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Light and refreshing, this homemade honey lemonade is naturally sweetened and made from scratch with just four simple ingredients. It’s easy to make, much healthier than store-bought lemonades, and oh so delicious.

closeup of a glass wide mouth mason jar with iced homemade honey lemonade garnished with a fresh mint sprig and lemon slice. A whole and halved lemon sitting on a blue and white flour sack towel next to the cup of lemonade

There’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cold glass of lemonade.

But when the lemonade available at the grocery store is loaded with sugar and natural flavors to enhance the lemon, it’s time to make a switch.

The typical lemonade sold at the grocery store contains nearly 7 teaspoons of sugar in just one cup of lemonade. That’s more than the recommended total amount of sugar our kiddos should be consuming in an entire day, not just a beverage at lunch.

When first starting to make our lemonade, I wanted to use honey as a natural sweetener instead of sugar – no guilt and added health benefits!

Homemade lemonade is such an easy from scratch swap from grocery store lemonade. It has a fresh and mild flavor, not overpowered by sugar, and simply has a nostalgic taste to it coming from mama’s kitchen.

Plus, kids love to both drink and help make lemonade! Hence the fond childhood memories of lemonade stands.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14

closeup of a glass wide mouth mason jar with iced homemade lemonade garnished with a fresh mint sprig and lemon slice. white with blue stripe antique stoneware bowl filled with lemons in the background

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Simple and delicious – The perfect balance between not too sweet and not too tart.

Zero guilt – Whether our kids drink it daily or even when sick, this honey lemonade is a great way for them to hydrate as there is no sugar, natural electrolytes, and contains raw honey with antibacterial properties.

Hydrating – Boosts hydration levels without having to be limited to plain water. It’s also delicious both cold and warm for soothing throats!

Easy recipe – One of the easiest homemade swaps to get you started with your from scratch kitchen.

Perfect for the whole family – Easily double batch the recipe to make a gallon of lemonade for holidays, parties, or summer barbecues for a drink that everyone can enjoy.

Benefits of Homemade Honey Lemonade

You may have heard of all the benefits drinking lemon water each morning can provide such as increased vitamin c intake, improved skin, helps improve hydration, aids in digestion, and may even help prevent kidney stones.

Add raw honey to the mix and you now gained even more benefits in just one drink.

Raw honey is considered a liquid gold superfood loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and even contains prebiotics. It is naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. And it never goes bad!

closeup of a glass wide mouth mason jar with iced homemade lemonade garnished with a fresh mint sprig and lemon slice. A whole and halved lemon sitting on a blue and white flour sack towel next to the cup of lemonade

With all of these naturally occurring properties, honey is great for helping alleviate allergies, soothe sore throats and help with coughs, boost your immune system, improve gut health and aid in digestion … just to name a few.

Visit your local farmers market and source a high quality raw honey packed with nutrients and local pollen to help fight those seasonal allergies and boost your overall health.

half gallon mason jar with a pitcher lid handle full of homemade honey lemonade and a white with blue stripe antique stoneware bowl filled with lemons in the background

Kitchen Tools

Citrus reamer – I much prefer a reamer over a citrus press as I can extract more juice along with all of the healthy and delicious pulp.

Glass jar or pitcher – We love using half gallon mason jars with these pitcher tops.

Fine mesh strainer – The strainer helps to catch any seeds and then add back in the pulp if desired.

Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

Lemons – Freshly squeezed lemon juice provides the best flavor and the most health benefits compared to the more bitter and pasteurized bottled counterparts. Meyer lemons can be used for a smoother and sweeter flavor with subtle floral and citrus notes.

Honey – Raw honey is the only real honey. Could substitute for maple syrup or cane sugar but amounts may differ, refer to recipe FAQ.

Salt – Used to enhance and balance flavors along with adding electrolytes. Quality matters here. I always recommend pure real salt full of naturally occurring minerals, not processed bleached table salt. It is also one of the best ingredients to buy in bulk.

Water – Use filtered water for both health and overall flavor.

Find the full recipe and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

glass citrus reamer with whole lemons and lemons cut in half on a maple wood cutting board

How to Make Homemade Honey Lemonade

Step 1: Cut the lemons in half and juice into a measuring cup. Remove seeds but keep the lemon pulp.

Step 2: Combine the lemon juice, honey, and salt in a pitcher. Stir until mixed thoroughly and salt is dissolved.

Step 3: Add 6 cups water to the honey mixture and stir to combine ingredients.

Step 4: Chill in refrigerator or pour over ice and enjoy!

closeup of a glass wide mouth mason jar with iced honey lemonade garnished with a fresh mint sprig and lemon slice sitting next to a lemon cut in half and mint sprig on a blue and white flower sack towel

Tips

You can choose to slightly heat one cup of the water to dissolve the salt and any crystallized honey with the lemon juice before adding the remaining cups of water. Do not heat the water over 100 degrees Fahrenheit as it will begin to pasteurize the raw honey.
Serve warm to help soothe a sore throat or cough during sickness.
Garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of fresh mint leaves or lavender for an extra fancy way to serve.
Add in other fruit juices to make naturally flavored lemonades! The good kind of natural flavors, not the mystery ingredients on packaging labels.
Pair this fresh-squeezed lemonade half and half with some southern sweet tea for a tasty Arnold Palmer.

Storage

Store in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator for up to one week – if it’s not already guzzled up by the kiddos before then!

Give it a good shake before serving to ensure nothing has settled in the bottom of the pitcher.

Freezing

Freeze the lemon juice, honey, and salt mixture as a homemade swap for store-bought frozen lemonade concentrate. Store for up to six months in the freezer.

Simply thaw in the refrigerator and add water to always have quick and easy homemade lemonade on hand.

Recipe FAQ

Raw honey is a powerhouse of nutrients, alleviates seasonal allergies, and a natural and healthy alternative to sugar.

You can swap the honey with maple syrup, cane sugar, or another natural sweetener, but amounts may differ.

Maple syrup is typically the same amount as honey, but will alter the flavor.

If using cane sugar, you may need to use 3/4 of a cup or up to one full cup.

Yes! This easy honey lemonade recipe works great with limes to make a limeade instead.

Use the lemon peels for zest or lemon simple syrup.

Discard the lemon peels into a compost pile or in the kitchen sink to naturally clean the garbage disposal.

More Farmhouse Kitchen Recipes

Find more homemade recipes here!

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