This homemade watermelon lemonade hits different on a hot day. It’s refreshing, easy to make, and somehow disappears faster than anything else at the cookout. I’m all about recipes that feel impressive without needing a bunch of complicated steps. As someone who’s spent 10 years creating approachable recipes that actually work for real life, trust me when I say fresh ingredients make all the difference here. No fake syrup flavor over this way.
Watermelon Lemonade Ingredients
- Watermelon
- Lemons
- Water
- Sweetener or Sugar
How to Make Watermelon Lemonade
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the simple syrup: Pour 2 cups of water into a pan on medium-high heat. Add in the sweetener and stir. Continue to stir until the mixture is clear. Set the simple syrup aside.
- Prep the watermelon: Cut the watermelon into cubes and remove any seeds if needed.
- Blend the watermelon: Add the watermelon to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Strain if desired: For smoother lemonade, strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove pulp.
- Juice the lemons: Squeeze fresh lemons and remove any seeds.
- Mix the lemonade: In a large pitcher, combine the watermelon juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and cold water.
- Stir until combined: Mix well until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Taste and adjust: Taste the lemonade and add more sweetener if needed. Add more lemon juice if you want it extra tart.
- Chill before serving: Refrigerate until cold so the flavors have time to come together.
- Serve over ice: Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slices, mint, or watermelon wedges if desired.
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Watermelon Lemonade Recipe
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sweetener
- 5 cups fresh watermelon
- 1-1 ½ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice This was 4-5 lemons for me.
- additional water to adjust to taste I added 5-6 cups.
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of water into a pan on medium-high heat. Add in the sweetener and stir.
- This will create a simple syrup. Continue to stir until the mixture is clear. Set the simple syrup aside.
- Add the watermelon to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Use a strainer to strain the pureed watermelon and extract the juice into a bowl. (You can use the pulp for smoothies!)
- Add the strained watermelon juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup from the pan to the blender. Blend until combined.
- Here is where you taste the lemonade repeatedly and make adjustments as needed. It should be super sweet at first. Start with 1 cup and add additional water until the lemonade suits your taste. If you like more lemon flavor, add additional lemon juice. If you like it sweet, make it sweeter.
Notes
- The number of lemons you will need will vary based on the size of the lemons you use and how much juice you can get from each.
- You can use bottled lemon juice if you want. I do not like the taste, so I don't use it.
- If you are having trouble juicing the lemons, place them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will help soften them up.
- Adjust this recipe to suit your taste and needs. If you like really sweet lemonade, add more sweetener.
- You can heat the simple syrup in the microwave if you wish. Heat it until the mixture turns clear, timing will vary.
- The macro nutrients noted assume zero calorie monkfruit is used. If you're using table sugar feel free to calculate the nutrition using the calculator of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
You can use a whole watermelon or pre-cut watermelon cubes. I almost always grab the pre-cut because it’s seedless and saves a ton of time. Just know it costs more and doesn’t stay fresh as long, so use it pretty quickly after buying.
If you’re picking out a whole watermelon, grab one that feels heavy for its size and sounds hollow when you tap it. Look for a creamy yellow field spot, that’s how you know it had time to ripen properly. Skip any with bruises, dents, or weird bumps because those usually aren’t the sweet ones.
Absolutely. That’s usually what I grab because it saves time and it’s already seedless.
If you're using a whole one, you will need to prep it first. You will need:
A ripe watermelon
A sharp knife
A cutting board
Wash the watermelon thoroughly.
Use a sharp knife to cut it in half.
Scoop out the flesh of the watermelon.
Cut the watermelon into chunks.
I wouldn't worry too much about pulling out the seeds. When you strain the watermelon, the strainer should catch the seeds.
You can, but fresh lemon juice tastes way better here. Watermelon is already mild, so fresh lemon really helps wake the flavor up.
Only if you want it super smooth. I usually strain it if I’m serving it for guests, but for everyday sipping, I leave it as is.
Add sugar, honey, agave, or your favorite sweetener a little at a time. Some watermelons are sweeter than others, so taste as you go.
Your watermelon probably had a lot of water content or too much ice melted into it. Use cold watermelon and don’t overload the ice.
Yep. Store it in the fridge and give it a good stir before serving because the watermelon settles some.
Refrigerate lemonade as soon as possible after making it. This will help to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Store lemonade in an airtight container. This will help to keep the lemonade fresh and prevent it from absorbing other flavors from the fridge.
Label the container with the date you made the lemonade. This will help you to keep track of how long it has been stored.
Lemonade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. Note, after 3 days, the quality of the lemonade will start to decline.
To freeze lemonade, pour it into freezable trays and freeze. Once the lemonade is frozen, transfer the ice cubes to a freezer-safe bag or container. Frozen lemonade can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Diane says
alcohol?
staysnatched says
Add it if you want it.