Single serving lemonade guarantees a fresh glass every time. Perfect for when you don't want to squeeze lemons for days or you're an empty nester and really just need one glass.
Why You'll Love This Lemonade for One
- Freshness: fresh lemon juice only lasts for four days in the refrigerator and then its quality drops. Lemon juice that's gone bad will darken and the flavor will change. Yes, the sugar you add does act like a preservative somewhat but not indefinitely. If you're not going to drink all the lemonade with a few days, best to go with single servings.
- Convenience: Making just one cup of lemonade is easy and quick if you keep simple syrup on hand. You need 1.5 ounces of fresh lemon juice--equal to one medium to large lemon. You can squeeze that much juice in a minute or two.
- Experiment: If you make just one glass, you can play with adding your favorite flavors to your lemonade without potentially ruining a whole batch. Try muddling a tablespoon of blueberries or strawberries or raspberries in the bottom of your glass to make a fruity, pink lemonade.
- Thrift: If you need to zest a lemon, you could squeeze out the juice after zesting and make a glass of lemonade. I have a habit of zesting and then forgetting I've got a lemon or two to use up.
Ingredients for One Serving Lemonade
- Fresh lemon juice (don't use artificial, the drink will suck)
- Simple syrup (make your own in minutes, see Recipe Notes)
- Cold water
- Ice
See recipe for amounts
Homemade Lemonade Recipe Notes
Make simple syrup by combining equal parts granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then immediately lower the heat. Simmer about five minutes or until sugar has dissolved and you're left with a thin syrup.
If you don't have simple syrup or don't want to make it, you can substitute a tablespoon of granulated sugar or a tablespoon of brown sugar.
If you need to do the granulated sugar substitution, I recommend adding it to your lemon juice in a mason jar or some sort of cup with lid and shaking it really hard until the sugar dissolves. The proceed with the recipe.
If you have questions about working with lemons, I've got answers, including Can you freeze lemon zest? and How long do lemons last?
If you like homemade lemonade, you might enjoy a Lemon Drop Shot or one of my popular recipes here, Lemon Drop Martini (3-Ingredient Recipe with Limoncello.
Do you know all the lemon varieties?
Ratio of Lemon Juice to Simple Syrup to Water for Lemonade
| Lemonade Servings | Fresh Lemon Juice (ounces) | Simple Syrup (ounces) | Water (ounces) |
| 1 glass | 1.5 | 1.5 | 6 |
| 2 glasses | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 1 quart | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| ½ gallon | 16 | 16 | 32 |
| 1 gallon | 32 | 32 | 64 |
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Recipe
Single Serving Lemonade
Single serving lemonade guarantees a fresh glass every time. Perfect for when you don't want to squeeze lemons for days or you're an empty nester and really just need one glass.
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces fresh lemon juice (from juice of one large lemon or 2 medium lemons)
- 1.5 ounces simple syrup
- 6 ounces water
- Ice (at least a cup or two)
- lemon twist or wedge for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cut large to medium size lemon in half.
Juice each half into a glass liquid measuring cup using a fork or a citrus reamer.
Measure 1.5 ounces of lemon juice into a mason jar.
Measure 1.5 ounces of simple syrup and add to the jar.
Add six ounces of cold water to the jar, put lid on it and shake jar vigorously for at least 60 seconds.
Pour over a glass full of ice.
Garnish with a lemon twist or a lemon slice if you like.
Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Make simple syrup by combining equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook until sugar has dissolved--about 5 minutes. Let cool.
If you don't want to make simple syrup, do not buy it. Substitute a tablespoon of granulated sugar for the simple syrup.
If you need to do the granulated sugar substitution, I recommend adding it to your lemon juice in a mason jar or some sort of cup with lid and shaking it really hard until the sugar dissolves. The proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 110Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 11mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 2gSugar 23gProtein 1g
Sharon
Love this! It was perfect for one person and I had a couple of strawberries that were on their last legs so I took your advice and muddled those in with the lemonade. Yum!
Jennifer
That sounds delicious Sharon!
Rachna
I loved this idea of fresh lemonade for a single glass. Sometimes that's what I want. Perfect recipe.
Lisa
I love using freshly squeezed lemons to make lemonade and this single-serve recipe is perfect for having the freshest juice in each glass. I've got a supply of fresh lemons on hand just for this drink.
Jennifer
Agreed, fresh lemonade is really the best drink of summer.
Ellen
My son loves this lemonade for one. He makes it all the time. We call him the Lemonade Kid!
Jennifer
Nice! And homemade lemonade with the boost of Vitamin C is so much better for him than other potential drink choices!
Jenn
I made this as a treat for myself after a few hours in the garden. It was so refreshing and I felt so energized afterwards too. I will totally make this again soon!
Shilpa
Ok this is game changing! I sometimes put off making lemonade as I don’t want to deal with a large batch but not any more! Thank you for sharing.
Anne
This was perfect for a quick, refreshing drink. I appreciated the simplicity and not having to find room for a pitcher in the fridge!