Homemade Lemonade

Enjoy a refreshing glass of this healthy homemade lemonade recipe that’s ready fast. Fresh lemon juice plus a simple syrup of honey and water will give you a lemon drink that’s perfectly sweet and tart.

I love a cool, refreshing drink like lemonade on a hot summer day.

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 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).

(Their pink lemonade is no better!)

Wow. That’s a lot of ingredients considering you can make the best homemade lemonade recipe with just lemons, water, and a bit of sweetener!

I have to warn you, though – once you learn how to make lemonade yourself, you won’t go back to the store-bought version!

WHY I LOVE THIS HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE

I’ll admit that I’ve had a lot of glasses of homemade lemonade while preparing for this post. I’ve single-handedly taken out two giant pitchers in three days. I can’t help it though – it’s just SO good!

• Hydration variety. I don’t know what it is about the summer heat, but it makes me crave something to drink that isn’t just water.
• Perfectly sweet without going overboard. This best lemonade recipe is intentionally sweetened with the bare minimum of honey.
• Easily customizable. Add more sweetener to adjust to your liking.
• Only 3 simple ingredients! Lemons, sweetener, and water. That’s it!
• Balanced flavor. Not too sweet, not too tart, not too watery. Perfect ratios.
• And did I mention it’s absolutely delicious?!

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 granulated sugar or maple syrup if you prefer. Start with ⅓ cup and add more to taste. Remember that you can always make it sweeter, but you can’t undo the sweetness once it’s added.

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 sweet 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. Stir occasionally.

This is called making a 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 is best, but you can keep it in a sealed pitcher or large jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

EASY LEMONADE RECIPE VARIATIONS

If home made lemonade isn’t adventurous enough for you, try some of these variations!

• Add herbs like fresh mint leaves, rosemary, or lavender to the simple syrup (when you melt the honey into the water).
• Use garnishes like a lemon slice or peach wedges.
• Make watermelon lemonade by adding pureed watermelon.
• Puree strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries for a yummy berry lemonade! Press the puree through the sieve for a smoother beverage.
• Mix half lemonade and half iced tea for a classic summer drink.

RECIPE OF LEMONADE DRINK FAQS

USING HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE AS A BABY STEP

It’s no secret that calories in beverages can add up quickly and are honestly often a waste of your calories. But if you get tired of drinking only water, this homemade lemonade recipe can be a great choice to keep you hydrated!

Not only do you control the quality of the ingredients, but you also control the amount (and type) of sweetener, and you can customize it to fit into your day.

You can also use homemade lemonade as a baby step in your journey to quitting sugar. Start with a larger amount of sweetener and lower it in each subsequent batch. You’ll still enjoy a yummy beverage while adjusting your palate.

MORE TASTY DRINK RECIPES

• Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha
• Cheesecake Blueberry Smoothie
• 7 Days of Green Smoothie Recipes
• Instant Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
• Bulletproof Matcha Latte

WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE LEMONADE