This quick and easy Homemade Lemonade recipe uses half the sugar as many traditional lemonade recipes. It's ready in less than 10 minutes and is a perfect thirst quencher on hot summer days! Made with only three simple ingredients: fresh squeezed lemons, water, and sugar.
This homemade lemonade is a simple, classic favorite that uses nearly half the sugar that many other recipes use. You really can't go wrong with a classic lemonade at spring and summer BBQs, pool parties, and picnics. You can even use popsicle molds and freeze it to make lemon bars!
One of our favorite snacks on a hot summer day is this easy homemade lemonade paired with my homemade Greek yogurt drizzled with honey.
Once you master a homemade lemonade recipe, it will be hard to buy a store bought jug again.
Ingredients
You only need 3 very simple ingredients to make this easy homemade lemonade.
- Lemons
- Water
- Sugar
Instructions
Making lemonade from scratch is so simple. Anyone can do it .There is no cooking ability required! I love having my daughter help me squeeze the lemons or pour in the water.
This recipe has just 3 steps and takes just 7 minutes from start to finish.
- Combine 1 cup of water ½ cup of sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
- While the sugar and water are coming to a boil, cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into a large pitcher.
- Add 6 cups of cold water and the 1 cup of sugar water. Stir thoroughly. Chill in the fridge or add ice to chill immediately.
Always taste your lemonade to make sure it suits your preferences. You can always add more sugar or lemons.
You can make homemade lemonade even more refreshing by garnishing with fresh mint leaves when serving. You can also add a handful of mint leaves to the entire jug prior to chilling, if you want a homemade lemonade that has a cooling minty taste to it. Remember, though, that the longer the mint leaves sit in the lemonade, the more minty it will taste.
Cooking Tips
If your lemons don't feel very soft, roll them on the counter a few times using pressure from your hand as you roll. This will help soften them up and make squeezing out all of the juice that much easier. Plus, they won't squirt all over your kitchen if they are soft.
I also recommend being careful not to squeeze lemons if you any cuts or scrapes on your hands. It will burn like heck after a while! Always use gloves if you do.
Some homemade lemonade recipes skip the step of dissolving the sugar in the water. Don't do this! This step is crucial to getting the sugar to incorporate fully into the liquid. When we get fresh squeezed lemonade from the farmer's market, the man makes it right in front of us. It's so fun to watch! But he adds sugar crystals to the water and lemons in a shaker. Then he vigorously shakes it up to dissolve the sugar. This if totally fine if you are making one serving of homemade lemonade, but not so easy if you are making a whole jug!
Keep It Kid-Friendly
Next to apple juice, lemonade is one of the kid-friendliest drinks there is. If you want to keep this homemade lemonade recipe truly kid friendly thought, it's probably best to steer clear of using green garnishments. Stick with strawberry slices or maraschino cherries to get those kiddos really looking forward to this summertime treat!
Variations
For a homemade lemonade without refined white sugar, you can use:
- honey (⅔ cup to every 1 cup of sugar)
- stevia (1 teaspoon to every 1 cup of sugar)
- maple syrup (¾ cup to every 1 cup of sugar)
- coconut sugar
For garnishment, include extra lemons, sliced strawberries, or cherries in addition to or in place of the mint leaves.
Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to give it a star rating and let me know what you thought in the comments! And follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Easy Homemade Lemonade
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 7 cups water
- 7 lemons
Instructions
- Bring 1 cup water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and stir sugar to dissolve.
- While water and sugar are boiling, cut lemons in half and squeeze into a jug, using a strainer to catch the pits and pulp.
- Add the sugar water and the remaining 6 cups of water to the jug.
- Chill or add ice to serve immediately.
Jerilyn
Everyone loves it!