Homemade Lemonade Recipe
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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.
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 1/2 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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
it is so good
My lemon tree finally produced enough fruit to actually make lemonade, and this is the perfect ratio of lemon juice to sugar. This is such a simple recipe to make, and the lemonade is refreshing and delicious…so much better than anything you can buy in a store! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Holly! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 🩷
I used pre-squeezed Italian lemon juice and it still turned out delicious, though probably not as good as using freshly squeezed lemons. This lemonade is great to add to hot ginger tea as well.
You do understand that lemons come on many sizes. I would have been helpful to refer to volume of fresh squeezed juice as well as the number of lemons. But thanks.
Hi Deb! I’m honestly confused by this comment. The recipe lists volume, not the number of lemons. You will need 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. For me this is roughly 3-4 lemons, but that’s really just a guide. 🙂
The most delicious lemonade! This will be the only lemonade recipe you’ll ever need. Super simple to make and the flavors are just amazing! My family loves it.
Made mine keto replacing sugar with allulose. Worked great.
OMG-OMG! I was mostly making this lemonade for my husband and now I’m going to arm wrestle him for my share🤣. This is what lemonade is supposed to taste like and I will never go back to any other kind. THANK YOU!! We’re at our AZ house just now and swap our grapefruit for our neighbor’s lemons.
This recipe deserves 10 stars for how delicious it is! I used bottled organic lemon juice and it was perfect. Huge hit with the kids. Saving this one forever!
to sweet but good
This recipe is so easy and so good. I am 6 years old and I made this by myself and it was so simple and tasty. My whole family loved it. You must try!
My son has made this a lot and his brothers really like it.
We’re so happy it’s a hit for your family, Fiona! 🩷
Really Good!
This recipe is so easy and so good. I am 11 years old and I made this by myself and it was so simple and tasty. My whole family loved it. You must try!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the lemonade, Molly!