Easy Healthy Homemade Lemonade with Mint

Here's a homemade lemonade that uses half the added sugar in many traditional recipes. It's even without refined sugar. 

It takes 10 minutes to prepare and is made with just three simple ingredients: freshly squeezed lemons, water, and natural sugar that is much less destructive than white sugar. 

Why this Recipe Works

For many of us who grew up in North America, the only lemonade we knew was this yellow and brown jar from Country Time®. 

We took the powder from it, mixed it with water, and as if by magic, we obtained a tangy yellow drink that was sweet enough to burn our throats. And we all called it lemonade (I say, shaking my head). 

Or, we had lemon juice that came from a squeeze bottle and mixed with table sugar, like Equal®. It's sadly still relevant today. In a large glass, we squeeze ten squirts of lemon, add three sachets of sweetener and water to fill. The result is a screaming yellow, wildly sour, wildly sweet liquid, the kind of thing that I'm pretty sure will strip tooth enamel on contact. 

Lucky for all of us, there's a better way to get our lemonade fix (without having to go to the dentist, thank you).

This homemade lemonade contains just three essential ingredients: freshly squeezed lemon juice (real lemons), coconut palm sugar (a natural sweetener), and water.

It combines the right ratio of crisp lemon flavor and sweetness to create the best lemonade ever: a tangy lemonade. It also has a touch of mint, making it even more refreshing.

Children will undoubtedly welcome it.

What Do We Put in It?

Ingredient Notes

• Coconut palm sugar – it's a sweetener made from the sap found in the flower buds of the coconut palm. Considered a natural sugar, it involves minimal processing, and no chemicals are used. It's a good substitute for granulated white sugar. 
• Lemons – choose lemons that are devoid of a green tinge, firm, plump, and heavy for their size.
• Springwater – for crystal clear taste, this is the right thing to do.
• Mint – choose leaves that are evenly colored and do not appear to wilt.

How to Make it Step by Step

It begins with simple syrup—water and sugar, boiled briefly to dissolve— infused with strips of lemon zest ①. Then you filter the syrup and chill it in the fridge ②. After that—or, even better, while the simple syrup is brewing—you squeeze the lemons ③, which you combine with cold water and ice cubes ④.

Step 1: Make the simple syrup (flavored with lemon)

Step 2: Make the lemonade

I added a handful of mint leaves to the entire jar before cooling it down to have a homemade lemonade that tastes of refreshing mint, which pairs beautifully with the acidity of lemons ⑤. 

Caution: If you like this idea, however, please note that the longer the mint leaves stay in the lemonade, the more it will taste minty.

The Keys to Success: My Top Tips

Buy quality lemons

When buying lemons for lemonade, buy lemons that are big, heavy, and squeezable. If you've ever bought lemons just to cut them up and find that half the lemon is zesty and there is very little juice, welcome to the club. 

For this reason, I always buy a few more. If I think I can get 1 cup of juice from six lemons, I buy eight.

Note: Late-season lemons are less acidic than early-season lemons. Also, Meyer lemons are sweeter and juicier than standard lemons. They make amazing lemonade with a delicious sweet flavor. They're generally in season in winter and spring.

Extract the lemon juice to the last drop

Before squeezing the lemons, soak them in lukewarm water. 

The heat relaxes the juice sachets and makes extracting the maximum amount of juice from each lemon easier. 

Then, before cutting them in half, roll them on the counter with your palm, exerting some pressure. It also helps circulate the juice.

For a fuller and more complex lemon flavor, steep lemon slices with the sugar in a bowl and store them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes if possible. Crushing lemon slices with sugar helps extract the oils in the lemon peel and adds a more fragrant citrus flavor.

Don't ignore making sugar syrup (aka simple syrup)

If you've ever tried to sweeten iced tea, you may have noticed that sugar doesn't dissolve well in cold liquids. In contrast, sugar syrup—a (usually) equal part mixture of sugar and water that has been briefly heated to help the sugar dissolve—mixes wonderfully in lemonade, iced tea, or cocktails.

If you skip this step and mix the sugar, water, and lemon juice directly, the sugar will sink to the bottom.

Well, if you want to do it your way, for the preparation of a small portion, add the sugar to the water and lemon juice in a shaker. For a large amount, tell me if you managed not to break your arm.

Match it perfectly to your tastes 

Start with the proportions of ½ cup of sugar for a slightly sweet lemonade or ¾ cup of sugar if you like it sweeter than that + 1 cup of water + 1 cup of lemon juice (or ¾ cup of lemon juice if you're worried about it being too tangy). Reduce the amount of sugar if you use Meyer lemons. 

Essential Equipment

• Zester – To get strips of zest, I use a zester with five teeth. You can use this one that is highly rated with consumers. 
• Citrus juicer – I could squeeze my lemons in three ways (or even four, if I may say so): use my Slow masticating centrifuge would be overkill. What could be easier than squeezing lemons with it a wooden reamer or glass juicer with handle and spout. In fact, I always use my manual metal juicer.
• Measuring cup – I use that one.
• Fine-mesh sieve – I used a small sieve. It's worth having the whole set.
• Container – pour your lemonade into a stoneware crock pot, ice bucket, or just a glass pitcher (I wish I had a pitcher like this).

How to Serve this Drink

This drink should be served cold. I love drinking it on its own after a hot morning or afternoon or with other summer dishes at barbecues, picnics, or poolside parties. 

To make lemonade for one or two, simply divide the recipe by eight or four, respectively.

This drink should be served cold. I love drinking it on its own after a hot morning or afternoon or with other summer dishes at barbecues, picnics, or poolside parties. 

To make lemonade for one or two, simply divide the recipe by four or two, respectively.

Other Creative Variations 

Earlier, I talked about flavoring lemonade with herbs, but you could also:

1. Decorate your lemonade with vanilla instead, or why not, lavender. 
2. Qualify it rated R by preparing a lemonade with alcohol such as bourbon, tequila, whiskey, or vodka
3. Add antioxidants by making a tea lemonade (green or black).
4. Turn your lemonade into slush by adding lots of crushed ice cubes.
5. Give it different shades by adding cranberry, pomegranate, hibiscus, or rhubarb juice to make it slightly pink; strawberry or raspberry juice to make it pink; peach juice to make it orange; blueberry juice to make it purple.
6. Turn it into lemon bars by placing it in popsicle molds in a freezer. 

Answers to Your Burning Questions 

How to Store It

Store healthy homemade lemonade in the refrigerator, without ice, for 5-7 days. 

Make it Now

Homemade lemonade is a summer essential. 

But lemon juice concentrates and powders just won't do.

Fortunately, making a delicious homemade lemonade is super easy. The typical American palate likes the numbers 3-1-1-1. Namely three cups of cold water, 1 cup of lemon juice, 1 cup of sugar and another 1 cup of water to make the simple syrup. 

But I prefer to use ½-¾ cup of sugar, or even use ½-¾ of the simple syrup quantity.

This ratio is the key to a perfect thirst quencher. My recipe combines the right ratio of crisp lemon flavor and sweetness to create the best lemonade ever.

It might not be instant on its own, but once the syrup is prepared, it's easy to put together whenever the mood takes you. (Which, if you're like me, is every day, around lunchtime.)

Once you have mastered this recipe, it will be difficult to get store-bought ones again.

I promise you. 

If you try this recipe, I want to know about it! I always appreciate your feedback. Leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

5 from 13 votes

Healthy Lemonade (with No Refined Sugar)

I like my lemonade not too sweet with a strong citrus flavor, yes, tangy. If that's not your thing, you could add more sugar, but that would go against making it healthier.The proportions will vary depending on the sweetness and strength of your lemonade and the acidity of your lemons to begin with. Start with the proportions of ¾ cup of sugar for a more tart flavor or ½-¾ cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of lemon juice. Reduce the amount of sugar for lemonade with Meyer lemons. I infused some lemon zest for a more intense lemon flavor. If this is less your thing, you can skip this step.

Save RecipeSaved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Drink

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: coconut palm sugar, lemons, mint

Servings: 5

1x2x3x

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Naïby

Equipment

• Zester 
• Citrus juicer 
• Measuring cup
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Container (pitcher)

Ingredients

• ▢ ½-¾ cup coconut palm sugar or any sweetener (Notes)
• ▢ 4 cups springwater or tap water, divided
• ▢ 1 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ Ice cubes
• ▢ 1 lemon thinly sliced
• ▢ Fresh mint optional

Instructions

Make the simple syrup:

• In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from fire.
• Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and refrigerate (or even faster, in the freezer) until cold. Strain the syrup through a sieve into an airtight container, pressing hard, then removing the solids.

Make the lemonade:

• Add the lemon juice and lemon slices.
• Optionally garnish with mint in the jar.
• Add ice cubes to cool immediately or place in the refrigerator until the lemonade is cold enough to serve.
• Placed in an airtight container, this healthy homemade lemonade will keep for up to 5-7 days.

Notes

Sugar: you can use any sweetener, like agave syrup or brown sugar. If using Erythritol, you can use 1 cup as it is not as sweet.

Simple syrup can easily be made ahead and refrigerated for up to five days for later use.

Buy quality lemons: big, heavy, and squeezable. Take six to eight so you don't run out. Late season lemons are less acidic than early season lemons. Also, Meyer lemons (available in winter and spring) are sweeter and juicier than standard lemons. They make amazing lemonade with a delicious sweet flavor. 

Extract the lemon juice to the last drop: Before squeezing the lemons, soak them in lukewarm water and roll them on the counter with your palm, exerting some pressure before cutting them in half.

Don't ignore making the sugar syrup (aka simple syrup): this will help the sugar to dissolve and blend beautifully into the lemonade.

Variants

Strawberry Lemonade: Puree 2 cups of fresh, cleaned, and hulled strawberries in a juice extractor or blender. If a blender is used, pass the mash through a mesh strainer to remove large pieces of pulp. Add the strawberry puree to the lemonade recipe above, but reduce the cold water to 2 cups.

Lemon Cocktail: Combine the lemon juice and simple syrup with 2 cups of cold water from the recipe above. Add 1 cup of lemon or other vodka and 1⁄3 cup of orange liqueur. Mix well. Frost glasses with a sugar rim and pour over crushed ice. Add a lemon wedge to garnish.

Nutrition

Serving: 4cups | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

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