Nothing is more refreshing on a warm day than a tall, icy glass of homemade lemonade! This recipe has just 3 ingredients & it’s so easy to make!

Tall glass of lemonade with ice and slices of fresh lemon.

Well, I think after this past weekend, I can officially say that I have the cleanest garage in all the land.

Whew! That was a big job. That was a monster of a job.

Our garage had 10 years worth of clutter, dirt, and grime. I sorted, I hauled, and I wiped clean every item in there. And then I brushed down all the cobwebs with a broom, swept the floor, and pressure washed it. It sparkles now.

But boy am I sore. I am not used to using all those muscles! And it was HOT. I was sweating like crazy.

Thank goodness for the huge pitcher of homemade lemonade I had in my fridge.

When I am craving something light and summery, I am all about lemon. Lemon crumb muffins, iced lemon loaf, lemon bars… I love them all.

But could anything be more thirst-quenching and refreshing than lemonade??

This recipe is easy as can be to make. You only need 3 simple ingredients! And the flavors are perfectly balanced. It’s a little tart and citrusy, with just the right amount of sweetness. You’ve gotta whip up a batch before summer ends!

Glasses of homemade lemonade with slices of lemon, ice, and paper straws, with a text overlay reading "Homemade Lemonade."

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE LEMONADE

You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this easy lemonade recipe:

  1. Sugar
  2. Water, and
  3. Lemons

That’s it!

Start by placing the sugar in a small pot.

Placing sugar in a small pot.

Then add 1/2 cup of the water, and warm the mixture over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Pouring water into a pot to make simple syrup.

This will probably take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll know the sugar is dissolved when you no longer see any white at the bottom of the pot, and when you stir the mixture, you don’t feel or hear any grit between your spoon and the pot.

Removing zest from a lemon with a vegetable peeler.

Once your syrup has come together, take it off the heat and toss in the peel from 1 lemon. I just use a veggie peeler to remove the peel.

Lemon simple syrup in a small stainless steel pot.

You’ve just made lemon simple syrup! This mixture will sweeten and add flavor to your lemonade. Set it aside for now, and allow it to cool.

Juicing fresh lemons with a wooden reamer.

Juice the lemons over a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the seeds.

Pouring lemon juice into a glass pitcher.

Next, you can pour the lemon juice into a large serving pitcher.

Strain the peels out of the syrup, and add the syrup to the pitcher.

Straining peels out of lemon simple syrup.

Next just stir in the remaining water! That’s all there is to it!

Adding water to homemade lemonade.

If you like your lemonade a little more tart, you can add more lemon juice, or if you like it less tart or less sweet, add more water. It’s that simple!

I like to chill the lemonade until it’s icy-cold, and serve it in tall glasses over ice. You can garnish it with slices of fresh lemon, but that’s totally optional!

HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE FIZZY

If you like your lemonade with a little fizz, just top it off with a little club soda or seltzer.

Pouring lemonade from a glass pitcher into a tall glass of ice with lemon slices.

HOW TO MAKE PINK LEMONADE

For homemade pink lemonade, add a few tablespoons of pureed fruit.

I like to use raspberries, but any kind of red berry will work. You could also try strawberries, cranberries, cherries, or even dragon fruit.

Fresh or frozen fruit will work just fine!

Or you could just stir in a few drops of pink food coloring.

HOW TO MAKE FROZEN LEMONADE

If you’d like a frozen lemonade that’s almost like a slush, you can pour this lemonade into your ice cream maker, and churn it until it’s got a consistency similar to sorbet.

Or, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, try freezing your lemonade in a popsicle mold! Frozen lemonade on a stick- could not be more refreshing!

CAN YOU ADD ALCOHOL TO LEMONADE?

For a boozy lemonade, add 1 ounce of vodka, tequila, gin, or rum per serving. Great for a summer party!

HOW LONG IS HOMEMADE LEMONADE GOOD FOR?

This will last in your fridge for a loooong time. I would say at least a week, maybe two.

But if your family is anything like mine, it will be gone in a matter of 2 days!

Glasses of homemade lemonade, surrounded by fresh lemons.

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Homemade Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

Tall glass of lemonade with ice and slices of fresh lemon.
5 stars (2 ratings)

How to Make Lemonade

Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time:: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Nothing is more refreshing on a warm day than a tall, icy glass of homemade lemonade! This recipe has just 3 ingredients & it's so easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 8 1/2 cups (118.29 ml) water, , divided
  • peel of 1 lemon
  • juice of 8 lemons

Instructions
 

  • Place the sugar and 1/2 cup of the water in a small pot and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3 to 5 minutes).
  • Remove the pot from the heat and add in the lemon peel.
  • Juice the lemons over a fine mesh strainer, discarding the seeds, and add to a large pitcher.
  • Remove the lemon peels from the syrup and add it to the lemon juice, along with the remaining 8 cups of water.
  • Stir the lemonade and chill it in the refrigerator until cold (about 2 hours).
  • Serve over ice.
Calories: 77kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Sodium: 11mg, Sugar: 20g, Calcium: 6mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Drinks
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.

Author

  • Allie

    Allie is the creator and owner of Baking a Moment. She has been developing, photographing, videographing, and writing and sharing recipes here since 2012.