Watermelon Lemonade
The ultimate summer sipper, this Juicy Watermelon Lemonade is sweet and refreshing – and only just slightly tart. The perfect summer beverage for cooling off on a hot day.
Watermelon Lemonade Recipe
Anyone else have a hard time resisting grabbing a fresh, ripe watermelon almost every time you hit up the grocery store or a farmer’s market in the summer?
For a special treat, instead of serving it sliced up, try making it into a juicy, sweet and refreshing watermelon lemonade. It’s perfect for serving at BBQs or summer parties, or just enjoying with the kids in the backyard. The vibrant color is so inviting and unlike a lot of lemonades, it’s actually a thirst-quencher thanks to the high water count of the watermelon.
I have some tips for picking out a ripe, juicy watermelon below but if you can’t find a ripe watermelon easily (or they are super overpriced where you live), you can use frozen watermelon chunks instead.
Tip: Skip the ice cubes and instead add some frozen watermelon chunks or freeze some extra watermelon juice in an ice cube tray to make frozen watermelon juice ice cubes to keep this watermelon lemonade icy cold without watering down it’s flavor.
Variations on this Watermelon Lemonade Recipe:
- add Sprite or use a fizzy lemonade like San Pellegrino for a pineapple lemonade punch
- add fruit syrups or chopped fruits for a fruity touch
- made a watermelon limeade by swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice
- add a teaspoon of grenadine or cherry syrup to the bottom of each glass
- add booze for a grown-ups only version (use plain, pineapple or coconut flavors of vodka, gin or rum)
- use pre-made lemonade (even pink lemonade)
- make into popsicles by pouring the mixture into a popsicle mold and freezing
- muddle mint leaves on the bottom of the pitcher or each glass for a mint-infused watermelon lemonade.
How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon
Here are some tips to help you pick the perfect sweet watermelon for this recipe:
- Look for the field spot. Look for a lighter spot where the watermelon rested in the field: it’s called a field spot. If the field spot is white, it’s unripe: if the spot is yellow, it’s ripe.
- Dense is good. Buy a watermelon that seems heavy for it’s size.
- Thump it lightly. The watermelon should sound slightly hollow when knocked lightly.
This watermelon lemonade should be stored in the fridge if not serving immediately. It will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
For a sugar-free watermelon lemonade, skip the homemade simple syrup and make the watermelon lemonade with just water, lemon juice and blended watermelon. Sweeten with honey or your desired natural sweetener.
Watermelon Lemonade Ingredients
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: use frozen watermelon chunks if you can’t find a ripe watermelon.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus juicer <– I love how easy our glass juicer is to clean and it’s also so pretty!
- Sharp kitchen knife, optional
- Cutting board, optional
How to Make Watermelon Lemonade
Combine 1/2 cup water and sugar in a saucepan and set over high heat.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat and cool.
Meanwhile, place watermelon in a blender and puree until smooth.
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour watermelon puree over to remove any seeds or thick pieces of watermelon.
Measure out 3 cups of watermelon puree into a pitcher.
Add the sugar-water syrup into the pitcher, followed by the lemon juice and the remaining 3 cups water.
Taste and adjust to personal preferences.
Serve over ice with a watermelon wedge garnish.
Pin this Watermelon Lemonade for a delicious summer treat:
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Watermelon Lemonade
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups Water
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 7 cups Cubed Watermelon (approximately 1 seedless or 1/2 normal watermelon)
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup water and sugar in a saucepan and set over high heat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat and cool.
- Meanwhile, place watermelon in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour watermelon puree over to remove any seeds or thick pieces of watermelon.
- Measure out 3 cups of watermelon puree into a pitcher.
- Add the sugar-water syrup into the pitcher, followed by the lemon juice and the remaining 3 cups water.
- Taste and adjust to personal preferences.
- Serve over ice with a watermelon wedge garnish.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 91Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 1g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy watermelon lemonade as much as mine does!
For more delicious drinks, check out our full (non-alcoholic) drink recipe collection here:
For more easy summer recipes, check out our full collection here.
Wow! So amazing and thirst quenching. BEST LEMONADE EVER!
Aw, Mallory, I’m so glad you liked it – thank you for coming back to let me know!