Homemade Lemonade Recipe (2024)

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You only need three ingredients to make this classic homemade Lemonade Recipe. It’s so simple and refreshing–perfect for a summer day! Recipe includes a how-to video.

Homemade Lemonade Recipe (1)

The Easiest, Most Refreshing Lemonade Recipe

I know some of you are going to see this and think, “Do we really need a lemonade recipe?”. Sure lemonade is one of those things that can be thrown together and still taste great (like mac and cheese or French toast); however, having a reliable recipe is still important.

Lemonadeis easy to make, but getting the ratios right is critical. Too much lemon and it’s too tart and undrinkable, and too much water and it’s, well, watered down. What I’m sharing today is a perfectly balanced lemonade recipe that everyone is going to love.

Why You’ll Love My Lemonade Recipe:

  • Super smooth and evenly sweetened, thanks to simple syrup.
  • Can easily be doubled or tripled–perfect for lemonade stands!
  • Not too tart and not too sweet; the balance of lemon and sugar is just right.
  • Pairs well with iced tea to make an Arnold Palmer.

What You Need

Homemade Lemonade Recipe (2)

You only need three simple ingredients to make this lemonade recipe (or two, if you don’t count water!):

  • Lemons. It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that I recommend using freshly squeezed lemons for this recipe (as I do with my lemon cheesecake). You’ll only need 3-4 nice sized lemons to get one cup of juice.
  • Sugar. Plain granulated sugar works just fine, you could also substitute caster sugar!
  • Water. I use tap water because mine doesn’t have a flavor, but if yours has a chlorinated taste use bottled or filtered water.

SAM’S TIP: This isn’t totally necessary, but I like to garnish my homemade lemonade with additional sliced lemons for a bright and sunny look.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade Recipe (3)
  1. Combine 1 cup each of sugar and water and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Set the syrup aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Combine the cooled syrup and freshly-squeezed lemon juice in a pitcher.
  4. Add the remaining water and stir, then pour over ice and enjoy!

SAM’S TIP: I like to use this tool to juice my lemons; it makes the job so much easier!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use honey to make lemonade?

You could, but keep in mind the honey will impart a different flavor. I’d start with about ½ cup of honey and taste test before adding any more.

Can I make lemonade using bottled lemon juice?

Yes, you can make this lemonade recipe using bottled lemon juice. My brother does this all the time, and the lemonade is still excellent.

What can I add to homemade lemonade?

Fresh mint, rosemary, and lavender are all delicious pairings with homemade lemonade! Or, you could always make my easy strawberry lemonade.

Homemade Lemonade Recipe (4)

You can find me sipping a glass of this on my front porch all summer long 😎

More Summer Recipes:

  • Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
  • Lemon Curd
  • Key Lime Pie
  • Lemon Blueberry Cake

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together!I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe andvideobelow! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me onInstagram, and you can also find me onYouTubeandFacebook

Homemade Lemonade Recipe (5)

Homemade Lemonade Recipe

A simple and refreshinghomemade lemonade recipe! You only need sugar, water, and lemons to make this classic drink recipe. Check out the step-by-step video just below the recipe!

This recipe makes ½ gallon of lemonade but can successfully be doubled!

4.97 from 158 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 8-oz glasses

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (1.4 L) water divided
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (236 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice¹ seeds removed, pulp may remain

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Combine 1 cup (236ml) water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside, allow to cool for 10 minutes.

    6 cups (1.4 L) water, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

  • Pour 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice into a pitcher. Add sugar/water mixture (simple syrup).

    1 cup (236 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice¹

  • Add remaining 5 cups (1180ml) water and stir well. Pour over ice and serve, or transfer to refrigerator and allow to chill several hours before serving.

Notes

¹Lemon Juice

I really recommend fresh squeezed, but my brother often makes this recipe using bottled lemon juice with success.

Nutrition

Serving: 18 oz glass | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 32mg | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin C: 16.5mg | Calcium: 60mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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Comments

  1. Judy Brown

    Homemade Lemonade Recipe (10)
    It was 8 degrees this morning here in maine and I still decided to make your lemonade. I needed to put some lemon zest in my freezer so I only had 2 lemons to use. I got 1/2 cup of juice out of them so I made 1/2 a batch. Lemonade is easy to make but making the simple syrup made it even easier to mix- no sugar in the bottom of the jar!

    Reply

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Homemade Lemonade Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it OK to drink homemade lemonade everyday? ›

Just like moderation is the key to everything, drinking lemonade everyday could have some side effects such as: wearing of the enamel which could lead to tooth decay because of the acidity of the drink as well as causing reflux in the digestive system.

Is lemonade just lemon and water? ›

It is traditionally a homemade drink using lemon juice, water, and a sweetener such as cane sugar, simple syrup, maple syrup or honey. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Central Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, a carbonated lemonade soft drink is more common.

Is it cheaper to buy lemonade or make it? ›

The answer is, it is generally cheaper to buy lemonade than to make it. As an example, you can buy a 7-cup carton of Newman's Own on Peapod.com for $2.29 and spend about $6 on ingredients to make about the same volume of homemade lemonade. That is more than double the price of the store-bought lemonade.

How many lemons should I put in a gallon of water? ›

Use a Gallon Jug

I've found that it's so much easier to track how much I'm drinking if I fill up a gallon jug every single morning and just drink from that all day long. Because of the health benefits, I drink lemon water. So I fill up a gallon jug with approximately 10 Tablespoons lemon juice to 1 gallon water.

When you make lemonade What should you add first to the water? ›

The Secret to Making Sure the Sugar Dissolves

So the best way to make lemonade is to make a simple syrup first, by heating water and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved, and then mix that with the lemon juice.

What is the downside of lemonade? ›

Lemonade's coverage limits and inclusions are not as robust as we found with other top renters insurance providers. For example, it caps liability coverage at $1 million and does not offer an option to add actual cost coverage, which can lower policy costs.

Is homemade lemonade healthier than store bought? ›

If you're going to be drinking lemonade, homemade is definitely the way to go. Homemade is most likely better for you than store-bought, depending on the bottle or mixture you buy from the store. Lemon juice also contains a variety of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, which are excellent for our bodies.

Is homemade lemonade healthier than soda? ›

A: Despite its healthier image, regular lemonade is not necessarily any lower in calories than an equal portion of a regular carbonated soft drink. Whether ready-to-drink or made at home from frozen concentrate or a powdered mix, most lemonade contains about 100 to 120 calories in each eight-ounce portion.

What do British people call lemonade? ›

What Americans consider to be lemonade (ie, lemon juice, sugar and water) would just be 'lemon juice' or a 'lemon drink' in the UK. The suffix '-ade' generally refers to a fizzy/carbonated beverage (we also have orangeade, limeade, cherryade and several others).

What is the formula for lemonade? ›

Combine 1 cup each of sugar and water and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set the syrup aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Combine the cooled syrup and freshly-squeezed lemon juice in a pitcher. Add the remaining water and stir, then pour over ice and enjoy!

Does Minute Maid lemonade use real lemons? ›

A twist on something sweet, Minute Maid Pink Lemonade is made with real lemons for a deliciously sunny, smile-inducing taste that truly refreshes.

How much should I sell homemade lemonade for? ›

Think of a fair price.

You would want to make it not too expensive so no one would buy your products, and not too cheap so you would barely make any money. If you're using fresh lemons, fresh ice, and large glasses, you could probably charge $1.00 to $1.25 per cup.

What is a good price for homemade lemonade? ›

THE LEMONADE

Find a spot where you're allowed to set up a stand and where you see a lot of foot traffic. Set a price for your lemonade that's around $0.25-$1.00. Then, make an inviting, colorful sign that advertises your lemonade. Talk to people as they walk by and politely ask them if they want a cup of lemonade.

Is 7 Up lemonade? ›

7 Up (stylized as 7up outside the United States) or Seven Up is an American brand of lemon-lime–flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo.

What are the ingredients in 7 11 strawberry lemonade? ›

Ingredients. Filtered Water, Sugar, Lemon Juice From Concentrate (filtered Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Strawberry Juice From Concentrate (filtered Water, Strawberry Juice Concentrate), Fruit And Vegetable Juice Concentrate (color), Gum Arabic.

How many phases are in lemonade? ›

The 12 phases of "Lemonade" show how Beyoncé handled (or imagined to handle) infidelity, including: intuition, denial, anger, apathy, emptiness, loss, accountability, reformation, forgiveness, resurrection, hope and redemption.

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