Pucker up! We love lemonade and adore it even more when it's homemade. With just the right amount of sweet and sour, our homemade lemonade recipes are perfectly puckerworthy. So learn how to make a basic homemade lemonade and how to mix it up with all the flavors.
Homemade Lemonade Recipe
Our homemade lemonade is like liquid sunshine, and it couldn't be easier to make. This makes approximately 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
- ¾ cup simple syrup
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, add water, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Stir well to mix.
- Serve in highball glasses over fresh ice.
If you like a little more pucker, add more lemon juice. Sweet tooth? Use a little less lemon juice and add more simple syrup.
Making Flavored Homemade Lemonade
Here's the great thing about lemonade... you have endless flavor variations. Use berries, stone fruits, herbs, botanicals, or other tasty mixes to easily dress up your homemade lemonade. Although we use strawberries for this recipe, you can use this as a reference to play around and experiment with your own personal flavor combos.
Ingredients
- 4½ cups water
- 1 cup strawberry puree
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup simple syrup
- Ice
- Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pitcher add water, strawberry puree, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Stir to mix.
- Serve in highball glasses filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
You can also infuse your simple syrup with the flavors you want in your lemonade. This works well with herbs and botanicals — like lavender or thyme — that you can't puree.
How to Store Homemade Lemonade
To enjoy your homemade lemonade at peak freshness, store your squeezy citrus goodness in a covered pitcher or another airtight container in the fridge. Try to polish it off within four days or so. And always give it a stir before serving.
If you can't finish it in time, go ahead and freeze some of that lemonade into ice cubes. The next time you make lemonade, you can add your lemonade ice cubes to it. Or add it to a simple club soda, some cranberry juice, or even a cocktail like sangria.
Homemade Lemonade Flavor Ideas
Live the biggest, best, most flavorful life with these lemonade flavor ideas. Will you go herbaceous and earthy or juicy and fruity? Add these flavors by muddling, making simple syrups, stirring in purees, or mixing in juices.
- Blueberry lemonade
- Watermelon lemonade
- Cucumber basil lemonade
- Honey lemonade
- Hot honey lemonade
- Ginger lemonade
- Peach lemonade
- Lavender lemonade
- Elderflower lemonade
- Mint lemonade
- Raspberry rose lemonade
- Coconut pineapple lemonade
- Orange lemonade
- Cherry lemonade
- Jalapeño lemonade
Dreaming in Lemonade
With these recipes and ideas under your belt, you're well on your way to being the next homemade lemonade master. Dabble in that classic, dreamy lemonade, dress up your glass with innovative and refreshing flavors, or enjoy something in between. Go forth and squeeze the day!
