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 161 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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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristian

    Homemade Lemonade Recipe (10)
    Nice and simple, and a hit with the kids! Just one minor thing though – it may be a matter of taste, but I would suggest starting with only 4 cups of water (+ the one for the syrup), and then adding more to taste. The first attempt came out tasting just a little ‘watered-down’ for my liking.

    Reply

  2. Judy Brown

    Homemade Lemonade Recipe (11)
    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

What is the formula for lemonade? ›

Start with the proportions of 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of lemon juice. Reduce the sugar amount if you are using Meyer lemons or if you like your lemonade less sweet. (I usually use 3/4 cup of sugar.)

Is drinking homemade lemonade healthy? ›

Since lemonade is essentially lemon juice combined with water and some sugar, it is an easy way to get a healthy dose of lemon. Vitamin C, B6, and A are just a few of the many vitamins, minerals, and healthy compounds found in a single lemon.

How many lemons do you need for 2 cups of juice? ›

On average, there are 3 tablespoons of juice in one lemon. So, for a cup of fresh lemon juice, you would need 5 and a quarter lemons. Because some lemons are less juicy than others, it's safe to say you'll need 5 and a half lemons for a cup of lemon juice.

How much lemon juice is in one lemon? ›

How Much Lemon Juice Is In One Lemon? One regular-sized lemon contains about 2-3 tablespoons of juice.

How to make lemonade with Sprite? ›

To make the lemonade, stir simple syrup together with lemon juice, cold water, and Sprite. For a sweeter lemonade, use all the simple syrup. For a lemonade that has a little more zing, use half the simple syrup. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

What are the ingredients in simply lemonade? ›

CONTAINS PURE FILTERED WATER, LEMON JUICE, CANE SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS. * Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.

What is lemonade mostly made of? ›

There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy lemonade is a common variety. It is traditionally a homemade drink using lemon juice, water, and a sweetener such as cane sugar, simple syrup, maple syrup or honey.

What are the ingredients in maid lemonade? ›

PURE FILTERED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEMON JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, LESS THAN 0.5% OF: NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID (PROVIDES TARTNESS), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT TASTE), YELLOW #5.

Is too much homemade lemonade bad for you? ›

With lots of sugar in your average cup of lemonade, excess consumption can be a problem for your teeth. Too much sugar causes the protective enamel on the outside of your teeth to breakdown and decay. Over time, this leaves your teeth unprotected and ultimately more susceptible to pain and disease.

Is lemonade good for your kidneys? ›

Kidney stone prevention

Lemons get their sour taste from their abundance of citric acid. Some studies show that citric acid may help prevent the formation of kidney stones.

What is a good substitute for sugar in lemonade? ›

If you'd prefer not to load up on sugar, this isn't an essential part of the recipe. Instead, you could opt for a sweetener, like stevia, or try maple syrup or agave nectar. Many also choose to use honey in their lemonade recipes, but, because this ingredient comes from bees, it's not vegan.

How long does homemade lemonade last? ›

How long does homemade lemonade last? Once you have made the pitcher, place it in the fridge and it will keep well for 5 to 7 days. I like to cover it with plastic wrap while it sits.

Is bottled lemon juice as healthy as fresh squeezed? ›

For example, lemon juice of any form is still a rich source of vitamin C, studies have shown that the vitamins and minerals of fresh juice are far more potent than in juice from concentrate. Unsurprisingly, the same “rule” applies to a host of other benefits in lemon juice: minerals, protein, and even electrolytes.

Is it OK to drink 2 cups of lemon water a day? ›

How much lemon water should you drink? Stephens recommends using the juice from two to three lemons (about four to six tablespoons) throughout the day, and drinking one or two glasses of lemon water with meals, and one glass in between meals. But don't necessarily add lemon to every glass of water you drink.

What is the composition of lemonade? ›

It is traditionally a homemade drink using lemon juice, water, and a sweetener such as cane sugar, simple syrup, maple syrup or honey.

What mixture is lemonade? ›

Lemonade is a combination of lemon juice, water, and sugar. The lemonade is an example of a hom*ogeneous mixture. A hom*ogeneous mixture has the same composition throughout.

What is the chemical formula for lemon juice? ›

Citric Acid is a weak acid with a chemical formula C6H8O7. It can occur in two forms – monohydrate or water-free (anhydrous). This acid is usually found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges etc. It is considered as a tribasic acid.

What is the solution in lemonade? ›

Mixed together, lemon juice, water, and sugar form a solution. A solution is a mixture in which the different kinds of matter are spread out evenly. In lemonade, water is called the solvent. Sugar and lemon juice are solutes.

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