Craving a refreshing glass of lemonade but don't need a whole pitcher? Try this tangy and sweet single serving lemonade recipe, reminiscent of lemonade from the county fair!
Sometimes you're craving a refreshing lemonade on a hot day, but you know a whole pitcher will go to waste sitting in your fridge. Or, maybe you just don't have the time and energy to squeeze a whole bunch of lemons!
Either way, you can get your lemonade fix in no time with this single serving lemonade recipe, ready in only 5 minutes! All you need is a lemon or two, a bit of sugar, and water.
But wait! This lemonade recipe has a little extra something that makes it really special. The squeezed lemon is muddled together with the sugar and lemon juice before the water is added. This helps to dissolve the sugar, but also extracts the flavorful oils from the lemon peel, giving the lemonade a complex, aromatic flavor that tastes just like lemonade from the county fair!
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Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Lemon: we need 3 tablespoons lemon juice for our single serving lemonade. One lemon should have between 2 - 3 tablespoons of juice, so if your lemon is small or a little dry, you may need half of a second lemon.
- Sugar: regular granulated sugar is all you need for this recipe. But, if you have fine granulated sugar, that will also work and will dissolve very easily!
- Water: you will need a cup of very cold (ice) water.
Love lemons as much as I do? Try my recipes for lemon butter chicken, lemon orzo salad, and lemon herb asparagus!
Step by step photos
Here's how to make this easy lemonade recipe for one, step by step!
- Step 1: Add the granulated sugar to a tall glass.
- Step 2: Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze out 3 tablespoons of juice. If your lemon is small or on the dry side, you may need another lemon.
Top Tip
Lemon seeds could pose a choking hazard to small children. If you don't want any seeds in your glass of lemonade, squeeze the lemon over a strainer. And, pick out any remaining seeds from the lemon before adding it to the glass.
- Step 3: Cut one of the squeezed lemon halves in half again. Add the lemon pieces to the glass.
- Step 4: With a cocktail muddler (preferred) or the thick handle of a wooden spoon, gently but firmly smash the lemon wedges together with the sugar and lemon juice until the lemon looks softened and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Step 5: Pour the cold water into the glass. Stir the lemonade until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Step 6: If you like, add ice to the glass and garnish with a lemon slice. Enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- To get the most juice out of the lemon, roll it firmly on the counter before cutting.
- Since we are adding the lemon to the drink, be sure to rinse the lemon in water before using. If you're concerned about pesticide residue from the lemon peel, choose an organic lemon.
- A cocktail muddler works best to efficiently crush the lemon, extracting its oils. But, if you don't have one, you can use the handle of a thick wooden spoon like I did here. Here are some more ideas for muddler alternatives!
- To see if all of the sugar crystals have dissolved, you can peek underneath the glass (if using a clear glass).
- To make a berry flavored single serving lemonade, add 3 - 4 raspberries, blackberries, or hulled strawberries to the lemon wedges and muddle everything together!
Recipe FAQs
The fresh lemon is really what this lemonade recipe for one is all about! If you don't have a fresh lemon, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice and skip the muddling step. But, I highly recommend using a fresh lemon if possible.
While not strictly necessary, the muddling does serve two purposes. First, it helps to dissolve the sugar crystals. And, more importantly, muddling crushes the lemon rind, releasing some of the lemon oil into the lemonade. The lemon oil adds a nice fragrance and even more lemon flavor to the drink.
While this is a single glass lemonade recipe, you can definitely double the recipe. To make two servings, I would assemble the lemonade in a larger tall glass - something like a quart-sized Ball jar would be perfect. When finished, divide it up into two smaller glasses.
Other lemon recipes you may enjoy:
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Print📖 Recipe
Single Serving Lemonade
This lemonade recipe for one tastes just like your favorite lemonade from the county fair! The lemon is muddled with the sugar, releasing oils from the lemon peel that give a lovely fragrance and complex flavor to the lemonade. And, you only need three basic ingredients and 5 minutes to make it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: drinks
- Method: stir, muddle
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 ½ lemons
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237 ml) ice water
- ice and lemon slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to a tall glass. (If you like your lemonade on the less sweet side, you can reduce the sugar to 1 ½ tablespoons.)
- Rinse lemons with water and dry. Firmly roll a lemon on the counter to loosen the juice. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out 3 tablespoons juice. Add the juice to the glass (see note 1). If your lemon is drier, you may need half of a second lemon to get the full 3 tablespoons juice. Cut one of the squeezed lemon halves in half again, and add to the glass.
- With a cocktail muddler (preferred) or the thick handle of a wooden spoon, gently but with firm pressure smash the lemon wedges together with the sugar and lemon juice, until the lemon pieces look softened and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Add the 1 cup ice water and stir to combine, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add ice and lemon slices (optional) and enjoy immediately.
Notes
If you're concerned about the seeds, especially if you are planning on giving the lemonade to a young child (lemon seeds could pose a choking hazard), squeeze the lemon over a strainer to catch the seeds and pick out any remaining seeds from the lemon rind before adding it to the glass.
The nutrition information below was calculated to include 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition information is an estimate only, provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 26.1 g
- Sodium: 9 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.9 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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