Cool off with a refreshing glass of homemade cane sugar lemonade! Made with freshly squeezed lemons and natural cane sugar, this classic drink is perfectly sweet, tangy, and easy to make. There are no preservatives, just pure citrus flavor in every sip.
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Homemade lemonade is one of my favorite drinks to enjoy in the summer. When it is super hot outside, sometimes the only way to cool off is by drinking an ice-cold glass of fresh homemade lemonade.
I like to keep a pitcher in the fridge whenever I want a refreshing cold drink. I also like using it in my Strawberry Acai With Lemonade and Chambord Vodka Lemonade.
For more refreshing summer drinks, check out Strawberry Lemon Water, Lemon Lime Water, and Rhubarb Lemonade next!
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Why You'll Love This Sugar Cane Lemonade
- Made with only 3 ingredients.
- No preservatives or additives like store-bought lemonade.
- Quick and easy, it's ready in under 10 minutes.
- You can adjust the level of sweetness to suit your preference.
- Economical - much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store.
Recipe Ingredients
Make this homemade cane sugar lemonade with only 3 ingredients:
- Large lemons. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the best flavor. You can also make it with bottled lemon juice, but the flavor won't be as good. Juice your lemons with a citrus juicer, or use an electric juicer to make it even easier.
- Cane sugar. I used cane sugar, but feel free to use your favorite sweetener, like granulated white sugar, or substitute Truvia or Stevia for a sugar-free lemonade. Honey would also be a good natural sweetener.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Old-Fashioned Lemonade With Cane Sugar
Quick Overview
- Make lemon simple syrup.
- Cool simple syrup.
- Combine water, cane sugar, and simple syrup.
- Add ice cubes and serve.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Combine cane sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the juice and zest of one lemon or the rind - just the yellow, not the bitter white pith. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once it boils, remove it from the heat. Steep the lemon rind for 5 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the lemon flavor will be. Strain and discard the lemon peel, cool the syrup to room temperature and store it in a glass jar or bottle (Images 1 + 2).
- Juice the fresh lemons and add the juice directly to a large pitcher with the homemade simple syrup.
- Add 1 to 2 cups or so of ice and top it off with cold water. Stir it all up with a long-handled spoon. Do a taste test and add more lemon juice to make it more tart or more simple syrup to make it sweeter. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh mint (Images 3 + 4).
Jeri's Tip
To get the most juice from a lemon, soak it in warm water for 30 minutes first or microwave for 10-20 seconds.
Variations
- Limeade - Use half limes and half lemons for limeade.
- Fizzy - Use carbonated water for a fizzy lemonade instead of regular water.
- Spicy - add a thinly sliced jalapeno pepper to the lemonade for a spicy kick.
- Fruity - add fresh raspberries or strawberries for a fruity taste.
- Herbs - add fresh mint, basil, or rosemary to the lemonade.
- Alcohol - add one shot of vodka or gin for an adult-only lemonade, fill the glass ¾ full with prepared lemonade, and top off the rest with sparkling water! Garnish with slices of jalapeno, lemon slices, or fresh mint!
Top Tips
- Store lemon simple syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Store homemade lemonade in the fridge in an airtight pitcher for up to 1 week. Stir well before using.
- After you mix up the lemonade, fill an ice cube tray with lemonade and freeze. When you serve the lemonade, use the lemonade ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes. That way, when your ice melts, it won't water down your lemonade. 🙂
- This lemonade will have the best flavor if it sits in the fridge for several hours before serving. This will give time for the flavors to meld together.
Recipe FAQs
On average, 1 lemon gives about 3 tablespoons of juice. This means it will take about 6 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice.
Yes, you can use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh, but the flavor won't be as vibrant.
If it's too tart, add more simple syrup. If it's too sweet, a splash of more lemon juice or cold water.
I make lemon simple syrup because if you add sugar to cold water and lemon juice the sugar will not dissolve and sink to the bottom of the pitcher. However, by heating water and sugar together, the sugar will dissolve.
Yes, use juice of 1 lemon, 2-3 tablespoons of lemon simple syrup, ¾ cup cold water, and about ½ cup of ice.
Yes, you can make lemonade with brown sugar. However, dark brown sugar will give it a richer, caramel flavor and will make it a bit darker.
Yes, you could substitute powdered sugar (also known as confectioners' sugar) for granulated sugar. However, as powdered sugar contains cornstarch, it may affect the flavor, and not in a good way.
Yes, you can make lemonade without sugar by using sugar substitutes or no sugar at all. Unsweetened lemonade will be quite tart but can be refreshing, especially if served cold with plenty of ice.
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Printable Recipe
Cane Sugar Lemonade
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cane sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- peel of 1 lemon
Lemonade Ingredients
- 1½ cups lemon juice freshly squeezed, about 8 lemons
- 6 cups cold water
- 1 cup lemon simple syrup
- 1-2 cups ice cubes
- mint leaves for garnish optional
- lemon wheel or lemon wedges for garnish optional
Instructions
Lemon Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine cane sugar and water. Zest a lemon or peel a lemon, avoiding the white pith, and juice it.1 cup water, 2 cups cane sugar, juice of 1 lemon, peel of 1 lemon
- Add both zest and juice to the saucepan. Heat on medium heat until it reaches a low boil.
- Remove from heat; let the zest steep for a few minutes to intensify the flavor. Strain out the zest and discard. Pour lemon simple syrup into a glass jar and let it come to room temperature before using.
Homemade Lemonade
- Juice additional lemons and pour the juice into a large pitcher.1½ cups lemon juice
- Add the cooled lemon simple syrup and 1-2 cups of ice to the pitcher. Fill with cold water and stir well.1 cup lemon simple syrup, 1-2 cups ice cubes, 6 cups cold water
- Add more lemon juice if you want it stronger or more simple syrup to make it sweeter.
- Garnish with lemon wedges or fresh mint and serve. Enjoy!lemon wheel or lemon wedges for garnish, mint leaves for garnish
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Notes
- Store lemon simple syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Store homemade lemonade in the fridge in an airtight pitcher for up to 1 week. Stir well before using.
- After you mix up the lemonade, fill an ice cube tray with lemonade and freeze. When you serve the lemonade, use the lemonade ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes. That way, when your ice melts, it won't water down your lemonade. 🙂
- This lemonade will have the best flavor if it sits in the fridge for several hours before serving. This will give time for the flavors to meld together.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! You can't really beat homemade lemonade on a hot Summer day! It was 102 here today so I just had to whip this up, it was so refreshing!!
Jeri says
I'm so glad you liked it! It's a great way to beat the heat! 🙂
Anaiah says
I love making homemade lemonade and this recipe was perfect. I added the mint leaves and it made it even more refreshing. I'll definitely be having this drink all summer long!
Jeri says
I'm glad you liked it! The mint gives it awesome flavor!
Jean says
I love the idea of making this as cocktail too to serve with friends. Such a hit with them.
Jeri says
It's a yummy cocktail for sure!
Gina Abernathy says
A very refreshing drink for the summer. I have some lemons just waiting to be turned into lemonade.