Homemade Mint Lemonade | A Mind „Full” Mom
Made with just 3 key ingredients, this homemade mint lemonade is the ultimate refreshing beverage.
Are you a Lemon Lover? You may also enjoy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Baked Lemon Pudding, Homemade Lemon Bread, or Lemon Cheesecake Bars.
Elevate Lemonade with the Addition of Fresh Mint
Everyone loves a glass of sweet-tart lemonade. But when you add in fresh mint, you transform simple homemade lemonade into what feels like a classy, sophisticated mocktail. Fresh mint also has a cooling effect on the palate, which makes this mint lemonade the perfect beverage to sip on when the temperatures heat up!
How to Make Homemade Mint Lemonade
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sweeten with a Simple Syrup
Rather than simply stirring sugar into cold water, it is best to prepare a simple syrup by heating water and sugar together until the sugar is fully dissolved. This will ensure the sugar evenly disperses throughout the lemonade rather than the sugar simply sinking to the bottom.
Muddle Mint with Simple Syrup
Combining the fresh mint with the simple syrup and gently mashing the mint into the syrup will allow the mint to release its natural extract, infusing the lemonade with fresh mint flavor. Just be sure to use a gentle hand when mashing the mint leaves. Aggressively mashing the mint, can cause it to become bitter.
Juice Fresh Lemons
To get the most juice from your lemons, I highly recommend microwaving the lemons for 20 seconds and then rolling them on the counter. This will get the natural juices flowing and make them exceptionally easy to juice.
Strain Mint
Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the mint leaves from the simply syrup. I don’t recommend leaving the mint leaves in the prepared lemonade, as at this point, the mint has already released its flavor and can cause the lemonade to become bitter if left in the mixture for a long period.
Combine Mint Lemonade
Combine the mint-flavored simple syrup, additional water, and lemon juice together in a large pitcher.
Recipe Modifications
- Use Spearmint NOT Peppermint. This recipe uses fresh spearmint. Typically mint sold at the grocery store is spearmint but labeled simply as mint. While you can use peppermint, it is more potent, so you may want to reduce the amount added to your lemonade.
- Adjust the Added Sugar. This recipe for Mint Lemonade is made with less sugar than most lemonade recipes, thanks to the natural sweetness of the mint. However, if you like sweeter lemonade, feel free to increase the amount of sugar added.
More Refreshing Summer Beverages
If you tried this recipe for Mint Lemonade, I would if you would leave a comment and review below.
Mint Lemonade
This homemade mint lemonade recipe pairs tart lemons with the refreshing flavor of fresh mint. Perfect for summer parties!
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Servings: 8
Calories: 38kcal
Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.
Instructions
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Prepare Simple Syrup. In a heavy-bottomed small saucepan, combine the sugar with ½ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat.
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Steep Mint. Place the mint leaves into a heat-safe mixing cup or cocktail shaker and add the simple syrup. Using a wooden spoon or muddler, gently mash the mint leaves 4-5 times, allowing the mint to release their juices. Let the mint leaves steep in the warm simple syrup for 10 minutes.
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Juice Lemons. While the mint is steeping, juice fresh lemons over a fine-mesh strainer to catch any seeds or pulp. Measure out ¾ cup of the fresh lemon juice to use for the lemonade.
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Strain Mint Leaves. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the mint leaves from the simple syrup.
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Combine. In a large pitcher, combine the remaining 5-½ cups of water, lemon juice, mint flavored simple syrup, and ice.
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Serve with additional ice, sliced lemon, and mint leaves as desired.
Notes
Mint: This recipe uses fresh spearmint, which is what is typically sold at most grocery stores and is simply labeled mint. You can use peppermint, but as it is more potent, you may want to reduce the amount to 15-18 mint leaves.
Sugar: This recipe is made with less sugar than most lemonade recipes. However, if you like sweeter lemonade, feel free to increase the amount of sugar added. I have personally not tried this recipe using any sugar substitutes.
Storing: Store Mint Lemonade in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
