Mint Lemonade offers a refreshing update to classic lemonade using just three main ingredients. Bright lemon juice, a touch of sugar, and fresh mint combine for a crisp, balanced drink that’s perfect for warm days.
If you enjoy lemon-forward recipes, try the lemon ricotta pancakes, baked lemon pudding, homemade lemon bread, or lemon cheesecake bars.
A Refreshing Twist on Classic Lemonade
An ice-cold glass of homemade lemonade is a summer staple. Adding fresh mint elevates it into a light, restorative mocktail with an herbal lift that enhances the citrus and offers a natural cooling sensation.
The mint infuses bright, fresh notes without overpowering the lemon, creating a perfectly balanced beverage that’s easy to make and easy to enjoy.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Recipe Highlights
- Mint Lemonade Recipe
- Notes on Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Walkthrough
- Recipe Modifications
Notes on Ingredients
- Lemons: Always use fresh-squeezed lemon juice for the best bright flavor. Bottled lemon juice lacks the same vibrancy and often contains preservatives.
- Mint: Use fresh spearmint (often sold simply as “mint”), not peppermint. Spearmint has a milder, sweeter flavor that complements lemonade well.
- Sweetener: Granulated sugar is traditional and easy to adjust. Make the lemonade sweeter or less sweet to taste.
How to Make Homemade Mint Lemonade
These tips will help you get consistent results. Exact ingredient amounts and full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Make simple syrup. Heat sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves. Warm syrup blends into cold lemonade more easily than dry sugar, ensuring even sweetness.
- Muddle the mint. Add mint leaves to the warm simple syrup and gently press them with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to release their oils. Let the leaves steep briefly to infuse the syrup.
- Juice the lemons. Cut lemons in half and juice them into a measuring cup. Strain the juice to remove seeds and excess pulp for a smooth lemonade.
Kristen’s Tip
Microwaving lemons for 20 seconds and then rolling them firmly on the counter before juicing helps release more juice and makes juicing easier.
- Strain the syrup. Pour the mint-infused simple syrup through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the mint leaves so the finished lemonade stays bright rather than slightly bitter.
- Combine and chill. In a large pitcher, mix the strained mint syrup, lemon juice, and cold water. Adjust sweetness and dilution to taste.
- Serve. Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.
More Refreshing Beverages
- Fruit-Infused Water
- Mango Smoothie
- Watermelon Sangria
- Blueberry Smoothie with Hidden Veggies
- Pina Colada Smoothie
Did you make this recipe?
If you tried it and loved it, please leave a comment and a review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Mint Lemonade
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water for simple syrup
- 1 bunch fresh mint stems removed (about 20–25 leaves)
- 6 large lemons for about ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 5 cups water for lemonade
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
- Place the mint leaves in a heat-safe container and add the warm simple syrup. Gently muddle the leaves 4–5 times to release their oils, then let them steep in the syrup for 10 minutes.
- While the mint steeps, juice 6 large lemons into a fine-mesh strainer until you have about ¾ cup lemon juice.
- Strain the mint leaves from the syrup using a fine-mesh strainer.
- In a large pitcher, combine the remaining 5 cups water, lemon juice, mint-flavored simple syrup, and 1 cup ice. Stir, then taste and adjust sweetness or dilution as desired.
- Serve over ice with additional lemon slices and mint sprigs if desired.
Notes
Tip for juicing lemons: Microwave lemons for 20 seconds and roll them on the counter before cutting to release more juice.
Mint: Spearmint (sold as “mint”) works best for this recipe.
Sugar: This version uses less sugar than many lemonade recipes. Increase sugar to taste if you prefer a sweeter drink.
Storing: Keep mint lemonade refrigerated for 5–7 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.