This Healthy Lemonade recipe is a delicious homemade all-natural summer drink that’s free of refined sugars & made with only 3 simple ingredients!
If there’s one drink that’s quintessentially summer, it’s lemonade. Here in Europe, outdoor cafes are packed all summer long with tourists and locals drinking fresh, homemade lemonade and this Healthy Lemonade recipe is just as good (if not better!) than any street-side lemonade you’ll find.
It’s made with only 3 basic ingredients, it’s sweetened with honey so it’s free of refined sugar, and it’s easy to make in minutes on a hot summer day. It’s perfect for adults and kids and it’s ultra refreshing – trust us, it’ll become your new favourite summer drink too!!
When life gives you lemons, making lemonade is DEFINITELY the way to go! Lemons are not only bursting with so much delicious flavour, but they’re also packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, making them a healthy choice.
Staying hydrated is very important in the summer, and a refreshing glass of healthy lemonade can be a delicious way to give your body the fluids it needs for a hot summer day.
And when it comes to sweetening your lemonade, honey is a great choice. It’s a liquid sweetener, so it dissolves easily in liquid, and it adds a lot more flavour than sugar. It also contains nourishing properties and health benefits that sugar doesn’t, and because honey tastes sweeter than sugar you’ll probably find yourself adding less honey than you would sugar to your lemonade, simply because honey has so much more flavour.
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Here are the kitchen items you’ll need to make healthy homemade lemonade (affiliate links):
To make this super easy and healthy homemade lemonade recipe, you’ll need these ingredients:
- water
- fresh lemons
- honey
- ice and lemon slices for serving (optional)
- Strawberry: Add a handful of fresh strawberries to your lemonade and blend them together for a refreshing twist. The natural sweetness of strawberries complements the tartness of lemons, creating a delightful flavour combination. Try our Healthy Strawberry Lemonade recipe!
- Mint: Infuse your lemonade with a handful of fresh mint leaves. The cool, invigorating taste of mint adds a burst of freshness to your drink, making it a perfect choice for hot summer days.
- Spicy Ginger: Grate some fresh ginger and add it to your lemonade for a zingy and spicy twist. Ginger not only adds a pleasant heat but also provides potential digestive benefits, making this variation both flavourful and soothing.
- Pomegranate: Add a splash of pomegranate juice and some pomegranate seeds to your lemonade mixture for a delicious pomegranate lemonade! Try our Healthy Pomegranate Lemonade recipe!
- Blueberry: Toss in a handful of juicy blueberries to your lemonade and watch it transform into a vibrant, purple-hued beverage. Blueberries bring their natural sweetness and a dose of antioxidants to the mix, creating a visually appealing and healthy drink. Try our Healthy Blueberry Lemonade Recipe!
- Pineapple: Add chunks of fresh pineapple to your lemonade to transport yourself to a tropical paradise. The tropical sweetness of pineapple pairs beautifully with the tang of lemons, resulting in a sunny and exotic drink for summer.
- Watermelon: Add a few chunks of watermelon into your lemonade mixture for a delicious and fruity watermelon lemonade. Trust us, the kids in your life will LOVE this one!
- Raspberry: Drop a handful of ripe raspberries into your lemonade and give it a gentle stir. The vibrant pink colour and the burst of tangy sweetness from raspberries make this variation a crowd-pleaser. For an extra fizzy touch, top it off with some sparkling water. Try our Healthy Raspberry Lemonade recipe!
Time needed: 10 minutes
Follow these steps to make this homemade lemonade recipe, the healthy way!
- Squeeze the lemons for fresh juice.
Squeezing real lemons will give you so much more flavour than bottle lemon juice. Be sure the lemons are fresh and roll them on a hard surface before slicing and squeezing to get as much juice as you can.
- Blend the lemon juice and honey.
Use your blender to blend the honey and lemon juice together. This will make a kind-of syrup that will mix well with the water to create the lemonade.
- Stir together with water or sparkling water.
Stir the honey and lemon mixture together with cold water or cold sparkling water, if you prefer sparkling lemonade.
- Serve over ice.
Fill your glasses with ice, pour the lemonade and serve.
Can I use bottled lemon juice for homemade lemonade?
While fresh lemon juice is better, you can use bottled lemon juice if fresh lemons are not available. Just make sure to choose a high-quality brand without any additives or preservatives or added sugar. Keep in mind that bottled lemon juice may have a slightly different taste compared to freshly squeezed.
What is the best ratio of lemons to water for lemonade?
We recommend a ratio of 1 part lemon juice to 4 parts water. You can adjust the proportions based on how tart or diluted you prefer your lemonade.
How can I make my lemonade healthier?
Consider using natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or stevia instead of refined sugar. You can also experiment with adding fruit like berries or watermelon for some added sweetness.
Can I make lemonade without sugar?
Yes, you can make lemonade without sugar by using alternative sweeteners like honey, agave syrup, or stevia. These options provide sweetness without the refined sugar content. Adjust the amount of sweetener according to your taste preference.
How long does homemade lemonade last?
We recommend drinking this lemonade within one week, as long as it’s stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
I hope you love this Healthy Lemonade recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite homemade summer drink? I’d love to know!
Looking for more delicious recipes like this one? You’ll LOVE these:
Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this recipe. You can find many more deliciously simple recipe videos on our YouTube channel!
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Healthy Lemonade
Recipe: Ingredients
- 5 fresh lemons
- 1/3 cup honey or other vegan honey substitute
- 4 cups cold water (or sparkling water if desired)
- ice and lemon wedges for serving
Recipe: Instructions
- Juice the lemons and add the juice to a blender along with the honey.
- Blend the lemon juice and honey until smooth.
- Add the lemon juice and honey mixture to a jug along with the water and stir well.
- Add ice and lemon wedges, and serve.
Recipe: Notes
Storage Instructions
Store this lemonade in the fridge in a jug or airtight container for up to one week.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
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Why are you using straws nobody should be using straws of all the pollution these days.
Hi Dave, great question! These are actually paper straws and they’re completely biodegradable. I agree, plastic straws should be a thing of the past. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment 🙂
Is that what you got from this recipe? C’mon Karen.
Hi! Any other substitute sweetener aside from refined sugar and honey?
Agave nectar also works well in this recipe! 🙂
Wow…this looks incredibly delicious!!! My family would love it!
Thanks so much!
I used agave nectar and found that it was kind of bland, and too sour, so I upped the agave to 1/2 cup. Even though agave is sweeter than other liquid sugars. But it may just be my personal taste, as I like very sweet lemonade.
Thanks for the tips! We enjoy a more sour lemonade, but this recipe can be made to anyone’s tastes 🙂
I will definitely be trying this. I made your East 3-Ingredient Chia Seed Strawberry Jam a few days ago and it’s FABULOUS!!! I shared it with my friends that give me the honey.
Thanks so much! Hope you like it!! 🙂
This looks wonderful and I plan on trying. Do you mix with cold water and , if so, any issues with getting the honey lemon mixture to mix with the water.
I just trimmed some fresh mint and lavendar from my garden and plant on adding them too! This recipe is simple and will be a perfect base, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Kelley!I usually juice the lemons and add the juice to a blender along with the honey.I blend them until smooth and then add the water.I hope you enjoy!!
Hi I juice my lemons and freeze the juice, could you give an estimate on how many cups of juice would be in 5 lemons? I don’t have my own supply of lemons so just juice them when friends give them to me. Thanks
For future reference, one lemon usually has between 2 and 3 tablespoons of juice in it (depending on the size and ripeness). 🙂
Delicious. I’ve made a similar recipe before but instead of blending the honey and lemon, I dissolved the honey in a little hot water (about half a mug-full) then mixed that into the lemon and water. Once it’s in the fridge or ice is added the heat gets evened out easily.
Hot water and lemon will cause weight loss. It will also revitalize the entire drink.
Oops, I meant devitalize’s the entire lemon and honey drink.
Delicious! I used about 1 tbsp of agave (I only made a cup of lemonade) but I ran out, so I had to use a bit of sugar. Added some frozen blueberries which cooled it down and helped mellow out the tartness from the lemons. Super delicious!
Glad you find the recipe delicious!!😊
How many servings does this make?
Hi Sharon! This recipe is for 4 servings🙂.
Really good
i would highly recommend doing half iced green tea and half of this lemonade, it’s the perfect refreshing summer drink and it’s healthy too!
Thanks Riley!!
How long do you think this would last in a fridge if making a bigger batch
I would say that it should be good for up to one week. Enjoy 😊