• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Grain Free Table logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Let's Connect
  • Work With Me
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Drinks

Real Lemon Lemonade

Published: Jul 9, 2024 · Modified: Feb 5, 2025 by Meeta Arora · 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
Lemon lemonade in a pitcher

This real lemon lemonade is a timeless drink that everyone loves. It makes the best kids' lemonade, or use it to make the best summer cocktails for adults.

Real lemon lemonade in a pitcher to be served.

It's almost summertime! Who else is excited about that? I know I am, but I know our girls are thrilled! They may or may not have been counting down the last days of school for over a month now.

Summer in our house means vacation time! Whether we live it up out in the world or stay close to home, we always get out and enjoy everything we can. Whether we are hiking through the mountains, kayaking the lakes or rivers, or even chilling poolside, the drink of choice is this real lemon lemonade recipe.

Jump to:
  • Gluten-free lemonade.
  • Is lemonade healthy?
  • Ingredients
  • Steps.
  • Sugar-free lemonade
  • Make ahead.
  • Lemonade concentrate.
  • More ways to enjoy lemonade.
  • Boozy lemonade.
  • More gluten-free drinks.
  • 📖 Recipe

Gluten-free lemonade.

There are a lot of different brands that sell premade lemonade and even lemonade powders. While most are considered gluten-free, not all lemonade drinks are considered safe to consume for those on a gluten-free diet because they can use barley-based sweeteners to make them shelf-stable.

Is lemonade healthy?

Healthy is relative; while traditionally, lemonade is filled with a lot of sugar, this can be adjusted. There are a few things that fresh lemonade can do to help keep you healthy, though.

  • It helps to keep you hydrated.
  • It has a high level of Vitamin C.

Otherwise, it's still a drink like any other and is not a miracle worker.

Ingredients

This homemade real lemon lemonade has only three simple ingredients. 

  • Lemon Juice - I like to use fresh Meyer lemons to make lemonade, but you can use whatever lemons you prefer. If you want, you can even use already squeezed lemon juice in the bottle.
  • Water
  • Sweetener of Choice
Overhead view of the ingredients to make a real lemon lemonade.

Steps.

See just how easy it is to make homemade lemonade with real lemons.

  1. Make the simple syrup.
  2. Juice the lemons.
  3. Let the simple syrup cool.
  4. Mix the water, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
Steps for making real lemon lemonade from making the simple syrup, juicing the lemons and letting it cool to mix with water.

Sugar-free lemonade

I'm not always a fan of sugar substitutes, but there are a few that I've tried and have seen success with within this particular recipe.

  • Stevia - Stevia lemonade works great. Stevia makes a simple syrup just like sugar does. It also makes this more of a keto lemonade.
  • Monk Fruit Sweetener - Just like with stevia, you can make a monk fruit simple syrup and add it to make your low-carb lemonade.
  • Honey - I suggest using honey if you like less sweet lemonade. It makes a good honey simple syrup, but the sweetness is not as strong as other sweeteners.

The amounts of these will vary depending on types and sweetness preference when compared to traditional sugar. To make your simple syrups use the conversions on the packages to see how much to use.

Real lemon lemonade being served in glasses over ice and fresh lemons.

Make ahead.

While I prefer lemonade when it's freshly made, there are a few ways you can make lemonade ahead of time and save yourself some time when you want to make a batch of fresh lemon lemonade.

  • You can make the simple syrup ahead of time - I like to keep the simple syrup in my fridge to make it easy to sweeten drinks for my kids.
  • You can freeze lemon juice - I like to portion out fresh lemon juice into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then, I just have to let it defrost the right amount when I want to make a gallon of lemonade.

Lemonade concentrate.

You can also make a frozen lemonade concentrate with this real lemon lemonade recipe. It makes the perfect way to whip lemonade at home without all the extra work.

  1. Make the simple syrup.
  2. Measure the lemon juice.
  3. Combine the simple syrup and lemon juice.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze.

When you are ready to make lemonade.

  1. Defrost equal portions of concentrate to cold water (1:1).
  2. Stir till defrosted, and enjoy.

More ways to enjoy lemonade.

My kids like mixing green tea to make a copycat of Starbucks green tea lemonade. They also like it when I add fresh strawberry puree to turn it into a strawberry lemonade. You could even use blueberries for a fun blueberry lemonade. You will also love my mango dragon fruit lemonade.

This real lemon lemonade also makes the perfect lemonade popsicle. I just put the made lemonade into the popsicle molds and let them freeze. Once frozen, my kids go nuts for them.

Want a little more fun? You can blend this real lemonade in a blender with a little heavy cream and make a fun whipped lemonade drink to enjoy.

Boozy lemonade.

My husband likes to make a rum and lemonade drink with this. I am more of a tequila and lemonade fan myself. I'll even blend it with some strawberries to make a strawberry lemonade margarita.

If you really want to up the alcohol concentration of this classic, check out my Limoncello Recipe!

Two glasses of fresh lemonade being clinked together.

More gluten-free drinks.

Check out these other gluten-free drinks, and keep the fun coming.

  • spicy citrus ginger beer margarita
    Spicy Citrus Ginger Beer Margarita
  • top view of southern sweet tea in two glasses and pitcher
    Southern Sweet Tea
  • Homemade apple cider in a glass with sliced apples, cinnamon stick, showing off the steam of the warm glass.
    Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
  • easy watermelon margaritas
    Easy Fresh Watermelon Margaritas
See more Drinks →

📖 Recipe

Real lemon lemonade being served over ice and being served with fresh lemons.

Real Lemon Lemonade Recipe

Meeta Arora
Real lemon lemonade is a timeless drink that everyone loves. It makes the best kids' lemonade, or use it to make summer cocktails for adults.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 108 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ C Lemon Juice Juice of 8-10 lemons
  • 1 ½ C Sugar Or sweetener of choice.
  • 7 + 1½ C Water Divided

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar (or honey) and the 1 ½ C of water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. You don't want the sugar to start to brown just dissolve into the water. This will make your simple syrup.
    7 + 1½ C Water, 1 ½ C Sugar
  • Remove simple syrup from heat and let it cool.
  • Add the lemon juice and water to a pitcher.
    2 ½ C Lemon Juice, 7 + 1½ C Water
  • Pour in the simple syrup until desired sweetness.
  • Let the real lemon lemonade chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Notes

Can you make sugar free lemonade?
I'm not always a fan of sugar substitutes, but there are a few that I've tried and have seen success with within this particular recipe.
Stevia - Stevia lemonade works great. It makes a stevia simple syrup just like sugar does. It also makes this more of a keto lemonade.
Monk Fruit Sweetener - Just like with stevia, you can make a monk fruit simple syrup and add it to make your low-carb lemonade.
Honey - Honey is something I suggest using if you like less sweet lemonade. I find it does make a good honey simple syrup but the sweetness is not as strong as other sweeteners.
The amounts of these will vary depending on types and sweetness preference when compared to traditional sugar. To make your simple syrups use the conversions on the packages to see how much to use.
Can you make lemonade ahead of time?
While I prefer lemonade when it's freshly made, there are a few ways you can make lemonade ahead of time and save yourself some time when you want to make a batch of fresh lemon lemonade.
You can make the simple syrup ahead of time - I like to keep the simple syrup in my fridge to make it easy to sweeten drinks for my kids.
You can freeze lemon juice - I like to portion out fresh lemon juice into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then, I just have to let it defrost the right amount when I want to make a gallon of lemonade.
Can you freeze lemonade?
This real lemon lemonade makes the perfect lemonade popsicle. I just put the made lemonade into the popsicle molds and let them freeze and let my kids enjoy them.
Want a little something more fun? You can blend this real lemonade in a blender with a little heavy cream and make a fun whipped lemonade drink to enjoy.
You can also make a frozen lemonade concentrate with this real lemon lemonade recipe. It makes the perfect way to whip lemonade at home without all the extra work.
How to make a frozen lemonade concentrate?
  1. Make the simple syrup.
  2. Measure the lemon juice.
  3. Combine the simple syrup and lemon juice.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze.
When you are ready to make lemonade.
  1. Defrost equal portions of concentrate to cold water (1:1).
  2. Stir till defrosted and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal
Keyword frozen lemonade concentrate, kids lemonade recipe, real lemon lemonade
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Check these out next!

  • Limoncello being bade in a clear glass bottle with vodka and fresh lemon peels with peeled lemons on a white plate nearby and a fresh lemon cut in half.
    Homemade Limoncello
  • Mango dragon fruit lemonade in a glass with ice and more fresh dragon fruit.
    Mango Dragon Fruit Lemonade
  • Caramel coffee syrup sitting in a glass jar next to a cup of warm coffee ready to be stirred in.
    Easy 3-Ingredient Homemade Caramel Coffee Syrup
  • Easy Homemade Chocolate Cappuccino Bombs
    Easy Homemade Chocolate Cappuccino Bombs
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maya says

    July 09, 2024 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    So refreshing!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a comment. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meeta Arora, writer at Grain Free Table

Welcome to Grain Free Table! I’m Meeta- a busy wife, mom of two girls, and lover of food. Here you’ll find lots of easy and delicious gluten & allergy-friendly recipes, info about my favorite food & products, for a gluten-free way of life!

More about me →

WANT TO STAY CONNECTED?

SIGN UP for emails and updates!

POPULAR

  • Up close on a piece of gluten free chicken fried steak on a bed of mashed potatoes, with green beans and sausage country gravy.
    The BEST Gluten-free Chicken Fried Steak
  • Up close look at some gluten-free chinese bbq pork sliced on a serving board.
    Gluten-free Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
  • A bowl of gluten-free red beans and rice made with cauliflower rice.
    Gluten-free Louisiana Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice
  • Up close look at a plate of gluten-free swedish meatballs and gravy.
    Incredibly Easy Gluten-free Swedish Meatballs
  • A slice of grain-free chocolate in a white plate
    The ULTIMATE Grain-free Chocolate Cake
  • gf bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper
    Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky
  • St louis pork ribs sliced and being served with gluten-free bbq sauce.
    Gluten-free BBQ Pork Ribs in the Oven
  • Up close look at square slices of gluten-free deep dish pizza sitting on a cutting board.
    Gluten-free Deep Dish Pizza
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • My Favorites
  • Let's Connect
  • About

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Portfolio

Disclaimers

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Nutrition Disclaimer
  • Photo/ Recipe Policy
  • Comment Policies

Contact

  • Contact
  • Subscribe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Grain Free Table

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.