Homemade Lemonade Recipe - Kids Activities Blog

Homemade Lemonade Recipe - Kids Activities Blog

If you are looking for how to make the best lemonade recipe, you are absolutely in the right place. This homemade lemonade recipe has only 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. It is tangy, tart and sweet and super refreshing.

How to Make Lemonade: A glass of Homemade lemonade from freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar and water ready to drink on a hot summer day.
Make this homemade lemonade, a refreshing summer drink made from 3 simple ingredients!

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

This homemade lemonade recipe is a summer legend at our house.  The refreshing sweetness with just the right amount of tart is something that every member of the family asks for!

The three ingredients in this lemonade recipe: freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar & water. Oh, and doesn't require any preparation or simple syrup made ahead of time!  It takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish to make this homemade lemonade recipe from scratch.

Best Lemonade Recipe for Kids

Because you don't have to heat up the stove for simple syrup, this is a really good way to make lemonade with kids because it is quick, safe & easy…oh and delicious!

Grab a straw and a lawn chair because there is just something special about a good homemade lemonade.  Homemade lemonade and sunny days of summer go together perfectly.  Clasp your cool glass and stir the lemony goodness.

And after you've made this recipe, you'll never have lemonade any other way. It is hands down the best and most delicious homemade lemonade recipe out there.

Yum!

How to make lemonade - pictured are the three ingredients you need to make easy homemade lemonade: sugar, water and lemons
Ingredients used for making homemade lemonade recipe – Fresh lemon juice and sugar

HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can use the bottled juice too)
  • 5 cups cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 lemons, for garnish
  • Ice

How To Make the Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe

  1. Combine lemon juice, water, and sugar into a large pitcher and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
  2. Dump lemon slices onto the top of lemonade.
  3. Top with ice to keep it nice and cold.

How to Make Simple Syrup (Alternative Method)

If you prefer, you can make a simple syrup with the sugar and 1 cup of water by heating it over medium heat until it is completely dissolved. Then add the lemon juice and remainder of the water following this recipe. This ensures that you have no sugary grit in the lemonade. I do this when I have some extra time to make homemade lemonade, but it's not a step that you must do.

I like to use fresh lemons for this recipe, but in a pinch, I have used lemon juice from a bottle and it's pretty darn good!

Simple & Easy Homemade Lemonade Variations

You can make variations of this simple homemade lemonade:

  • Add your favorite fruit juices such as watermelon juice to make watermelon lemonade, strawberry puree to make strawberry lemonade, and so on.
  • You can add a pinch of salt to your lemonade to make it tastier! Try it and let me know in the comments below.
  • For adults only: You can make this an adult recipe by adding a little vodka into the recipe.
How to make lemonade - finished recipe. Simple recipe that is so easy kids can help!
A jug of simple refreshing lemonade to enjoy on a hot summer day made from fresh lemons and sugar.

Tips on Storing Your Homemade Lemonade

  1. Home made lemonade will last in the fridge up to 5 days if stored properly.
  2. If you got a lot of fresh lemon juice, freeze them in an ice cube tray to last up to 4 months.
  3. You can make a concentrate of lemon juice and simple syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge in case you are making lemonade in large quantities for the parties. Mix cold water as you need to make fresh lemonade recipe.

How long is freshly squeezed lemonade good for?

Freshly squeezed lemonade will last in the fridge for 3 days. You may need to mix a little before serving to mix in the fruit juice.

FAQs to making the Best Lemonade

Can this homemade lemonade recipe be made sugar free?

There are several sugar substitutes that work when making homemade lemonade:

1. Stevia: Substituting stevia works but instead of a cup, you will need a teaspoon! Since Stevia is 200-300x sweeter than sugar, it doesn't take much in this lemonade recipe.
2. Coconut Sugar: To replace the sugar with coconut sugar, you will need the same amount, but it takes a little longer to dissolve in water due to the coarse nature of the coconut sugar.
3. Monk Fruit: You can use powdered monk fruit instead of sugar which is sweeter than sugar so you don't need as much. For every 1 cup of sugar the recipe calls for, substitute a 1/3rd cup of powdered monk fruit.

Can bottled lemon juice be used to make this lemonade?

It won't taste as fresh, but I have definitely substituted bottled lemon juice for fresh squeezed in a pinch. You can substitute 2 Tablespoons of bottled lemon juice for each lemon.

What is the best way to juice lemons?

That is easy! A handheld lemon squeezer is the easiest way to juice a lemon. This is the lemon squeezer I have and use at my house or if you want a super fancy one that is easier to squeeze, try this lemon squeezer. I roll the lemon a little on the counter to loosen the juice, cut the lemon in half and place one half in the lemon squeezer over a cup or measuring cup and squeeze.

Can homemade lemonade be frozen?

Yes! In fact, one of our favorite homemade popsicles is to freeze the leftover lemon juice into silicone popsicle molds. If you are freezing leftover lemonade to use later for juice, simply freeze in an airtight container or ziploc bag and defrost overnight in the fridge before use.

Is lemon-flavored desserts your favorite?  Then you might like these lemonade cookies and lemonade cake.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 5 Cups Cold Water
  • 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Lemons, for garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Combine the lemon juice, water & sugar into a pitcher.
  2. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Add ice & lemon garnish.

Notes

  • If you prefer to make a simple syrup ahead of time, add the sugar to 1 Cup of water and allow it to dissolve. This will eliminate any lemonade "grit".
  • Homemade lemonade will last in the fridge up to 5 days if stored properly.
  • If you got a lot of fresh lemon juice, freeze them in an ice cube tray to last up to 4 months.

    Fun Facts about Lemons & Homemade Lemonade

    Here at Kids Activities Blog, we are a little obsessed with fun facts.  Here are a few fun facts about lemon that we thought you would enjoy:

    • Lemon battery: An experiment that involves attaching nails & copper pieces to a bunch of lemons can create a battery that produces electricity. Several lemons can power a small light.
    • Lemon cut in halves dipped in salt or baking soda can be used to brighten up copper and clean kitchenware.
    • Lemon juice helps fruits such as apples, pears and peaches from turning brown after cutting.
    • Around 75 lemons are used to produce 15ml of lemon essential oil. It is done by cold pressing the rinds of the lemons, producing oil which you can use for diffusing, skincare, cleaning, and also to make your own bath salt recipe.
    • "Ade" in the Lemonade means fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.
    • The first Sunday of May is celebrated as National Lemonade day. It was founded by Lisa and Michael Holthouse in 2007 to honor lemonade stand ideas to teach children about running a business.
    • Do you know? It is illegal for kids to run lemonade stands in most of the states in America without permits.
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    MMMM…this drink looks refreshing!

    More Drink Recipes & Ideas from Kids Activities Blog

    • Have you ever had one of those pineapple Disney drinks?  We have the easy way you can make them at home!
    • 25 Kid-Friendly Frozen Drinks for Summer has a huge list of kids drinks from kids slushies to fun & easy drinks you can make at home.
    • Strawberry Smoothie with Green Tea is a really easy homemade recipe for a tea based smoothie.
    • 19 of The Most Epic Milkshake Recipes is a list of easy milkshake recipe!

    Have you made our most delicious homemade lemonade recipe with your kids?

    Sahana is a mom of an active 3-year-old son. She runs the blog, Vikalpah where she shares all things crafty from furniture makeovers to simple DIY projects. She loves to test different products and comes up with unique ways of using them.