Refreshing Watermelon Lemonade Recipe

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

If you are looking to make the most refreshing drink for the summer, this watermelon lemonade recipe is the best. Made with fresh juicy watermelons, freshly squeezed lemonade, and a homemade simple recipe, this is the easiest and the best thirst quencher.

My boys love lemonade and they especially love the pink lemonade! When the summer is in full swing and there is fresh watermelon everywhere in sight, I thought, this is the best time to treat my boys to the refreshing and healthier pink lemonade at home.

A pitcher and two glasses of watermelon lemonade with lemon pieces on side.

A super delicious drink recipe can't get any easier than this watermelon lemonade. This recipe (more like blend and combine) needs just 3 ingredients (and 4 if you include water).

We often find it a struggle to finish a whole watermelon within a couple of days after cutting open a huge fruit. This lemonade is the perfect solution to use the excess watermelon.

A pitcher of watermelon lemonade with lemon slice garnish.

Why you'll love this watermelon lemonade

Refreshing and fresh - This is the most refreshing drink and the best thirst quencher with the goodness of watermelon and lemon.

Better than store-bought drinks - Seriously making our lemonade is so much better than any of the store-bought drinks. They are much healthier and have no additives. Just straight and clean ingredients.

Crowd-pleaser - This is a great choice of drink to make for a crowd.

Cost-effective - These fruit-based lemonades are so much cheaper to make than buying from stores. Especially when we are making it for a crowd.

Easy to customize - Anytime we make these fruity lemonades at home, the flavors are so easy to customize depending on the individual. Make it more sweet or sour or fruity like you wish.

Top view of two glasses with pink lemonade and ice.

If you are looking to make more watermelon recipes, give one of these a try -

Ingredients needed

Ingredients labeled to make watermelon lemonade.

Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable recipe.

We just need three main ingredients -

Watermelon - Choose good quality, seedless watermelon. Buy whole fruit rather than cut slices as it is much cost effective.

Lemon - To make the best lemonade we need to start with fresh lemons. Bottled lemon juice just doesn't have the same flavor of freshness.

Sugar - I just use my regular organic sugar. Instead of using sugar in the lemonade, I make a simple syrup with sugar and water.

Add-ons - If you prefer, we can meddle some fresh mint along with the lemon and add it to the watermelon lemonade. Instead of water, we could use soda to make it bubbly. Use your imagination and add on ingredients as you like.

Step-by-step process

To make the simple syrup -

Combine 1 cup of sugar along with 1 cup of water in a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
Bring the mixture to a simmer for a couple of minutes and then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
The simple syrup is now ready to use lemonade.

Prep the watermelon -

Peel the watermelon, taking care to entirely remove the rinds and seeds (if any).
Chop the watermelon into cubes making it easy to place in a blender jar to grind.

Prep the lemons -

Using a citrus squeeze/extractor, squeeze the lemons, filter them, and keep them aside.

Blend -

Blend the prepared watermelon pieces in a blender until smooth. Repeat until all the chopped watermelon pieces are blended.

Strain -

Place a cheesecloth over a mesh strainer and pour the blended watermelon into it.
Let the watermelon strain and then mash the remaining pulp to squeeze out as much juice as possible.

Combine -

To the strained watermelon juice, add the squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup and mix well.
The quantity of watermelon to simple syrup and lemon juice varies depending on the flavor and sweetness of watermelon.
Taste the lemonade and adjust the quantities as needed.

Adding lemon juice and sugar syrup to wagtermelon juice and pouring it in glass.

Serve -

Pour the watermelon lemonade into glasses over ice and serve. Garnish with mint, if preferred.

Pouring pink lemonade in a glass with ice.

Expert tips

Make sure to use seedless watermelon as that makes the prep work much easier.
Take the extra time and effort to make simple sugar rather than adding sugar directly. This makes a big difference in flavor.
Use freshly extracted lemon juice. They make the best lemonade.
The quantities of ingredients listed below in the recipe card are a starting point. Taste the lemonade and make adjustments.
You can add herbs like mint or basil to flavor them further. I usually add fresh mint from the garden in summer.
If you want to make a lemonade with fizz, add club soda instead of water before serving.

A pitcher and two glasses of pink lemoande.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the watermelon lemonade ahead of time?

Yes, we can make the lemonade up to a couple of days before and keep it in the refrigerator. The lemonade will look like it is separated. Mix well before serving.

Can I use frozen watermelon to make this lemonade?

Yes, Absolutely. If you have excess watermelon, cut them into cubes and store them in the freezer. They will work great to make watermelon lemonade.

More drinks recipe

Recipe Card