This healthy homemade lemonade is quick & easy, with only 3 ingredients. It’s way better than store-bought lemonade. Simply sweetened with honey, it’s a refreshing summer drink!
Growing up though, there was only one kind of lemonade: Country Time.
You’d scoop out some powder, add some water, and magically you had a super sweet yet tart yellow drink that we all called lemonade.
Here’s the thing – THERE’S NO ACTUAL LEMON in that stuff!!
This is the list of ingredients:
Sugar, fructose, citric acid, contains less than 2% of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), natural flavor, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, artificial color, yellow 5 lake, tocopherol (preserves freshness).
(Even their pink lemonade is no better!)
Wow. That’s a lot of ingredients considering you can make delicious, healthy homemade lemonade with just lemons, water, and a bit of sweetener!!
WHY I LOVE HOMEMADE LEMONADE
I’ll admit that I’ve had a lot of glasses of homemade lemonade while preparing for this post. I’ve singlehandedly taken out two giant pitchers in three days while my family sat back and watched in disbelief.
I can’t help it though – it’s just SO good!!
And SO refreshing!
I don’t know what it is about the summer heat, but it makes me crave something to drink that ISN’T water.
I know water is good for me and I faithfully take my water bottle with me wherever I go, but in the summer, water tastes so plain.
My husband likes making tea, sweetened with just a smidge of honey.
Me, I prefer this healthy homemade lemonade instead. Something about the tart lemon and slightly sweet flavor quenches my thirst every time!
And my son thought it was too tart – I get it.
And my daughter thought it could use more sugar – I get that too. Mix up some dirt and bugs with sugar and she’ll gladly eat it!
I rarely drink anything other than water and homemade kombucha (sometimes Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha, sometimes Rose Hip & Hibiscus Kombucha) and the occasional glass of wine. I do this on purpose. We don’t allow soda or sugary drinks in the house because the excess sugar just isn’t necessary, or healthy for us.
This perfect lemonade is intentionally sweetened with the bare minimum of honey.
But the best part is that you can easily add more so it’s just the way you or the kids like it!
HEALTHY HOMEMADE LEMONADE INGREDIENTS
There are two key components to this healthy homemade lemonade:
LEMON JUICE
You want the real deal here – lemon juice that is freshly squeezed from actual whole lemons.
And no, it’s not a lot of work and no you don’t need a big juicing machine.
I use a juicer like this one (except mine is white) and it took me MAYBE 5 minutes to juice 6 lemons.
Once you’ve juiced the lemons, pour the juice over a fine-mesh sieve lined over a big glass measuring cup. Use a spatula to push around the seeds and pulp so that the juice goes through the sieve.
And that’s it!
Six lemons gave me a little extra juice, so I poured it into a jar and put it in the fridge. It’s less juice I have to squeeze for the next batch! (If it’s going to be a while before you make homemade lemonade again, you can freeze the lemon juice in an ice cube tray. I use this silicone mold for things like this.)
Bottled lemon juice in any shape or form is not the same, so please don’t attempt this recipe using it. It won’t come out the same and won’t taste nearly as good.
And as a bonus, you can zest your lemons before you juice them, and use the lemon zest to make Homemade Lemon Cake Mix. Using kitchen scraps to make cake mix? Yum!
SWEETENER
I used honey to sweeten my healthy homemade lemonade. You can use sugar or maple syrup if you prefer. Start with the ⅓ cup as the recipe calls for and add more to taste. Remember that you can always make it sweeter, but you can’t undo the sweetness once it’s added in.
I have a few different varieties of honey at home and was able to taste the flavor of the honey in every batch I made. Keep this in mind if you have local honey with a strong flavor. Make sure you like the way your honey tastes plain before using it in this lemonade recipe!
The only thing you need to make healthy homemade lemonade besides freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweetener is water!
HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE
Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and ⅓ cup of honey and turn the heat to medium. This is called simple syrup, and it prevents a big clump of honey (or sugar) from sitting at the bottom of the pitcher while you stir forever to get it to dissolve.
Step 2: Once the honey is dissolved (this may take up to 5 minutes), pour this mixture into the bottom of a half-gallon pitcher or glass jar.
Step 3: Add the lemon juice and remaining 4 cups of cold water and stir well.
Step 4: Taste and adjust sweetener, if desired. Let chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Homemade lemonade is most refreshing when served cold and/or over ice. Personally, I also love to drink it out of a mason jar! I use these lids on my jars when I’m taking my lemonade to go, or when I’m going out to sip on the back porch!
FRESH LEMONADE RECIPE VARIATIONS
If homemade lemonade isn’t adventurous enough for you, try some of these variations!
- Add herbs like rosemary or lavender to the simple syrup (when you melt the honey into the water)
- Use garnishes like lemon slices or peach wedges
- Make watermelon lemonade by adding pureed watermelon
BEST LEMONADE RECIPE FAQS
Is it okay to drink homemade lemonade every day?
While I wouldn’t recommend drinking a beverage loaded with sugar every day, this homemade lemonade recipe is fine. And a naturally sweetened drink that gets you to stay more hydrated is okay by me.
Do you put baking soda in lemonade?
Baking soda reacts with lemon juice, creating bubbles and making fizzy lemonade. This homemade lemonade recipe does not include carbonation.
How many drinks in a gallon of lemonade?
It depends on how much you drink at one time, but one gallon of lemonade equals sixteen 8oz cups. This recipe makes just under half a gallon, about 7 cups.
What can I add to homemade lemonade?
Fresh mint adds a nice flavor, or you could add strawberries or raspberries for a berry lemonade. Or mix half lemonade and half iced tea.
MORE WAYS TO CUT BACK ON SUGAR
Here are the steps my family took to initially cut back on sugar -> Three Steps to Quitting Sugar
Most recently we took it to the extreme and did a Whole30 which cuts out ALL sugar (and added sweeteners) -> How to Afford the Whole30 on a Budget
But I totally understand how overwhelming it is to go from dessert every night to no sugar in the house at all. Same with most changes when it comes to eating real food when you’re used to eating food from a box. I started an annual Real Food Reboot: 30-Day Clean Eating Challenge as a step-by-step process to help you through simple changes you can make to have a cleaner kitchen and a healthier lifestyle. We run the challenge every January, but you are more than welcome to join the online community any time of the year. You can find more about it RIGHT HERE!
MORE TASTY DRINK RECIPES
- Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha
- Bulletproof Green Tea Latte
- Homemade Peppermint Mocha Latte
- Easy Pumpkin Smoothie
WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE LEMONADE
Healthy Homemade Lemonade
This healthy homemade lemonade is quick & easy, with only 3 ingredients. It’s way better than store-bought lemonade. Simply sweetened with honey, it’s a refreshing summer drink!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 5 cups water, divided
- ⅓–½ cup honey (or other desired sweetener)
- 1 ¼ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 5–6 large lemons)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and ⅓ cup of honey and turn heat to medium. This is called simple syrup, and it prevents a big clump of honey (or sugar) from sitting at the bottom of the pitcher while you stir forever to get it to dissolve.
- Once the honey is dissolved (this may take up to 5 minutes), pour it into the bottom of a half-gallon pitcher or glass jar.
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water and stir well.
- Taste and adjust sweetener, if desired.
- Homemade lemonade is most refreshing when served cold and/or over ice.
Notes
If homemade lemonade isn’t adventurous enough for you, try some of these variations!
- Add herbs like rosemary or lavender to the simple syrup (when you melt the honey into the water)
- Use garnishes like lemon slices or peach wedges
- Make watermelon lemonade by adding pureed watermelon
Nutrition
- Calories: 84
Just made this and it is amazing!
I made this and love it. Don’t like drinks that are sweet so this is perfect for me. Thank you, thought I could never have lemonade agai because of the sugar.
I had fun making this with my kids! It was a little tart for us (we may have spilled some of the honey water though) so we added a little more honey and some more water and it was better! Thanks for all the great healthy snack recipes! I discovered you 8 weeks ago and joined your grocery budget bootcamp, lol and then I just joined the 30 min dinner meal plan ninjas! I’ve always loved whole food cooking but hated the process and know it’s getting so much easier!
So glad Leslie! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I tried with fresh lemons here in Texas. I also had fresh grapefruit, and made a double batch. I used splenda for the sweetener, and it turned out great!!!! I used 4 lemons and 2 grapefruit.
Just made this. I made the simple syrup and while it cooled I squeezed my lemons. I only got 2/3 cup of juice from my lemons but I adjust the amount of water and it turned out perfect.
I have never made my own lemonade before and I loved how simple this was.
I’ve eliminated most cane sugar from my diet for a year now and have been satisfied with drinking plain water. Today I got a craving for a limeade drink that I used to get at Sonic. I knew I didn’t want all that sugar. I’m so grateful to have googled and found your recipe. It hit the spot and is the best lemonade I’ve ever had!!! I love I can tailor the sweetness and the sour to fit my tastes. Thanks!!!
I am so pleased that you love this recipe and it works for your personal needs! <3
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but will very soon as I have an abundance of lemons. Does the lemonade keep for any length of time or should it be consumed straight away?
Fresh lemonade is the best to in my opinion, Sally. But you could make a large back once a week to finish within 7 days if sealed tight and refrigerated. Here are some other ideas for your abundance of lemons! https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/?s=lemon
So tasty and easy! I made mine with 1/3 cups of agave and it was perfect for my tasty! Thank you!!
Liz,
You’re very welcome! 🙂
So tasty! I used 1/3 cups of agave nectar and it was great!
I am LOVING your blog, Tiffany! Thank-you so much for all of these delish recipes!!!
I did find this lemonade to be too sour for my sweet-tooth, however. Me and sour don’t get along. :p
You’re very welcome Tracey! You can certainly sweeten more to your liking. If you need more of that traditional sweet flavor without adding actual sugar, try stevia!
I love me some sun tea in the summer, but lemonade is a close second! I have some frozen Meyer lemons I got cheap, I wonder how those would work? Hmmm……
I bet those would be DELICIOUS!! Do it!!
I make lemonade by liquidizing pieces of whole lemon with some water, then put in a sieve and press well down to extract the liquid.. Add some Stevia or honey to sweeten a bit. This makes a cordial, which can then be diluted with water, and is delicious.No cooking necessary.
I an also making Kombucha, with black tea and herbal fruit teas. The first batch with black tea only and kept in the fridge for weeks, tasted a bit like Beer!
Thanks for the tip Amanda! Kombucha with fruit teas is SO good! I use dried herbs so I can mix/match with whatever I’m craving. Oolong tea is my current fav!
We drink a lot of lemonade (spring, summer, fall & winter). I used a few drops of liquid stevia (coconut flavored or plain). Like you said, add and taste…you can always add more but can’t take it away. The lemonade with coconut always makes me think of a pina colada.
Ooh, I bet this would be really good with coconut!!