Our watermelon lemonade is the answer to hot days, a refreshing and colorful twist on a classic favorite. It's a fun drink that uses fresh ingredients, comes together in minutes and can be adjusted for sweetness and tartness.
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The perfect drink to beat the heat!
Our homemade classic lemonade is a must at our house, especially in the Summer.
This watermelon version is our latest obsession, as is eating watermelon by the pound! It's one of our favorite fruits, and the season is short, so taking advantage of it is a must.
The color is an eye-catching pink, and the flavor is very present if you use a lot of fruit like we do.
It allows you to control the ingredients that go into it. You can use fresh, natural ingredients and avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in store-bought flavored lemonade.
As with most (or all) of our drinks and beverages, you can adjust the amount of fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to suit your and your family's palate.
Ingredient list
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed.
- White granulated sugar.
- Watermelon: fresh, peeled and seeded.
- Cold water: use regular water with ice cubes or make the lemonade ahead so it has time to chill in the fridge before serving.
- Lemon slices: from fresh lemons, to serve.
- Mint sprigs: optional to serve.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavors to create your own unique homemade lemonade recipe.
- Mint: add chopped fresh mint leaves to the watermelon syrup for a refreshing and cooling flavor.
- Club soda or seltzer: replace a cup for one of water for a slight fizz.
- Ginger: add fresh ginger to your lemonade for a spicy and zesty kick.
- Honey, maple syrup, or agave: substitute the sugar with another syrup for a more natural sweetener.
- Spiked watermelon lemonade: add vodka, gin or rum and make a cocktail similar to the blueberry lemonade with vodka.
How to make watermelon lemonade
It takes 15 minutes and a few ingredients to make this drink. The most time-consuming part is taking the seeds out of the watermelon pieces!
While you can use bottled lemon juice, it won't have the same fresh flavor as freshly squeezed lemon juice. If you do, read the label to ensure it doesn't contain added sugar or preservatives.
Cut lemon slices to place in the pitcher and the glasses as garnishes before serving.
Add lemon juice to the pitcher with lemon slices, ice cubes, and sugar syrup.
Storage
Watermelon lemonade can last up to 3 days if stored properly in the refrigerator.
However, its freshness and flavor will gradually decline over time.
- Store it in an airtight container: transfer your lemonade from the pitcher to a clean container with a tight-fitting lid or cover.
- Keep it refrigerated: this will help prevent bacterial growth and keep it fresh.
- Check for signs of spoilage: If your lemonade or fruit looks cloudy, has an off odor or taste, or shows signs of mold, discard it immediately.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Simple sugar syrup: you can use it instead of sugar. If you already have some, use ½ cup instead of the sugar. If you want to make it, heat ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water, stir it once to mix and let it come to a boil. Let cool completely and use. It keeps in the fridge almost indefinitely. Always in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Freezing lemonade with watermelon: it keeps for a month.
- Stir before serving: The ingredients can settle at the bottom of the jar or pitcher over time. Give it a good stir before serving to distribute the ingredients evenly.
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Watermelon Lemonade (15 minute recipe)
Ingredients
Watermelon syrup:
- 5 cups watermelon pieces
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup lemon juice
For the lemonade:
- watermelon syrup
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 cup ice cubes
- lemon slices and mint sprigs, to serve
Instructions
Watermelon Syrup:
- Remove the seeds from 5 cups watermelon pieces. Chop and place in a food processor or blender.
- Add ½ cup sugar, 1 cup water and ½ cup lemon juice. Blend or process well until smooth.
- Strain the watermelon syrup over a fine-mesh strainer, and place it in an 8-cup pitcher.
- Add 3 cups cold water, 1 cup ice cubes and some lemon slices and mint sprigs.
- Stir and taste. Adjust by adding more sugar and/or lemon juice to taste. Stir well to dissolve if adding extra sugar.
- Serve with lemon slices and mint sprigs.
Marie says
This recipe uplifts a patio gathering of thirsty friends.