Looking for a refreshing summer drink but don't want to share? This single serving lemonade is perfect for making a tall glass of your favorite drink. No pitchers are required.
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Lemonade is an incredible drink, and I love it so much I'd drink it all day, every day if I could, but sometimes making an entire pitcher's worth isn't necessary. And that's why it's great for smaller batch lemonade recipes like this one.
Serve up your Single Serving Lemonade with this delicious Easy 4 Ingredient Scone Recipe or some Orange Creamsicle Fluff. Perfect for a light brunch!
Looking for more lemonade? Check out my Strawberry Pink Lemonade, Orange Lemonade, and Pickle Lemonade. These flavored lemonades are sure to turn some heads, but sometimes you just can't beat the classics!
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Minimal effort. When you have a single drink, you have far less of each ingredient or space needed. Mix everything together in one glass, and you're good to go.
- Tangy and sweet. This drink is honestly a scaled down version of my Old Fashioned Lemonade, and the proportions are perfect. Not too sweet and not too tart, this lemonade is strong and well balanced.
- You can make two smaller glasses if desired. This Single Serving Lemonade will fill a 16-ounce cup to the top, but if desired, you can make the lemonade mixture in a tall cup and then divide it between two smaller cups of ice for a drink to share with someone else. You can even add in a little flavoring to make Blue Raspberry Lemonade.
🛒 Ingredients
Lemon juice- You'll need some lemon juice for this lemonade. You can use fresh squeezed or lemon juice concentrate, depending on what you have on hand.
Water- You'll need some hot water to dissolve the sugar and create the base of this lemonade. While we usually make Microwave Simple Syrup, it won't be necessary for this small of a batch.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Lemon Juice. If you don't have real lemons on hand, you can use concentrate in a pinch. You can also use it to bring the fresh lemon juice up to the required measurement so you can keep that strong lemon flavor.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use bottled lemon juice. Fresh lemons are great, but bottled lemon juice is much cheaper and lasts longer. Perfect for single-serve recipes.
Buy lemons in bulk when on sale. If you prefer fresh juice, grab lemons when they're cheap, then juice and freeze the extra in ice cube trays for later.
Skip garnishes. Lemon slices look nice but aren't necessary. Leaving them out keeps the cost down.
Stretch the serving. Add extra ice or cold water to make the drink last longer without using more ingredients.
🥄 Instructions for Single Serving Lemonade
Step 1: Add your sugar to a tall 16-ounce drinking glass.
Step 2: Add in your warm water and stir until the sugar looks dissolved.
Step 3: Add in the lemon juice and stir to mix.
Step 4: Now add in ice and stir again to cool the drink down.
Step 5: Add some sliced lemons for garnish (if using).
Serve immediately and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- For more lemon juice, microwave fresh lemons for 10-30 seconds. Before slicing, roll them on the counter to extract more juice, as if rolling out dough.
- Dissolve sugar in about ¼ cup of warm water; then add cold water. Using all cold water is feasible but requires longer stirring to dissolve sugar.
❄️ Storage
Storage: Single serving lemonade is best enjoyed immediately.
If you made enough for two glasses and want to save the untouched portion, store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Once you drink from a glass, leftovers won't keep well, so only refrigerate portions that haven't been sipped from.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
This Single Serving Lemonade pairs wonderfully with light snacks and brunch treats like scones, muffins, fresh fruit, or Orange Creamsicle Fluff. It's also a refreshing companion to simple lunches, sandwiches, or any summer picnic foods.
- Big Fluffy Scones RecipeRecipe $1.38 / Serving $0.23
- Orange Creamsicle FluffRecipe $4.39 / Serving $0.44
- Red Potato SaladRecipe $5.78 / Serving $0.58
- Party Sub RecipeRecipe $5.61 / Serving $0.70
❓ Recipe FAQs
Lemonade is a combination of lemon juice, water, and sugar (or another sweetener). It's an uncarbonated drink that has been around for centuries. Of course, some lemonade recipes can add even more ingredients to make it more unique, like our Whipped Frozen Lemonade.
You can add in just about anything and have it taste great! Adding in a little fruit juice or fresh fruits can really add a lot of flavors and color. You can even add in fresh herbs like mint for a refreshing spin.
Honestly, it's cheaper to buy pre-bought lemonade than it is to squeeze your own lemons for lemonade. That said, homemade is better because you are in control of the ingredients and can omit preservatives and reduce sugars as desired.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Strawberry Banana Orange SmoothieRecipe $1.67 / Serving $0.84
- Banana Oreo MilkshakeRecipe $2.15
- Keto Italian SodaRecipe $1.31
- Creamy LemonadeRecipe $2.74 / Serving $0.27
🐝 If you tried this single serving lemonade, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Single Serving Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - ($0.09)
- ¾ cup cold water - ($0.00)
- ¼ cup hot water - ($0.00)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice - ($0.22)
- ice cubes - ($0.00)
Optional Garnish
- 1 small lemon, sliced - ($0.58)
Instructions
- Dissolve sugar. Add the granulated sugar to a tall 16 ounce glass, pour in the warm water, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add lemon. Stir in the lemon juice until combined.
- Chill. Add ice cubes and stir again to cool the drink.
- Garnish and serve. Add sliced lemon if using and serve immediately.
Notes
- Substitutions. Lemon concentrate can be used in place of fresh lemon juice or to boost lemon flavor.
- Recipe Tips. Warm water helps dissolve sugar quickly. For extra juice, microwave lemons for 10 to 30 seconds before squeezing.
- Storage. Best served fresh. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days, noting flavor may decline after drinking from the container.
Nutritional Information
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