Best Lemon Popsicles

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This is the BEST recipe for lemon popsicles (in my opinion!). While this easy popsicle recipe has only 3 ingredients, I tested over 10 different versions of this recipe to get the perfect ratio of sugar, lemon, and water. The result? A lemon popsicle with just the right amount of tanginess and sweetness, that's satisfyingly bite-able (not hard and icy!).

hand holding lemon popsicle above tray filled with more lemon popsicles and lemon slices.

Note: this post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2024 with improved instructions.

Lemon popsicles have to be one of the most refreshing summer treats out there! And, even though there are only three basic ingredients (fresh lemon, cold water, and sugar), I think this easy lemon popsicle recipe is really the best (if I do say so myself!).

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The secret to the best lemon popsicles
Recipe ingredients
Equipment needed
Tips and tricks
Step by step photos
Storage instructions
Recipe FAQs
Related recipes
📖 Recipe

The secret to the best lemon popsicles

After testing over TEN different variations of this recipe, including researching the ratio of sugar in store-bought lemon popsicles as a comparison, I finally figured out the secret to making the best homemade lemon popsicle: you need way less water than you would think!

When I tried making a popsicle mixture similar to lemonade that you would drink, the result was a hard, icy popsicle with an underwhelming lemon flavor.

Instead, what we need is a super-duper concentrated popsicle mix that turns the dial way up on both tartness and sweetness! Increasing the ratio of both sugar and lemon juice (beyond what you would want to drink as lemonade) gives you that satisfying lemon pucker feeling in your mouth that you expect from a great lemon popsicle. But, that bright lemon flavor is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.

And, just as importantly, I found that as I increased the ratio of sugar and lemon to water, the texture of the popsicles became way more satisfying: less icy and way more bite-able! (A win-win!).

Recipe ingredients

As I mentioned above, you only need 3 basic ingredients for this recipe: water, lemons, and granulated sugar!

Ingredient notes

Lemons: you just need regular old lemons from the grocery store. I would not use Meyer lemons, because they are less tart and it will throw off the sweet/sour ratio!

Equipment needed

Although these lemon popsicles are quite easy to make, you will need a few pieces of equipment. But, if you don't have any of the following, don't worry. I will also provide alternatives:

Popsicle mold: I recommend a silicone popsicle mold because they are much easier to unmold than a rigid plastic or metal mold. If you don't have a popsicle mold, check out this article on 5 DIY popsicle molds!

Whisk: this is really useful in getting the sugar to fully dissolve into the liquid. If you don't have a whisk, you can use a wooden spoon but it will take longer to combine.

Large liquid measuring cup (or pitcher): the spout on these make it super easy to fill the popsicle molds. But if you don't have a container with a spout, you can use a small funnel to help fill the molds neatly.

Citrus juicer: this helps extract as much juice from the lemons as possible. But, you can just squeeze the lemons by hand, no problem!

Tips and tricks

This lemon popsicle recipe makes approximately 3 ½ cups of popsicle mix. That is enough to make about 10 - 11 popsicles, depending on the size of your mold.

It's up to you if you want to include some lemon pulp in the popsicles, they will taste great either way so it's a personal choice!

And, if you enjoy the slightly bitter and floral flavor of lemon zest, you can try adding in 1 - 2 teaspoons of fine lemon zest into the popsicle mix as well!

As I explained in my mango popsicles post, if your popsicle mold doesn't have a holder for the sticks, you can freeze the popsicles for about 2 hours, then add in the popsicle sticks once the popsicles are semi-frozen.

To more easily unmold the popsicles, you can let the popsicle mold sit at room temperature for 2 - 3 minutes.

Alternatively, you can dip the popsicle mold in a deep tray filled with warm (not hot) water for 20 - 30 seconds. Just be sure to leave the top of the mold out of the water (don't fully submerge it in the water).

Step by step photos

Here is the step by step breakdown on how to make the lemon popsicles. If you would also like to see a brief slideshow of these steps, check out my lemonade popsicles web story!

1. First, you need to squeeze the fresh lemon juice.

lemon being juiced with metal citrus juicer.

2. Then, just mix the lemon juice together with the cold water and sugar. Whisk the popsicle mixture together until the sugar is fully dissolved. This may take a full minute or two of whisking.

Top Tip

If you're using a glass measuring cup like I am here, you can peek underneath to see if there are any sugar crystals remaining!

lemon juice being poured into glass measuring cup with water inside.

sugar being added to lemon and water in glass measuring cup.

hand holding whisk whisking lemon popsicle mix in glass measuring cup.

3. The next step is to simply pour the popsicle mixture into the popsicle mold, and add the sticks. (If you got a little popsicle mix on the outside of the mold like I did, you can do a quick wipe up with some paper towels.)

popsicle mix being poured into green silicone popsicle mold.

paper towel wiping excess popsicle mix on top of popsicle mold.

popsicle sticks being added to popsicle mold.

4. Place the mold in the freezer until the lemon popsicles are fully frozen. This will take at least 4 hours, or up to 6 hours. Of course, you can leave the popsicles in the freezer overnight or for a few days even, until you are ready to enjoy.

When you are ready to eat one of your delicious homemade popsicles, you can unmold the popsicles by pressing them up from the bottom, if using a silicone mold like this one. Check out the Tips and tricks section above for more tips on unmolding!

popsicle being removed from silicone popsicle mold.

Storage instructions

Once the popsicles are fully frozen, you can store them in the freezer in the popsicle mold.

Or, you can unmold the popsicles and store them in a single layer in zip-top bags (with as much air removed from the bags as possible).

The popsicles will keep well in the freezer for 4 - 6 weeks.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make lemon popsicles with bottled lemon juice?

You could make this popsicle recipe with store bought bottled lemon juice if you prefer. But, because the lemon juice is such a large portion of the popsicle and is basically the only flavoring (besides the sugar), I really recommend using the freshly squeezed lemon juice. It will just taste so much more fresh and flavorful!

Can I use store bought lemonade to make lemon popsicles?

It makes intuitive sense to just use premade lemonade for lemon popsicles. After all, the three ingredients are the same (lemon juice, water, and sugar).

But, this recipe has a higher proportion of both lemon and sugar, basically like a super concentrated lemonade. In my opinion, this gives a better flavor and the popsicles are less icy due to the higher concentration of sugar. Try my recipe and tell me what you think!

How long do popsicles take to freeze?

Typically, popsicles will take a minimum of 4 hours to fully freeze, but it may take up to 6 hours. The exact amount of time will vary based on your own freezer and the size and shape of the popsicle mold.

glass tray of lemon popsicles with lemon slices.

If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!

📖 Recipe

lemon popsicles with lemon slices on the side.

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5 from 7 reviews

This lemon popsicle recipe is so easy to make with only 3 ingredients. It packs a tangy punch, but is balanced by the perfect amount of sweetness, with a nice bite-able texture.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Freezing time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 10 popsicles 1x
Category: dessert
Method: mix
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

2 ½ cups (591 ml) cold water
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (237 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 - 8 lemons)

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Instructions

Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large liquid measuring cup or pitcher (preferred for easier pouring), or other large container (see note 1).
Whisk together the ingredients until the sugar is fully dissolved (this may take a minute or two).
Pour the popsicle mixture into popsicle molds, leaving a little space at the top to allow for the liquid to expand as it freezes.
Add popsicle sticks to the molds and freeze until solid, a minimum of about 4 hours, or up to 6 hours. (If your mold doesn't have a way to hold the sticks in place, add the sticks once the popsicles are semi-frozen, at about the 2 hour mark).

Notes

A liquid measuring cup or pitcher makes it easier to pour the popsicle mix into the molds. But, if you don't have either one, you can use a small funnel to assist in neatly pouring the mixture into the molds.

This popsicle recipe makes a total volume of approximately 3 ½ cups (before freezing). This is enough popsicle mix to make about 10 - 11 popsicles, depending on the size of the mold.

The nutrition information below is an estimate only, provided by an online nutrition calculator. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
Calories: 81
Sugar: 20.5 g
Sodium: 5 mg
Fat: 0.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Carbohydrates: 20.5 g
Fiber: 0.1 g
Protein: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Best Lemon Popsicles

The secret to the best lemon popsicles