Easy Homemade Lemonade

5 from 3 votes

Homemade lemonade is a nod to old-fashioned picnics, blending the sweet, tart essence of summer into a simple, three-ingredient drink.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Chilling Time30

Total Time45

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: glasses

Calories: 103kcal

Cut the lemons in half and use a juicer to extract the juice. Strain to remove any seeds or pulp.

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Combine the lemon juice and sugar syrup in a pitcher. Stir well to ensure the sugar is evenly distributed throughout the lemon juice.
Add cold water to the pitcher and stir again to ensure it is well-mixed. Reduce the amount of water used if you prefer a more intense lemon flavor.
Place the pitcher of lemonade in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes or pour directly over ice.
Garnish with mint and lemon rounds.

Expert Tips

Simple Syrup: Don't shortcut this step. The simple syrup ensures your lemonade isn't grainy and has sugar crystals at the bottom of your pitcher.
Adjusting Sweetness and Tartness: After mixing your basic ingredients, add the water incrementally and adjust with more sugar, water, or lemon, depending on your taste.
Boost the Lemon Flavor with Zest: Adding lemon zest to your simple syrup can infuse your lemonade with an extra layer of lemon flavor. Strain out the zest before adding it to your lemonade to avoid bitterness.
Storage and Make-ahead Tips: Lemonade can be made and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the lemon juice and simple syrup and defrost them as needed—just add water.
Serve it Super Chilled: Lemonade is best served super chilled.