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.
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.
Lemonade is 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
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
- 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!
SAM’S TIP: I like to use this tool to juice my lemons; it makes the job so much easier!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes, you can make this lemonade recipe using bottled lemon juice. My brother does this all the time, and the lemonade is still excellent.
Fresh mint, rosemary, and lavender are all delicious pairings with homemade lemonade! Or, you could always make my easy strawberry lemonade.
You can find me sipping a glass of this on my front porch all summer long 😎
More Summer Recipes:
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Homemade Lemonade Recipe
This recipe makes ½ gallon of lemonade but can successfully be doubled!
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
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.
Suzanne
Perfect! Exactly the right balance of sweet and sour! Thank you Sam!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad it’s a hit for you, Suzanne! Enjoy 🩷
Destiny
Kids asked for some lemonade and this was the first recipe that popped up. I added an extra cup of water just for personal preference, but man this is soooo good. Will be making this a lot. Thanks so much!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Destiny! 🙂
Stephanie
Perfect measurements! Best lemonade-sweet but not too sweet!
Baba
Love you and the Lemonade
Caitlyn
Delicious and refreshing! I am lucky to have lemons fresh off the tree in hot summer sun, I think this really helps with the flavour. This was a bit strong for me but mixing 3/4ths lemonade and 1/4th water is really nice. I also added a leaf of mint and basil 😋
Jeanne
I really appreciated the ratios of the recipe, I’ve been looking. This is delicious, enjoying it as I write.
Mary
I just made this and it was fantastic! so fast and simple everyone loved it. Will be my go to lemonade recipe
Kevin Waitley
Perfect blend of sweet and tart! This is my go to recipe for now on
Sam
I dissolved 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water, added 1 cup of lemon juice. poured that into my blender on ice and blended it. doubled down as a slushie. husband loved it🥰
Nick & Anna
How much water to use for this recipe?
Sam
Hi Nick & Anna! You will need 6 cups total. 1 cup in step 1 and the remaining 5 cups in step 3. 🙂
cathi
approximately how many lemons might I buy to yield 1 cup of lemon juice?
Sam
Hi Cathi! It generally takes me about 3-4 good size lemons to get a cup of juice.
Carmen
Best lemonade.I’ve made so far.I love the recipe.Thank you so much.This will be in my book of favorites
Carmen
Can't say
if I am adding mint , in what ratio shld I put it in ?
Sam
It’s really a personal preference here. I would throw an ounce of mint leaves in the saucepan when making your simple syrup. Let steep for 15 minutes after the sugar has dissolved. Strain out the mint leaves before adding the syrup to the lemonade. 🙂
Savanna Sands
Love this recipe! Super easy and extra tasty. I dyed mine purple for my sister’s birthday. She LOVED it! Thank u so much!!!!!!