This Lemonade recipe is so refreshing and timeless. You won’t believe how easy it is to make with just 2 ingredients! Once you try homemade lemonade, it will spoil you forever.
If you’re wondering what to do with lemons, making lemonade is our favorite way to use freshly-squeezed lemon juice along with our Lemon Bars and Easy Lemon Curd.

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Perfect Lemonade
This lemonade recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. We’re sharing our favorite proportions of sugar to lemon juice, but you can add more sugar or more lemon juice to taste.
This is the perfect base recipe to use for so many lemonade varieties. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the variations below. Our favorite is pink lemonade, which is actually Strawberry Lemonade.
Simple Syrup Makes the Best Lemonade
Simple syrup is a thick and sweet syrup used to sweeten a variety of different drinks. Why is this important for lemonade? If you just stir the sugar into cold water, it will sink to the bottom and won’t dissolve. We promise it’s quick and so worth it!
The simple syrup really is the secret to the perfect lemonade recipe, and it allows you to adjust the sweetness of the mixture to your liking. Just add the syrup slowly to the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and then taste test to find the right balance.

Ingredients
This simple recipe perfectly balances the sour and sweet flavors of freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar. After one sip, you’ll see why homemade lemonade is better than store-bought every time.
- Sugar – we prefer using organic sugar to make the simple syrup and sweeten the lemonade. If you want to substitute for a different sweetener, see the variations below.
- Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is ideal, and you’ll need 6-8 lemons depending on the size, but store-bought lemon juice could work in a pinch

Pro Tip: Use room-temperature lemons to make juicing easier. Then, roll the lemon firmly on the counter before cutting to help release juices.
How to Buy Lemons
When you’re shopping for lemons, here is what to look for to ensure you are getting the juiciest lemons:
- Size – look for smaller to medium-sized fruit.
- Color – a bright yellow color is a good indicator of ripeness.
- Texture – the skin should be wrinkle-free and firm but with a slight give. Then, when you pick it up, the lemon will feel heavy for its size.
The Best Lemons for Lemonade
Plain lemons which are known as Lisbon lemons are the best for homemade lemonade and are easy to find year-round in the grocery store and give a more traditional sour flavor to the drink.
Note: Meyer Lemons are sweeter than other varieties, so cut back on how much simple syrup you use in the mixture so the lemonade has a balanced sour and sweet flavor.
Pro Tip: Store lemons on the counter for up to 10 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a month. You can also juice the lemons immediately and store the juice in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freezer for 3-4 months.
How to Make Lemonade
All you need to make this recipe is a great lemon juicer, a saucepan, and a pitcher. If you don’t have a lemon juicer, use a fork to break up the membrane and release more juice.
- Make Simple Syrup – simmer 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups sugar to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature and chill.
- Squeeze 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice and refrigerate.
- To serve – combine 7 cups cold water, chilled sugar syrup, and chilled lemon juice. Serve over glasses filled with ice and garnish with lemon slices.

Pro Tip: Get even more lemon flavor by adding the zest of a lemon to the sugar and water when creating the simple syrup. Avoid the white pith of the lemon skins which can make it bitter and remember to strain the zest out before adding to the lemon juice.
Variations
This base lemonade recipe is delicious and versatile! Here are a few ideas on how to put your own spin on the recipe:
- Fruit Purees– raspberry, strawberry, and peach would be delicious
- Agave or honey – these will work as a substitute for sugar with a slightly different taste
- Herbs – add mint, lavender, or even rosemary to the final mixture
- Soda water – get a bubbly twist on lemonade using sparkling water
- Iced Tea – mix equal parts lemonade and unsweetened iced tea for an Arnold Palmer
Pro Tip: Add lemon juice ice cubes along with regular ice cubes when serving to keep the lemonade from being diluted when the ice melts.
Common Questions
Homemade lemonade is a sweet drink, but it’s certainly better than store-bought concentrate. You can add less of the simple sugar to cut down on calories and carbs. This lemonade is also high in Vitamin C as each glass has about the equivalent of 1 juiced lemon. Read the nutrition label below to get a full calorie count per serving.
Sugar is difficult to dissolve in cold water. While you can make lemonade without a simple syrup, you may have crunchy sugar crystals in your drink. The Syrup isn’t hard to make, and it’s so worth it.
Of course! This is the perfect recipe for a lemonade stand or even a summer barbecue.

What to Serve with Lemonade
Lemonade is delicious on its own, but also compliments these delicious recipes:
- Grilled Hamburgers
- Cheeseburger Sliders
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Pulled Pork Recipe
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Blueberry Pie Recipe
Make-Ahead
- Refrigerate: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week. The simple syrup and lemon juice will also keep separately refrigerated for the same time.
- Freezing: Freeze the simple syrup and lemon juice separately, or mix them together before freezing as a substitute for store-bought lemonade concentrate.
- Thaw: allow frozen lemonade to defrost in the refrigerator and serve over ice.

Homemade lemonade will never go out of style. It’s a real treat in summer. Next step? Stock up on lemons and satisfy that craving.
Refreshing Summer Drinks
As temperatures climb, we stay hydrated and keep cool with these crisp, bubbly, and flavorful summer drink recipes:
- Iced Tea Recipe
- Cherry Lemonade
- Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade
- Cranberry Pineapple Punch
- Brazilian Lemonade
- Raspberry Sherbet Party Punch
Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water, (cold), plus 7 cups to serve
- 1 1/2 cups Lemon Juice , (from 8 medium or 6 large lemons)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Place over medium heat and bring just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature. Transfer to a mason jar, cover and refrigerate until ready serving.
- Squeeze 1 1/2 cups lemon juice. Transfer to a mason jar and refrigerate up to 2 weeks until ready to make lemonade.
Have you had anyone use Swerve (granular) and/or stevia in place of the sugar for a sugar-free version? I saw someone asked about Splenda, but just wanted to inquire about a more natural sweetener alternative…and if you have heard of someone using Swerve and/or stevia, how much to use versus sugar?
Hello Marni, I personally haven’t tried using Swerve to advise. Sorry wish I could help you more!
I’ve made lemonade with Monk Fruit sweetener (1 for 1) and it comes out good.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Can this be made with Splenda? If so do you know how to use?
Hi Elaine, I haven’t tested that through since we don’t use Splenda but if you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
You don’t need any sweetener or sugar at all. In Austria we drink it as lemon soda. just fresh cold soda water + freshly squeezed lemons! Really refreshing! Zero calories!
Yes, it works well with Splenda.
I have been chasing after the perfect lemonade recipe for years and I finally found it!!
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Presentation is great. We like lemonade very much. We consume it summer to winter every time. Also, we share our homemade lemonade (in Turkish limonata) on our blog site
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with us!
i love this! this was so helpful for my party! it was so tasty!!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Wow! Really simple to make and tastes great on a hot day. Really energizing & refreshing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This recipe is fool-proof! It came out great using lemons from a friend’s tree. So refreshing on a hot summer day, and especially soothing for a sore throat. Thank you for sharing the recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andie! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This was so good! I made it with homegrown lemons, organic cane sugar, and added a few mint leaves from our garden! Perfect!! Thanks!
Homemade is the best!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
After cooling the syrup to room temperature can I proceed with the whole batch of lemonade? Do you recommend refrigerating it for a period of time?
Hi Lisa, we like to drink it cold so we make it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge.
Such a simple recipe, yet so delicious! 😋 it’s so perfect for summer. I’m a huge lemonade fan and so are my kids (surprising right lol). My kids eat lemons with touch of sugar but when they saw lemonade, it was gone in minutes. Thank you! Here are my July 4th goals😋😋
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Olga. Thank you for sharing that with us!
We love lemonade!! Thanks for all the tips! This is such a perfect drink this summer!
You’re so welcome Toni! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Nothing like homemade lemonade, incredibly delicious!
Isn’t it the best! Thank you for that awesome review!
Nothing beats a pitcher of homemade lemonade!
I couldn’t agree more! Thank you for that awesome review!
We drink this all summer long! great lemonade recipe!
So refreshing and perfect for summer! Thank you Cheryl!
My son is coming home from college for summer to see me for two weeks before he has to go back. I was wanting homemade lemonade for him and poof! The perfect recipe just showed up! Thank you!!!
You’re so welcome! I bet you’re so happy to him home for the summer! That’s so great!
Love the ice cube tip!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Lemonade is also prescribed by doctors to those who suffer from kidney stones. There is something in the lemon that dissolves existing stones and prevents new ones from forming. It works too. Ask me how I know.
One suggestion: Use only organic sugar to prevent acid indigestion and heartburn.
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Does this taste like chick fil a lemonade!? Their lemonade is sooo good haha
That’s a good question Ruby! Sounds like a taste test is in order!
1.5 cups of sugar is NOT healthy. Sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s.
Hi Mark, keep in mind it is divided by 8 servings. Also, I didn’t claim it was healthy to consume alot of sugar, but I do think it is a better alternative to concentrate lemonade and restaurant lemonade which often has more sugar.
Could you freeze prior to adding the 7 cups of water
Hi Diana, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, I would love to know how it goes.
Absolutely amazing recipe! I love the fact that it is naturally healthy and without any concentrates.
Another hit recipe. Thank you Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Lesya!
Here is a tip for healthier version of lemonade. Use honey instead of sugar (mix honey with room temperature water). Also, I add a few stems of fresh mint before chilling lemonade in the fridge. My kids love it and it’s very popular at family gatherings.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
how much honey would you use?