Best Homemade Fresh Lemonade (Perfectly Sweet & Tart!)
The absolute best homemade fresh lemonade recipe! Perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor made with a simple syrup so the sugar dissolves completely.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice about 6-8 lemons
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup water for simple syrup
- 4 cups water for diluting
- Ice cubes as needed
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan, simmering until dissolved, then cool completely.
- Roll lemons firmly on the counter, then juice and strain out seeds.
- Combine lemon juice, cooled simple syrup, and 4 cups water in a large pitcher.
- Taste and adjust with more syrup or water as needed.
- Add ice cubes to the pitcher or individual glasses.
- Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
- Never mix sugar directly into cold water; always dissolve it into a simple syrup first for even sweetness.
- Roll lemons on the counter before slicing to release more juice with less effort.
- Let the simple syrup cool completely before adding it to your pitcher to avoid melting the ice prematurely.