Homemade Lemonade is so easy to make and it makes all the difference in the heat of summer. This fresh-squeezed lemonade recipe is simple and pure, with the only 3 ingredients you need to make lemonade. Learn how to make lemonade to serve on hot days, at summer parties, or any time you need a quick refresher!
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
This homemade lemonade recipe is the BEST! It’s fresh, simple, and contains the only 3 ingredients you really need to make lemonade.
There’s nothing better than a refreshing glass of ice-cold, fresh squeezed lemonade in the heat of summer. It’s the perfect drink to cool down in the afternoon and it’s such a great thing to serve at potlucks and BBQs.
Find out how to make lemonade at home so you can make a fresh batch any time you want. The kids will love a glass of this perfectly-sweet beverage!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Lemonade Recipe:
- FRESH SQUEEZED: Nothing beats fresh lemonade with real lemon juice, straight from the source!
- REFRESHING: This classic drink is super refreshing on hot days. Serve it any time you’re out on the patio, by the pool, or cooking up burgers!
- QUICK AND EASY: This recipe only requires 3 ingredients and a few minutes to make. Make a batch every time you run out in a pinch.
If you’re looking for more refreshing drinks for summer and beyond, try this Homemade Sweet Tea, Homemade Limeade, or our favorite summer cocktails!
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
3 Simple Lemonade Ingredients
- Lemons: Grab a handful of lemons to get your fresh-squeezed juice!
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar, or ultra-fine sugar.
- Water: You’ll need water to make the simple syrup and to dilute the lemon juice.
You really don’t need anything else! Just 3 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
How to Make Lemonade
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Lemon Juice: Squeeze all your lemons and string the juice through a sieve. Keep it in a glass jar or container until you’re ready to use it. You can do this ahead of time!
- Simple Syrup: Heat sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Make Lemonade: Combine the lemon juice with water and simple syrup in a pitcher. Sweeten to taste!
- Serve: Refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour over ice to make sure it’s as refreshing as possible!
Making fresh squeezed lemonade at home is so easy and takes just a few minutes. You can have a perfectly sweet, cold drink ready in no time!
Making Lemonade with Fresh Lemon Juice
The BEST homemade lemonade is the freshly-squeezed kind! Using lemon juice straight from real lemons tastes extra bright and refreshing.
Just cut each lemon in half and squeeze by hand into a glass jar, bowl, or container. I recommend using a lemon squeezer or manual juicer to get as much juice from each lemon as you can. Plus it makes the process easier and leaves you will less pulp.
Just double the recipe exactly as it is–so you’ll make twice as much simple syrup, squeeze twice as much lemon juice, and separate into two pitchers. Easy!
You don’t have to, but it really does taste the freshest and most delicious! You can use a store-bought juice instead, just make sure it’s pure lemon juice and not something with sugar already added.
Generally, other sugars are fine to use. You’ll be making the simple syrup with this, so you may need to test out your favorite sweetener or sugar replacement to see how well it works.
Making a simple syrup is just a way to dissolve the sugar into hot water before adding it into the lemonade. Since straight sugar doesn’t dissolve fully in cold water, this just leads to a much better result with a more evenly sweetened drink.
This recipe will last up to 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Just be sure to give it a good stir after it’s been sitting for a while.
More Lemonade Recipes
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Raspberry Lemonade
- Detox Lemonade
- Peach Lemonade (with or without alcohol)
- Lavender Lemonade
As you can see, I love love love lemonade! While this is the best simple, classic lemonade recipe, I have plenty of other variations for you to try too. There are so many flavors, and they’re all super refreshing!
Tips!
- Squeezing lemons to make your own lemon juice creates the freshest flavor!
- If you use ultra fine sugar instead of granulated sugar, you don’t need to make a syrup first. You can just mix everything together.
- Pour fresh-squeezed lemon juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove any potential pulp or seeds that get left behind.
- Homemade lemonade will be best within 3-4 days, but keeps for a full week.
- Garnish with lemon slices, mint, or a few berries for a super refreshing drink!
- Add a bit more water to dilute the lemon juice if you prefer a lighter flavor or less acidic flavor.
How many lemons do you need to make a pitcher of lemonade?
You’ll need 1 1/4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. So you’ll probably need about 6 lemons to make that much juice. It does depend on the size of the lemons, but 5-7 lemons is a good estimate.
Why do you use simple syrup for lemonade?
Making a simple syrup is just a way to dissolve the sugar into hot water before adding it into the lemonade. Since straight sugar doesn’t dissolve fully in cold water (unless you’re using ultra-fine sugar), this just leads to a much better result with a more evenly sweetened drink. The syrup will mix beautifully with the water and lemon juice to create the perfectly-flavored drink.
I can’t get enough of this fresh squeezed, homemade lemonade recipe. It’s so refreshing with the perfect balance of tart lemon and sweet sugar. I’ll be serving it at every party this summer to keep everyone cool!
More Citrus-y Recipes We Love
- Gluten Free Lemon Bars
- Strawberry Lemonade Poke Cake
- Homemade Lemon Sauce/Syrup
- Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie
- Raspberry Lemon Drop Martinis
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Homemade Lemonade Recipe
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar (if using ultrafine sugar, see note)
- 4½ cups water divided
- 1¼ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, whisk together sugar and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and stir often until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.1¼ cup granulated sugar, 4½ cups water
- Strain the lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart pitcher.1¼ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- Add 3 more cups of water and the sugar/water simple syrup. Stir well and adjust to taste, if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.4½ cups water
- Serve in glasses filled with ice and garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
If making that 800 ml jug I would add a small teaspoon of salt and no more than a tablespoon of sugar. The salt takes the bitterness of the lemons away and you can then adjust the sugar to your taste
Great tip!!