This refreshing and tart homemade mint lemonade recipe makes me feel like I am on vacation! Low in sugar but packed with sweet and sour flavors, this mint lemonade is one of my favorite mid afternoon summer drinks.
Whenever the weather gets warm I crave a big glass of lemonade. But not just any kind of lemonade – it has to be fresh and not too sweet.
When I order lemonade at a cafe or a restaurant, I always ask them to use less sugar since I enjoy the tartness of freshly squeezed lemons. When I make it at home I like to add fresh herbs to add an extra pop of flavor. I’m a big fan of mint julep and I also love making my own mojitos because of the minty aspect of the cocktail. This gave me the idea to add fresh mint leaves to my own homemade lemonade since I already knew that mint and lemons paired well.
And I wasn’t wrong – it turns out that a glass of fresh mint lemonade is even more refreshing than the regular kind! Muddling mint leaves add a cooling effect and marry beautifully with the sweet and tartness of this popular summer drink.
Table of contents
Lemonade Ingredients
- Lemons: When choosing lemons at the grocery store, I always pick the bright yellow ones that are the heaviest. I grab one and weigh it in my hand while comparing it to others. The heavier ones are more juicy and fresh, but the skin should still be firm. Too soft means the lemon is old and probably very bitter in taste.
- Sugar: I use simple granulated sugar but light brown sugar is also okay. Or, if you would like to make it entirely sugar-free, I recommend using monk fruit sugar. It’s quickly become my favorite sugar substitute since it doesn’t have an after taste like stevia has. And it’s easy to use since the ratio is 1:1 with regular sugar.
- Mint: Get a big bunch of fresh mint since you will need 30 to 40 leaves! The leaves are muddled to release their flavor and also add a beautiful green color to the drink.
- Water: 6 cups of cold water are needed for this recipe. Tap water is okay to use but I prefer distilled or filtered water since they taste better and are cleaner.
How To Make It
- Make simple syrup. Place a quarter cup of sugar into a small pot with half a cup of water and heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves.
- Make freshly squeezed lemon juice. Juice about 6 or 7 lemons and get rid of the seeds. This should come to about 3/4 cup of lemon juice. You can keep the pulp or strain it out. However, if you keep it, it tends to add little tart pops of flavor when drinking (so my personal preference is to keep it).
- Combine the ingredients. Add the simple syrup and the lemon juice to a pitcher and stir. Add the water and stir. If you plan on drinking it right away, add some ice cubes.
- Muddle the mint. Add 6 to 10 mint leaves to a tall glass and use a pestle to gently muddle the leaves for a few seconds. I like to muddle the mint leaves directly into the glass to release their refreshing taste and aroma. Pour a tiny bit of lemonade in the glass and muddle again for a few more seconds.
- Serve it. Fill the glass with ice cube and lemonade and serve
Recipe Variations
This is a classic recipe for a simple lemonade served with some mint leaves. If you are looking to play it up and serve something a little more creative, here are other options and flavor combinations you might enjoy:
- Use sparkling or soda water instead of regular water for a fizzy lemonade.
- Add sliced strawberries or better yet, muddled strawberries, for a fruitier taste.
- Use fresh limes instead of lemons for a tangy limeade.
- Use basil instead of mint for an herbaceous drink.
- Use black tea instead of water to turn this lemonade into an Arnold Palmer drink.
There are so many ways to turn this simple lemonade recipe into something extra!
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a pestle, use the handle part of a screwdriver or a meat pounder, or place an empty beer bottle in a ziploc bag. Make sure all the air has been sucked out before you start pounding.
- To prevent the ice cubes from diluting the flavor of the lemonade, make some lemonade ice cubes! Make an additional 2 cups of lemonade and fill 2 to 3 ice cube trays with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can. It can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days. However, only use the mint leaves right before serving otherwise they will lose their vibrant color and look wilted.
Yes it will. This lemonade can be enjoyed without any herbs or additional ingredients.
That depends on the lemonade you are drinking. If you are drinking a lemonade that’s low in sugar – such as this one – the answer is yes. Lemons are very high in vitamin C which is good for the skin and to boost immunity. However, if you are drinking a lemonade that’s high in sugar (some of them contain as much sugar as a can of Coca-Cola!), the answer is you probably shouldn’t, as it may cause weight gain and many other health issues.
What To Serve It With
A fresh lemonade like this one pairs best with other refreshing dishes like a watermelon, strawberry and tomatillo salad or some chilled soba noodles (zaru soba). Or when I have people over and plan on serving bite size snacks, I usually pick simples ones like these spicy tuna rolls, broccoli tots for my plant based friends, or these tasty edamame with soy sand sesame sauce.
Other simple and refreshing drinks to try:
Print
Low Sugar Mint Lemonade
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 drinks 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
A delicious and refreshing tart mint lemonade recipe that will make you feel like you’re on vacation!
Ingredients
- 6 lemons
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 cups cold water
- 30–40 mint leaves
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup. Put sugar along with 1/2 cup water in a small pot and cook on low until the sugar has dissolved (1 minute). Let cool for a few minutes.
- Juice the lemons. And get rid of the seeds. Add the lemon juice to a pitcher and add 4 cups of water.
- Mix it all up. Add sugar syrup to the pitcher and mix well.
- Muddle the mint. Put 6-10 mint leaves into each cup and muddle for a few seconds using a pestle. Add a little lemonade and muddle for a few more seconds.
- Serve it. Finish this lemonade recipe by filling each glass 3/4 full and adding a few ice cubes.
Optional: Add more water or plenty of ice cubes if you find the lemonade too strong.
Notes
Keep this lemonade in a jar or pitcher and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drink
- Calories: 74
- Sugar: 14.7g
- Sodium: 2.2mg
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20.7g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
I look forward to making this for St. Patrick’s Day! Oh, and good news…10 glasses for $8 is $0.80/glass, not $1.25. 🙂
Oh geez, how embarrassing with the miscalculation :/ Thanks for catching that, Rana! Happy St-Patrick’s Day! 🙂
Love this recipe! Used to work at LPQ, the lemonade is made with a little orange juice, lemon juice, water and full sweetened with agave. Then fresh mint is muddled with hot water and topped with the lemonade! It’s so yummy!
Thank you for this recipe!
I used only 3 lemons and it was tart enough for us! Also poured the hot simple syrup on the mint in the pitcher- delicious! Perfect drink for summer!
Its really good taste and affordable at home. Good tas
I usually don’t like lemonade because it’s too sweet. Given the challenge to make lemonade I searched for low sugar and found this delight! It was perfect. I can also confirm if you need an adult cocktail it tastes very very good with a shot of bourbon in the glass.
This is perfect lemonade. A+! Will be making as often as possible.
Love this Mint Lemonade recipe! Thank you for sharing this! I’ll definitely make one at home since I’m all for anything healthy and green.
your article is very good. I can’t wait to try it at home. Thank you for sharing the recipe with me. I’m waiting for your next article.
They serve a drink like this on Qatar Airways when you board and if you’re flying from a hot middle eastern country it’s the BEST!! But super sweet. I’ve been making my version by steeping mint leaves with the simple syrup then adding fresh leaves to the pitcher. I’m addicted!! And I suspect I’m going to get addicted to your blog – looks like my cuppa … mint lemonade! 🙂 (And by cup I mean 40oz tumbler)
I’m so glad this was posted. My sisters and I were on the porch last night and she’s got a lot of container herbs going on and she was saying I’ve got lots of mint! Perfect timing indeed. I love how you make the recipes so much healthier. I’m so glad I came across your blog and keep the recipes coming!
Thank you Deanna, I’m so happy you enjoy my recipes and I hope you and your sister enjoy the lemonade!
Can I just add all the mint into the pitcher? Or will that ruin it somehow?
Hi Francis, you can certainly muddle the mint in the pitcher if you’re planning to drink the whole thing the same day. Otherwise it’s best to do it before serving so the mint doesn’t disintegrate and lose its bright green color 🙂
Thank you for that memory. Now I will try your recipe!!
Your recipe has been featured here > https://sweetmeetsbakeshop.com/2016/08/20/homemade-pink-lemonade-3-ways-wlemon-peels-lemon-fun-facts/
Happy Saturday and keep on drinking!
Thank you, your post looks great!
I love lemonade. I make a 32 Oz glass w/ a half lemon squeezed and the meat scraped into the glass as I love to eat it. I pop in a sweet n low and as many ice cubes as I want. I know that sweetner isn’t supposed to be good for me but I want to keep my sugar usage down and I hate stevie and agave.
Hi Linda, I’m the same when it comes to stevia – not big on the taste which is why you never see it in my recipes. And agave is just as bad as regular sugar so you’re not missing out on any nutritional benefits 😉
Adding the entire lemon to the lemonade is a great idea I will definitely try!
Yummy goodness is there a ginger lemonade recipe tko
Ginger lemonade, what a great idea! I’ll think of something just for you April 🙂
This looks so beautiful, I love such low sugar drinks! And your pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Evi!