Homemade Mountain Dew

Name: Homemade Mountain Dew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups Organic White Cane Sugar; 3/4 Cup Water; Zest & Juice of 1 Orange; Zest & Juice of 2 Lemons; Zest & Juice of 2 Limes; Juice of 2 Kiwis (strained); 6-10 Drops Natural Dye Green Food Coloring (optional - use less if using regular dye); 1-2 Ounces Mountain Dew Syrup; Sparkling Water; Ice

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Make your own soda at home! This Homemade Mountain Dew is a fun, from-scratch version of the classic Mountain Dew flavors, made with fresh citrus! A delicious lemon-lime soda.

A soda glass of homemade mountain dew, garnished with a lime wedge and green striped straw.

I have a bit of a confession: before testing this homemade Mountain Dew drink, I'd never tried real Mountain Dew. When I drank sodas as a kid, I was always more of a Sprite girly (anyone else?! lmk below and maybe I'll make a homemade Sprite).

But as I've posted more soda recipes Mountain Dew has been the most requested flavor. There are some major Mountain Dew fans out there!

So, I took a trip to the store for a bottle of Mountain Dew to see what I was up against.

With a taste-test under my belt, I came up with a delicious syrupy-sweet homemade version, with all those citrus notes. The result is a soda you'll want to make again and again!

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Why does this recipe work?
Why You'll Love This Homemade Mountain Dew
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Step-by-Step Instructions
FAQ & Expert Tips
Recipe Prayer
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Tried this recipe?
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If you're excited about homemade sodas, check out some of my other faves

Why does this recipe work?

Fun fact: Mountain Dew actually contains real orange juice. The lemon and lime flavors come from natural flavors, but the orange juice is real!

In this recipe we're using all real fruits, with an emphasis on the orange! The soda is extra syrupy, for that thick Mountain Dew flavor.

A bottle of homemade mountain dew syrup next to two glasses of mountain dew.

Why You'll Love This Homemade Mountain Dew

Dietary needs - this recipe is vegan and has a refined sugar free swap. No processed ingredients anywhere!
Made From Real Ingredients - No artificial flavors. Every flavor comes from actual fruits!
Complex Flavor - Mountain Dew has a combination of citrus flavors, so a blend of fruits mimics that classic taste
Customizable - make your drink sweeter based on your preference

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

For Mountain Dew Syrup

Sugar: I use organic cane sugar to make sure the syrup is vegan. For a refined sugar free version I recommend using agave. It works great and doesn't change the flavor! You can also use stevia for totally sugar free.
Water
Citrus: Mountain Dew is a combo of multiple citrus flavors, so we're using lemon, lime, and orange to achieve a nice balance. The zest is what's really giving us the flavor, so grab a microplane and get zesting!
Kiwi: full honesty - I first included kiwi in this recipe to try to achieve a green color. It didn't work, but I LOVED the flavors. Kiwis are sweet and add a nice depth that helps create a well rounded flavor
Green Food Coloring: Mountain Dew soda is a yellow color, but because of their branding we often associate it with being green. So if you want, you can add a few drops of green food coloring to the syrup to make it feel more like the real thing. I used a natural green food dye that I got from Whole Foods, made with spirulina

For soda

Mountain Dew Syrup: from above
Seltzer Water: you can also use club soda or any other unflavored sparkling water - though the best flavor will come from plain sparkling water
Ice
Garnishes: a fun straw and a lime wedge - for vibes!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Zest and juice the citrus fruits directly into a small pot. Use a citrus reamer to juice the kiwis. Then strain into the pot. Add the sugar and water to the pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then cook at a simmer for 10 minutes.

Homemade mountain dew step 1 - heat the sugar, water, and citrus juice

Step 2. Remove from the heat and let cool 30 minutes.

Homemade mountain dew step 2 - let cool.

Step 3. Strain the mixture and bottle. If desired, stir in the green food coloring.

Homemade mountain dew step 3 - strain and add coloring if desired.

Step 4. For soda, pour 1-2 ounces of the Mountain Dew syrup over ice and top with sparkling water.

Homemade mountain dew step 4 - pour syrup over ice and top with sparkling water.

FAQ & Expert Tips

Does homemade Mountain Dew taste exactly like the real thing?

Pretty much! It captures the citrusy flavors of the classic.

Can I make the syrup ahead of time?

Yes! The syrup will last several weeks in the fridge.

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for this homemade version of soda, with less processed ingredients. Thank you for the gift of sweet drinks. Amen.

Tried this recipe?

Please leave a review in the comments section below and post on Instagram tagging me @elizabeths_table. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.

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