Aguapanela con limón (hot or iced panela and lime drink)

Name: Aguapanela con limón (hot or iced panela and lime drink)
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1l water; 150g panela, chopped or grated, or dark muscovado sugar; 3 limes, juiced; 20g fresh ginger, sliced, optional; 8 ice cubes, for serving cold

The everyday Colombian drink: unrefined cane sugar melted into water and sharpened with lime, lovely hot on a cold day or poured over ice.

Time15 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.50 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

22kcal
5.8gcarbs
3.5gof which sugars
0.1gfat
0gsaturates
0.4gprotein
0.4gfibre
0.0gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 glasses

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

1 lwater
150 gpanelachopped or grated, or dark muscovado sugar
3limesjuiced
20 gfresh gingersliced, optional
8ice cubesfor serving cold

Method

1
Put the water, panela and ginger in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the panela has completely dissolved.
5 min
2
Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger.
10 min
3
Stir in the lime juice and taste. Add a little more lime if you want it sharper or a little more water if it is too sweet.
4
Serve hot in mugs, or chill and pour over ice in tall glasses.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.