Lemonade

This Lemonade Recipe is the BEST easy homemade lemonade! Learn how to make lemonade from scratch with this easy tutorial – with only 3 ingredients!

 

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

When it comes to iconic, refreshing summer drinks, lemonade is the absolute best – when it’s homemade, that is. If you’ve been making lemonade with that sugary powder from the grocery store you’ve GOT to try our homemade lemonade recipe made with real lemons! It’s super easy to make, it’s made with only 3 ingredients (one of which is water!), and it’s absolutely delicious. If you’re looking for a European-style lemonade recipe made with real lemons, this homemade lemonade recipe is the one you need!

Lemonade is a sweet drink made with lemon juice, water, and simple syrup (made from sugar and water) . It’s refreshing, tangy, and packed with fresh citrus flavour – it makes the perfect drink for a hot summer day. The balance of sweet and tart makes it thirst-quenching, and it’s so easy to customize, from fizzy versions made with mineral water to fruity twists on the original made with fresh berries or other fruit.

Using simple syrup to make homemade lemonade instead of granulated sugar makes for a smoother, more consistent texture that evenly blends into the lemon juice and water, with no gritty sugar at the bottom of your glass.

Store-bought and powdered lemonade mixes are readily available at many grocery stores, but nothing compares to the fresh, bright flavour of homemade lemonade made with real lemons. When you make it yourself, you can control the sweetness, adjust the tartness and the intensity of the lemon flavour, and skip all those artificial flavours and preservatives.

Homemade lemonade is also super versatile! You can add fresh herbs like mint or basil, infuse it with fresh berries or cucumber, or even turn it into a sparkling beverage with a splash of soda or mineral water!

There are SO many reasons why we love this homemade lemonade recipe! Here are just a few:

1. It’s made with REAL LEMONS: real lemons give this drink a zesty, bright flavour.
2. It’s PERFECT FOR PARTIES, PICNICS, BBQs: it’s easy to make a big batch for all your gatherings and parties!
3. It’s easy to MAKE AHEAD: just mix it, chill, then add the ice and serve.
4. It’s KIDS’ FAVOURITE summery drink: lemonade is so kid-friendly, and it’s made with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
5. It’s made with SIMPLE INGREDIENTS: just lemon, sugar, and water is all it takes to make this homemade lemonade!

Want to make the BEST homemade lemonade? Here’s how to do it!

Fresh lemon juice gives this lemonade the best flavour and adds a nice tartness without bitterness. Skip the stuff in the bottle from the grocery store and juice fresh lemons yourself.

Press each lemon with your hand against the counter and roll the lemon so you get as much lemon juice as possible. Rolling them first will help them release their juice.

Use a spoon to taste the lemonade as you add the syrup and adjust the amount to your preference so it’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Add lemon slices, fresh mint, cherries, or raspberries along the ice cubes to make it pretty.

Adding too much ice will dilute the lemonade, so be sure to use cold water and avoid adding too much ice, OR make it nice and strong to compensate for the added ice.

Having trouble with your homemade lemonade? Here’s some common issues you might encounter and how to fix or prevent these problems:

Add more water to dilute it, and add more syrup gradually, and keep tasting it as you go until you reach the right flavour.

Add more water to dilute it and if necessary, more lemon juice until you reach your desired taste.

Use less ice and add more lemon juice and syrup. Avoid adding too much ice that will dilute the lemonade.

Here’s everything you’ll need to make homemade lemonade (paid links):

• Large pitcher
• liquid measuring cups
• wooden spoon
• lemon juicer

Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make homemade lemonade:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice about 6 lemons
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 6 cups cold water
• 2 cups ice plus more for serving

Take your homemade lemonade to the next level with one of these delicious variations!

1. Berry Twist: add some fresh berries to your lemonade, or even better, into the simple syrup as you make it.
2. Herbal Infusion: infuse the syrup with fresh mint or just add it in and muddle it with some lemon slices in the bottom of each glass.
3. Sparkling: replace the water with sparkling water for a more elegant twist on the classic lemonade.
4. Frozen: freeze the lemon juice and blend along with the ice to get a slushy-style lemonade.
5. Alcoholic Option: add sparkling white wine instead of water for an adult version.

Making your own homemade simple syrup is SO easy. Follow our recipe for simple syrup here, and check out the instructions below:

1. Measure your ingredients. If you use one cup of sugar, use one cup of water. We like to combine 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cup water, but just be sure to combine equal parts water and sugar.
2. Combine the water and sugar. Add the water and sugar to a small pot or saucepan and place it over medium heat.
3. Heat it up. Allow the water to heat up, whisking the sugar into the water just a little bit.
4. Stir gently. As the mixture turns into a sugar syrup, stir it very gently just to combine. Once the water barely reaches a simmer you’ll notice the sugar start to dissolve. Watch the mixture to make sure it doesn’t boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low once the sugar is almost dissolved.
5. Let it cool. Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is clear and steaming, remove it from the heat and let it cool in the pot until it’s just warm.
6. Store it properly. Pour it into a bottle, jar, or other airtight container (use a funnel, if you wish). Store it in the fridge and use it in all your favourite drinks.

We hope you love this easy recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s YOUR favourite refreshing summer drink? We’d love to know!

• Pomegranate Lemonade
• Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Peach Iced Tea
• Healthy Lemonade
• Healthy Homemade Iced Tea
• Healthy Cucumber Lemonade
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Sparkling Peach Mango Refresher
• Watermelon Lemonade
• Raspberry Lemonade

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!