This easy single serving lemonade made with freshly squeezed lemons is the perfect drink for a hot summer day.
You might also like Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake, Lemon Bars, and Strawberry Popsicles.
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Lemonade For One
As the weather gets warmer, there’s nothing that sounds better to me than a cold glass of lemonade. During the summer, I can easily drink a glass every day! The need to satisfy my lemonade cravings is what sparked the creation of this easy single serving lemonade recipe.
This recipe for lemonade by the glass is great because it can be easily multiplied. You can make sure you have just the right amount for any occasion. Whether you want lemonade for one, or a whole pitcher, this easy lemonade recipe is perfect.
Ingredients
Lemons: Whole lemons can be found at your local grocery store in the produce section. I like to use Meyer or Eureka lemons.
Sweetener: Granulated sugar is a perfect sweetener for lemonade. However, if you don’t want to use real sugar, low calorie sweeteners can also do the trick.
Water: Water is a key ingredient for lemonade. You can use tap water, filtered water, bottled water, etc.
Ice: I like to add ice to my lemonade to ensure that it is nice and cold when served. If you don’t have an ice maker or ice tray at home, you can usually find bagged ice at your local grocery store or gas station.
How To Make Lemonade
Juice your lemons: There are many different types of citrus juicers that will work for lemons. I prefer to use my hand held citrus reamer, but another great option is a citrus squeezer.
Strain the seeds: If you’re using fresh lemons, odds are you’ll find a few stray lemon seeds in your juice. After juicing, use a strainer to remove any seeds.
Add sugar: Once you’ve juiced your lemons, you’ll want to mix in your sugar with the juice. This should be done before adding water because the acidity of the juice will help dissolve the sugar faster. Stir the mixture until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved.
Add cold water: After thoroughly mixing your juice and sugar, add cold water to your mixture and stir well.
Chill: Refrigerate your lemonade for at least 20 minutes. Once it’s chilled, serve with ice and sliced lemons (if desired).
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Add ice: Adding ice will ensure that your lemonade is perfectly cold, even on a super hot day. I like to add my ice right before serving so it’s fresh.
Lemon slices: A great way to add some interest to your lemonade is by adding thin lemon slices into the pitcher or adding a lemon slice on the rim of your glass. This is an easy way to dress up your lemonade presentation for parties or just for fun.
Other fruit: The addition of other fresh fruit to your lemonade can give great flavor and color to this classic summer drink. Here are a few of my favorite fresh fruits to toss into freshly squeezed lemonade:
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Lime slices
- Orange slices
No Pulp Lemonade
If you prefer your lemonade without pulp, there are two easy ways to make that happen. If you’re using fresh lemons, use a mesh strainer when removing the lemon seeds. That should also separate any unwanted pulp from your juice as well.
Another easy way to make lemonade without pulp is to use bottled lemon juice. It’s sold without pulp, so you won’t have to worry about it.
How To Make Lemonade with Bottled Lemon Juice
Do you have a bottle of lemon juice on hand? Save yourself some time – skip the juicing and make this easy single serving lemonade recipe with bottled lemon juice. This recipe calls for juice from 1½ medium-sized lemons which comes out to about ⅓ cup of lemon juice.
Make It Sparkling
Good old-fashioned lemonade is always great, but if you want to jazz up this recipe, make it sparkling! Sparkling lemonade is a great crisp, cool summer drink and is super simple to make.
All you need to do is swap out the water for carbonated water (aka sparkling water). LaCroix and Topo Chico are my favorite go-to brands!
Recipe FAQ’s
No. This fresh single serving lemonade recipe does not contain caffeine. However, there may be some other lemon drinks that do contain caffeinated products, so always be sure to check the label.
Classic yellow lemonade is made with lemon juice, water, and sweetener, and is usually a bit more sour. Pink lemonade is usually on the sweeter side. It’s often made by combining classic lemonade and juice from strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries.
Yes! I use granulated sugar in this recipe, but there are many alternatives that work perfectly. Some of my favorites include Splenda, monk fruit, and sweet drops.
There are many health benefits to lemon juice/lemon water. Since lemonade is made of mostly water, it’s a great way to get your daily water intake. Lemon juice is also known to aid in digestion.
That said, this easy lemonade recipe uses added sugar as sweetener. If you’re looking to make this recipe more health conscious, consider using the sugar alternatives listed above.
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Recipe
Single Serving Lemonade
April 14, 2022Equipment
- Juicer
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1½ lemons (or ⅓ cup lemon juice)
- 2½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Cut the lemons in half and juice them using a hand-held or electric juicer. Strain the lemon juice to remove the seeds and pulp (if desired).
- Add the sugar to the lemon juice and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (1-2 minutes).
- Pour the cold water into the lemon juice and sugar mixture and stir until fully mixed.
- Chill the lemonade for at least 20 minutes. Serve with ice and fresh lemon slices (if desired.)
Notes
- To make more than one serving, multiply each ingredient by the number of servings you'd like to make.
- This lemonade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
nancy says
lemonade for one is perfect when I feel like a glass but don't want to make a pitcher! thanks for this refreshing recipe
Katie says
love this single serve lemonade recipe! Easy to make and perfect flavor.
Jess says
This is perfect for the summer!
Jan says
so easy and so good on a hot summers day
Shelby says
The perfect recipe to kick off summer! Refreshing and easy.