Homemade Lemonadeis refreshing and bright with fresh lemon juice and a bit of sugar to balance the sweet and sour.

two glasses of lemonade with blue straws, ice, and a lemon and mint garnish

Definitely do usefresh lemon juicefor this one if you can.It makes it all the more refreshing and vibrant. The packaged stuff really doesn’t compare when you’re making lemonade from scratch. After all, the lemon juice is kind ofthe star of this drink, so go all in and use the fresh juice! And don’t even get me started on frozen lemonade concentrate.

This recipe takes just as little time to make but tastes SO much more incredible! Enjoy over a lot of ice, and add a sprig of mint for pretty garnish, if you’d like. And if you’re in the mood for something a little different, try one of myeight different lemonades!

a glass pitcher of iced homemade lemonade

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Homemade lemonade is made with fresh lemons, which provides a burst of natural citrus flavor. This freshness can be hard to replicate with store-bought options.
When you make lemonade at home,you can control the sweetness and tartness levels to suit your taste.You can adjust the sugar or honey content to make it as sweet or tangy as you prefer.
Homemade lemonade consists of just a few simple ingredients:lemons, water, sugar, and optionally, some people like to add fresh herbs or fruit slices for added flavor. You can avoid artificial additives and preservatives commonly found in commercial lemonade.

Recipe Ingredients

Hot tap water
Granulated sugar
Fresh lemon juice: about 8 lemons, depending on the size.
Ice
Cold water
Lemon slice: optional, for serving

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

top view of glasses of ice and a pitcher of lemonade with lemons and a ceramic juicer and whole and sliced lemons

Popular Substitutions and Variations

You can use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, just try to get a good brand, the really cheap stuff can taste bitter and have a bad after taste. If you are really in a pinch you can use half store bought lemon juice and half freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Instead of traditional sugar, you can use honey to sweeten your lemonade.Honey adds a unique flavor and can be a healthier alternative. It is naturally sweeter than sugar though so use about 2/3 cup honey for every cup of sugar.
Experiment with various fruitslike oranges, limes, or grapefruits to create citrus-infused lemonades.
You can make sparkling lemonadeby adding carbonated water or soda water to your lemonade mixture for a fizzy version.
Pour homemade lemonade into popsicle molds and freeze for a refreshing summer treat.

How to Make Homemade Lemonade

Step #1.Add the hot water and sugar to your pitcher and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Step #3.Serve right away and add a slice of lemon to the rim of your glass if you’d like.

Step #2.Add all the other ingredients and stir well to combine.

Recipe FAQs

What percent of lemonade is lemon juice?

Traditional “old-fashioned” lemonade has about 15 percent lemon juice in it. This recipe has 1 part lemon juice, 1 part sugar, and 4 parts water, plus a lot of ice (which melts down to temper the sourness of lemon, too). You can always use less or more water.

Does homemade lemonade go bad?

Lemonade can go bad just like any other fresh food item. I’d recommend enjoying the batch within 3 days, and keep the pitcher refrigerated in between pours.

Does homemade lemonade need to be refrigerated?

Lemonade should be kept in the fridge to keep it nice, fresh, and cold! It’ll help preserve it for longer, too.

A cutting board with cut lemon halves and a lemon juicer next to a green colander filled with fresh yellow lemons

Expert Tips

I love the trick of adding the hot water to the pitcher— it’s like making a fake simple syrup, and you don’t have to wait for it to cool! You can definitely make a simple syrup though by heating the 2 cups of water and the sugar on the stove until dissolved.
Select ripe and juicy lemons for the best flavor.Freshly squeezed lemon juice is key to a tasty lemonade.
Roll the lemons on a countertop before juicing to help release more juice.You can also warm them in the microwave for a few seconds to make them juicier.
After squeezing the lemon juice,strain it through a fine-mesh sieveto remove any pulp or seeds for a smoother texture.

two glasses of lemonade with lemon slices on the rim and straws with the lemon juicer in the back ground

Can You Leave Lemonade Out Overnight?

No, you shouldn’t leave lemonade out overnight. In fact, the FDA says perishable foods should only be left out at room temperature for up to two hours before it’s considered unsafe to consume. If you’re enjoying the beverage at a barbecue or selling it with your kiddos at a neighborhood lemonade stand, it might be work keeping the pitcher on ice in a cooler or other bin to keep it cold and crisp.