least one a day. My husband said we were going to have to start a limeade fund in our budget! He’s going to be thrilled when he comes home and I’m not sending him out to Taco Bell! Thank you so much!
So glad to help! We’re working on some more restaurant copycats now.
Our TB uses Sierra Mist. We are actually given a cup of their Lime Syrup and a lime wedge and told to fill it with Sierra Mist at the machine. I had my first today and I’m in love!…I use copy cat for anything I can!