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    Home » Recipes » Cocktails » Mocktails

    Super Fresh 3 Ingredient Lemonade w/ Simple Syrup

    Jul 9, 2024

    By Michelle Weiner

    Learn how to make lemonade from scratch! This Fresh Squeezed Lemon Recipe is incredibly easy, refreshing, and made with only 3 ingredients. The best drink for summer, pool parties, and barbecues!
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    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Jump to Recipe
    Three glasses filled with ice and a yellow liquid in them each with a lemon slice garnish and a pitcher of the same liquid in the background.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    A glass filled with ice and a yellow liquid in it with a lemon slice as a garnish and a cutting board and knife to the right of the glass with lemon slices on it.
    Photos by Michelle Boulé

    A refreshing and sweet summer classic - made from scratch!

    This fresh-squeezed lemonade recipe makes learning how to make lemonade yourself easy. Made with three simple ingredients, you’ll be hooked on the ultra-refreshing flavors after only one sip!

    As-is, it’s a refreshingly bright, lemony, and sweet drink that I love making for my summer parties!

    But the best part is how customizable homemade lemonade can be! Just like my Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade and Mint Lemonade, you can infuse even more flavor here with custom syrups, garnishes, juices and sparkling water!

    Close up of a glass of lemonade with a lemon slice garnish.

    Ingredients you need

    This freshly squeezed lemonade recipe is made with only 3 ingredients: simple syrup, lemon juice, and water. While this list is short, it also means there’s nowhere to hide! Remember to use the freshest ingredients possible to make the best homemade lemonade.

    Simple syrup

    Could you make this with straight-up sugar? Sure, but you're bound to end up with undissolved sugar granules in your finished drink and that isn't fun.

    The solution to granule-free lemonade is simple syrup!

    To make simple syrup, simmer 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water together until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool, then it’s ready to use.

    Lemon juice

    Not just any lemon juice… freshly squeezed lemon juice! Squeezing the juice from the lemons yourself is highly recommended! If you're in a rush, using a high quality bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.

    Pro Tip!

    • When you’re out shopping, look for lemons that are all equal in size but feel heavy when you pick them up. The heavier they are, the juicier they’ll be.

    Water

    Without the water, you would have a thick, unappetizing lemon syrup. Water will tone down and balance all of the flavors. For sparkling homemade lemonade, use sparkling water instead!

    A plastic liquid measuring cup filled with water and a glass measuring cup with filled halfway with simple syrup surrounded by whole lemons.

    How to make fresh squeezed lemonade

    All-in-all, this is a simple recipe that takes minutes to put together when all of your ingredients are prepped ahead. Thankfully, the simple syrup can be made up to 1 month in advance and the lemon juice can be squeezed the day before you make the batch.

    These step-by-step instructions will walk you through the process:

    A liquid measuring up with yellow liquid in it and a wooden citrus reamer next to it with juiced lemons and lemon halves surrounding it.
    Step 1: Juice those lemons! Serioously, using fresh lemons is so worth it! I like using a wooden citrus reamer like the one in the pic.
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    A glass pitcher with a yellow liquid in it and a clear liquid being poured into it.
    Step 2: Pour the lemon juice, water, and simple syrup into a large pitcher and stir. It's that easy!

    Mix it up!

    Think of the batch of lemonade as a blank canvas… it’s easy to customize to the flavor of your choice! Check out these ideas for inspiration:

    • Less sweet: Only use ⅛ cup of simple syrup to lessen the sweetness.
    • Sweeter: Use the ¼ cup of simple syrup, plus an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons. 
    • Flavored simple syrup: A simple syrup infusion will add so much more flavor to your lemonade. Use mint simple syrup syrup instead of the plain simple syrup or make your own variation by simmering berries, fruits, or herbs with the sugar and water.
    • Sparkling lemonade: Swap the still water for sparkling water.
    Three glasses with ice and a yellow liquid with lemon slices as garnishes and a pitcher filled halfway with the same liquid in the background.

    Recipe

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    Three glasses filled with ice and a yellow liquid in them each with a lemon slice garnish and a pitcher of the same liquid in the background.

    Super Fresh 3 Ingredient Lemonade w/ Simple Syrup

    Learn how to make lemonade from scratch! This Fresh Squeezed Lemon Recipe is incredibly easy, refreshing, and made with only 3 ingredients. The best drink for summer, pool parties, and barbecues!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Rate Pin
    Author: Michelle Weiner
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: bbq food, summer, summer drink
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Makes: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup simple syrup
    • 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice about 12 lemons
    • 4 cups water
    • Garnish: lemon wedges

    Instructions

    • Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Chill until ready to serve.
    • Serve over ice with lemon wedges.
    Did you make this recipe?Share a pic and tag @cupofzest and use #cupofzest so I can see it!
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    Your star rating and comment can make all the difference in helping others discover the perfect recipe for their next shindig. And let's be honest, who doesn't love a good party? So let's get this party started by sharing the love and making sure everyone has a delicious time. Thanks for being a part of the Party Food Crew! And remember, party more & stress less!

    🎉 Cheers,
    Michelle

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    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

    After of working in the culinary world for over 10 years, I'm sharing the skills I've learned with you here at Cup of Zest. I'm here to help you invite your friends over more and stress less when cooking for them. Glad you're part of the crew!

    More about me →

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