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Home » Beverages » Refreshing Old-Fashioned Lemonade.

Refreshing Old-Fashioned Lemonade.

Jul 30, 2021 by Kelly Roenicke · 11 Comments

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lemonade in a glass with a green straw

There’s nothing better than a glass of old-fashioned lemonade on a hot day! This classic summer beverage is the perfect combination of tart lemons and sweet sugar syrup. Serve this over a cup full of crushed ice for a refreshing treat.

homemade lemonade in a mason jar

We’re in the thick of summer here, and that means it’s time to figure out all the ways to stay cool. Turn on the fans, the AC, break out the popsicles and vegan ice cream, and make nice tall glasses of this old-fashioned lemonade.

Homemade lemonade is kind of a special treat, isn’t it? Of course you can just buy a bottle of lemonade or mix some up from frozen concentrate, but taking a little bit of time to make lemonade from scratch results in an extra delicious drink.

There’s something special about using fresh squeezed lemon juice – this recipe is very refreshing and delicious – just like grandma used to make.

fresh lemons on a white background

There’s a little trick to getting that old fashioned lemonade taste…simple syrup. Instead of doing a cup full of straight sugar, you will make a sugar syrup to add to your lemonade.

How do you make simple syrup?

Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water that you heat on the stove. Don’t boil it, though, just heat it until the sugar dissolves. It makes the lemonade sweet, and there’s no gritty sugar at the bottom of your glass. It takes a couple extra minutes, but it’s really worth it.

Can I just use straight sugar instead of simple syrup?

You can – I used to make lemonade that way. However, it is nearly impossible to get the sugar to fully dissolve, resulting in a bit of a gritty texture and a pile of sugar at the bottom of the pitcher.

Simple syrup is a game changer! Once I started making lemonade this way, I’ve never gone back.

Can you make lemonade with bottled lemon juice?

Yes, you can use bottled lemon juice if you prefer. I think the flavor is better when you use fresh squeezed lemon juice, but if you only have bottled lemon juice on hand, don’t let that stop you from making this classic summer drink.

juicer with lemon juice in it

More refreshing summer beverages:

  • Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
  • Cherry Limeade
  • Watermelon Berry Refresher

You can be creative with this recipe if you like! If you prefer to use a mix of lemons and limes, you can do that! If you’d like to add another fruit juice, like blueberry juice or cranberry juice, you can do that as well.

Try freezing some berries and tossing them in the pitcher before serving for a colorful and festive way to keep the lemonade cold.

Other lemon recipes to try:

  • Lemon Roasted Potatoes
  • Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
  • Frosted Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

old fashioned lemonade in a glass
4.5 from 2 votes
Print

Old Fashioned Lemonade.

Old fashioned lemonade is made with simple syrup for a delicious summertime drink!
Course Beverage
Cuisine American, Dairy Free
Keyword summer drink, with simple syrup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 159 kcal
Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice about 8 medium sized lemons
  • 4 ½ cups water

For the simple syrup:

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Place the ¾ cup water and ¾ cup sugar in a sauce pan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Juice the lemons, and put the juice in a pitcher.

  3. Add the 4 ½ cups water and the cooled simple syrup. Stir well.

  4. Taste and see if it is sweet enough for you. Adjust as needed.

  5. Serve over ice.

Recipe Notes

You can use bottled lemon juice if that's what you have on hand, but the flavor will be better with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Store leftover lemonade in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Everyone's taste is different, so if you need to add more or less sweetener, you can adjust that according to your taste.

Nutrition Facts
Old Fashioned Lemonade.
Amount per Serving
Calories
159
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Sodium
 
17
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
64
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
42
g
14
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
39
g
43
%
Protein
 
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
 
4
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
24
mg
29
%
Calcium
 
13
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally written in July 2016. It has been updated.

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Filed Under: Beverages, Dairy Free, food, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Recipes, Vegan Tagged With: Dairy Free, easy recipe, Egg Free, Fish Free, Garlic Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Legume Free, Mustard Free, Nightshade Free, Nut Free, Onion Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, top 8 allergy free recipe, Tree Nut Free

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ariana Murray

    December 08, 2020 at 5:27 pm

    4 stars
    It tasted amazing!!! Although it was sour it wasnt to overpowering. It is perferct. MUST TRY

    Reply
  2. Katie

    November 04, 2018 at 9:53 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious drink!

    Reply
  3. Eileen Rhoadarmer

    March 25, 2018 at 11:52 pm

    This sounds super tasty! Haven’t made my own in a very long time. I’ll have to try this when it gets warmer

    Reply
    • Kelly Roenicke

      March 27, 2018 at 11:43 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Kristy from Southern In Law

    July 25, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    Old fashioned lemonade screaaaaaaaaaaams summer for me and there’s really nothing better than making it yourself! This recipe is perfect!

    Growing up in Australia you couldn’t even purchase old fashioned lemonade (here when someone says lemonade they mean sprite!) so after becoming obsessed with it on family holidays to the US, we had to come back home and figure out how to make it ourselves!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      July 28, 2016 at 10:43 am

      Wow, sprite is called lemonade? I’ve never heard that! Crazy! :)

      Reply
  5. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    July 25, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    It’s been SO hot here, so this lemonade is just calling my name. Love how fresh this is, Kelly!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      July 28, 2016 at 10:43 am

      Thanks, Gayle!

      Reply
  6. Julia Mueller

    July 25, 2016 at 10:15 am

    I was craving lemonade so bad yesterday during the heat of the day…it’s been suuuuper toasty here! I’ll have to make this classic lemonade lickety split.

    Reply
  7. Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen

    July 25, 2016 at 9:43 am

    My daughter loves to make homemade lemonade, too! We love how easy it is, and her favorite part is juicing the lemons. :) These photos are so bright and pretty, Kelly!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      July 28, 2016 at 10:44 am

      Thanks, Kristine!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Kelly, and I believe that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.

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