This homemade lemonade recipe is just the thing for a hot summer day. Made with 3 simple ingredients, it’s sweet, refreshing, and deliciously tart.

This homemade lemonade recipe is so refreshing on a hot day! Made with 3 simple ingredients—water, lemon juice, and simple syrup—it’s sweet, citrusy, and deliciously tart. In the summer, I’d happily drink an ice-cold glass every day. (Not surprising given that you’re on Love & Lemons, right?)

This lemonade recipe makes a big batch, so it’d be a great refreshment for your next cookout or BBQ. However, you can easily scale it down if you’re serving a smaller group. Garnish glasses with fresh mint leaves or basil for an aromatic, summery twist, or keep things classic and top each one with a fresh lemon slice. Enjoy!

Homemade Lemonade Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this homemade lemonade recipe:

• Fresh lemons, of course! When you’re making homemade lemonade, fresh-squeezed lemon juice is a must. Skip the bottled lemon juice, please! You’ll need about 12 lemons to make a full recipe.
• Simple syrup – For sweetness. Make a traditional simple syrup with equal parts granulated sugar and water, or infuse it with fresh basil or mint for an unexpected twist. Check out my simple syrup recipe to learn how to make a flavored syrup.
• Cold water – It dilutes the lemon juice and simple syrup, balancing the tart and sweet flavors.
• And ice – For a cold, refreshing drink.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Lemonade

My method for how to make freshly squeezed lemonade is super simple!

• First, you’ll make the simple syrup. Try the basil variation for a more complex flavor.
• Next, juice the lemons. Halve and squeeze lemons until you have 3 cups of lemon juice, or less if you’re making a scaled-down batch. Tip: A good juicer will serve you well here!
• Then, stir it all together. Pour the cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, and water into a pitcher. If you’re serving the lemonade right away, stir in a couple handfuls of ice.
• Finally, taste and adjust. The best part of making homemade lemonade is that you get to adjust the balance of flavors to your liking! If you prefer a sweeter drink, add more simple syrup. If you like yours nice and tart, add more lemon.

Serve over ice with your desired garnishes. We like lemon wheels and/or sprigs of fresh basil or mint.

Enjoy the lemonade on its own, or serve it as part of a summer meal with classic cookout fare like veggie burgers, pasta salad, fruit salad, and corn on the cob.

More Favorite Summer Drinks

If you love this fresh lemonade recipe, try one of these summer drinks next:

This easy and refreshing homemade Strawberry Lemonade, made from fresh fruit, is lovely to drink on a hot day.

Strawberry Lemonade

This drink is so easy to make, all you need is lemon juice, fresh strawberries that have been pureed, a sweetener of your choice such as sugar, honey or maple syrup, water and ice. It has both a sweet and a tart flavour, that makes this non-alcoholic drink a great beverage for the whole family.

Lemonade Notes

• With everyone having different personal tastes, you may want to switch up the ratio of lemons, strawberries and water to make the perfect blend for you and your family.
• You can freeze this lemonade to have on hand, especially if you have an excess of lemons and strawberries.
• Add sparkling water or soda water to the pitcher in step 5 instead of still water.
• Serve with lemon slices or fresh mint as garnishes
• Try using rose water in your lemonade for a lovely taste
• Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, thyme or lavender
• If you would like it sweeter, try increasing the amount of sweetener

More Strawberry Recipes

Ingredients for Making Strawberry Lemonade

To make 6 servings of this lemonade, you will need:

• 1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 455g Strawberries that have been cleaned and hulled
• 8 Cups of Water – Divided
• 1 Cup of Sweetener such as sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup

Making Strawberry Lemonade

Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice to a large pitcher, one that holds at least 2 litres in total.

Puree the strawberries in a blender with one cup of water.

Strain to remove the seeds and pulp and add the rest to the pitcher.

Add the sweetener to a large saucepan and heat with 1 cup of water. Boil until the sweetener has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add the remaining 6 cups of water to the pitcher and follow this with the cooled syrup.

Stir well to blend.

Chill until ready to serve.

Add ice to a large glass and pour over the strawberry lemonade.

Storing Fresh Lemonade

The concentrate in this recipe can be frozen and used to make lemonade whenever you want.

To do this, mix the cooled syrup, the lemon juice and pureed strawberries together in a jug and then pour into a freezer safe bag and freeze. Frozen correctly, it will last for up to 5 months.

To use, allow the mixture to thaw and then add it to a pitcher with water until you reach the desired taste.