The BEST Lemonade Recipes for Kids
Whether you’re looking for the best lemonade recipes to make with your kids or the best ones to sip together, we’ve got ideas for you here! From the classics to more unique spins, including fruity and herbal varieties, there are 15+ lemonade recipes here and a little bit of something for everyone.
We all LOVE lemonade over here, especially for a hot summer day, so I thought it would be fun to talk about different lemonade recipes to make and enjoy with your kids.
These are also some excellent recipes to serve at lemonade stands, in case that’s something that your kids are into. (Mine are. Wholeheartedly.)
This delicious drink is something we all know and love and a fun treat to make and share… so why not make a pitcher (or two!) this summer.
Check out our favorite tips and tricks for freshly squeezed lemonade below, as well as some of our favorite variations on the classic.
Tools to make lemonade:
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- Saucepan
- Large Pitcher (like this Clara Glass Pitcher)
- Citrus juicer
- Fine mesh strainer, to strain out lemon pulp
- Glasses
Lemonade ingredients:
Obviously, these ingredients and tools will be slightly different for what type of lemonade you’re actually making, but there are some general things you’ll need to have on hand…
- Fresh lemons for freshly squeezed lemon juice — the shelf-stable variety you can find at the grocery store won’t do. Juice the lemons yourself or find the cold pressed fresh lemon juice at the store. It normally hangs out by the pre-cut fruits in the refrigerated section.
- Water — if you drink your tap water, just use that! You don’t need fancy water to make simple syrup.
- Sweetener — some lemonade recipes call for granulated sugar to sweeten them while others use simple syrup, which is also known as sugar syrup. I prefer using simple syrup because you don’t have to wait as the sugar dissolves into the water, but it all works! I’m not a fan of sugar substitutes, but there are some fabulous recipes for sugar-free lemonade.
Pro tip!
Large lemons will yield more juice than small ones. We like to purchase a bag of lemons since you need a LOT of lemons to make a fresh lemonade recipe.
The lemonade ratio
For me, I really like to use 5 cups of cold water to 1 cup of lemon juice. (Freshly squeezed, please and thank you.) I tend to use about 1/2 cup of liquid sweetener in this ratio, though it varies from recipe to recipe.
For example, in my strawberry lemonade recipe, I use fresh strawberries and granulated sugar to sweeten the recipe.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Lemonade is one of those classic summertime drinks to have around… always!
Whether you’re hosting a lemonade stand for kids or simply want to make a big ‘ol batch to share with your people when it’s HOT outside, I’ve got some tips and tricks for you here.
- If the recipe calls for simple syrup, make the syrup days in advance. Chill in the fridge so that it’s cold when you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
- Juice the lemons in advance… or purchase a jar of freshly squeezed lemon juice in the refrigerated fruit section of your grocery. This’ll make it easier to put the lemonade together before guests arrive.
- Double or triple the recipe if you’re going to be serving a lot of people. After all, nobody wants to stop having fun to squeeze some lemons for more lemonade.
- Have a bowl of lemon slices and reusable straws to serve alongside the lemonade pitcher!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR
Juicing Lemons at Home
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks about juicing lemons. They come in handy when you’re making a pitcher of homemade lemonade.
- Don’t juice a cold lemon. A cold lemon won’t give as much juice as a room temperature one. If you keep your lemons in the fridge, let it come to room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds to get it to warm up.
- Roll the lemon on the countertop. This will bring the juices to the surface.
- Slice the lemon at the equator, not from the stem to the tip.
- Don’t just squeeze it with your hands… use a lemon reamer or a juicer to get that good juice out of it.
- Run the juice through a fine mesh strainer if there is pulp and seeds in it before pouring into the glass.
Tips and tricks for the BEST homemade lemonade recipe:
- Don’t add ice cubes to your pitcher! They’ll water down the lemonade. Add ice to individual glasses right before serving.
- Double or triple a recipe to make a HUGE batch of lemonade for sharing.
- Use real lemons. That’ll provide the best flavor to these fresh lemonade recipes.
Curious to see some of our favorite easy lemonade recipes?
Naturally Sweetened Lemonade Recipes
If you want your lemonade to be sweetened with something that's not simple syrup or sugar, we've got a few ideas for you!
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
