This homemade watermelon lemonade is the perfect way to cool off on a hot day! Made from just 4 simple ingredients, it’s an easy recipe you’ll want to make all summer long.

a glass of watermelon lemonade garnished with watermelon balls, fresh mint, and lemon slices

Easy Homemade Lemonade With a Fresh Twist!

I love homemade lemonade just about any way I can get it, and this fresh watermelon lemonade recipe is a delicious way to take classic lemonade to the next level.

IT’S SO EASY. We’re talking just 4 simple ingredients, and some simple slicing, stirring, and straining. That’s it!
FLAVORS. The fresh watermelon flavor is definitely the star of the show. Next comes bright citrus notes from the lemon balanced with just the right sweetness.
TOP TIPS. Try one of the flavor twists in the FAQ when you’re craving a change of pace!

Happy sipping! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

If you’ve made our raspberry lemonade recipe or peach lemonade recipe, you’ll know that homemade lemonade is made from surprisingly few ingredients, and that’s true for this watermelon lemonade recipe, too! Let’s take a look:

Ingredients for homemade watermelon lemonade

Fresh Watermelon. I usually use seedless watermelon for ease, but no matter what kind of watermelon you use, make sure it’s a good one! The quality of the watermelon determines the quality of your watermelon lemonade, so make sure to use a ripe, sweet watermelon for this!
Fresh Lemon Juice. Next, you’ll need freshly squeezed lemon juice. I do NOT recommend bottled lemon juice for this, or your lemonade will taste overly acidic and bitter. I promise it’s worth using fresh lemons! (This inexpensive lemon squeezer makes juicing fast and easy!)
Sugar. Yep, we’re doing it! Granulated sugar or cane sugar is what you’ll need here to make our simple syrup.
Water. Last, but not least is some water! We’ll heat some with the sugar to make simple syrup, then finish the lemonade off with cold water to dilute it just right.
Plenty of Ice Cubes. If it’s not ice-cold lemonade, I don’t want it.
Maybe Some Garnishes. Dress your glass up with extras like fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, watermelon balls or watermelon slices. It’s a simple way to add a fancy touch!

How To Make Watermelon Lemonade, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Making homemade watermelon lemonade step by step

Prep The Simple Syrup. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 cup of water over medium-high heat until the sugar has totally dissolved. Set the syrup aside to cool slightly while you gather your other ingredients.
Make The Watermelon Juice. Add watermelon cubes to a blender and puree until it’s as smooth as possible. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve to strain out any seeds or pulp.
Combine. Pour the strained watermelon juice into a large pitcher and add lemon juice, simple syrup, and 4 cups cold water. Stir to combine well. At this point, you can chill the watermelon lemonade in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
Finish. Right before serving, add 3-4 cups ice cubes to the pitcher and garnish with lemon slices, watermelon balls or watermelon slices, and fresh mint leaves, as desired. Serve with plenty of ice!
Store leftover lemonade in the fridge 3-4 days.

A glass of homemade watermelon lemonade with pebble ice

Make It Pretty

I love dressing up drinks and mocktails with fun finishes. Even a small something can instantly elevate your drink! Here are some of my favorite ways to garnish homemade watermelon lemonade for a party or BBQ:

Get Fancy With Watermelon. Use a melon baller to make watermelon balls and skewer them on cocktail picks. Add watermelon balls to your pitcher with the ice! Or, use cookie cutters to cut out stars, hearts, or other fun shapes and add them. (We did this for our Watermelon Agua Fresca)
Add a Lemon Twist. Curl strips of lemon peel, add lemon slices, or freeze slices of lemon in ice cubes for a fun touch.
Try Herbs. Sprigs of fresh mint are a great choice, but other herbs complement watermelon well, too! Try fresh basil or even thyme for another twist!
Mix in Berries. Dress this watermelon lemonade up for 4th of July by adding some pitted cherries, sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to the pitcher!
Go Floral. Or, garnish glasses with chamomile blossoms for a sweet touch.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Watermelon Lemonade

Try A Twist! Instead of regular simple syrup, use mint simple syrup to make watermelon mint lemonade! Or, add 1-2 cups of fresh berries to the blender with the watermelon for a berry watermelon twist.

Your Watermelon Makes a Difference! Remember that the sweeter and better-tasting your watermelon is, the better tasting your watermelon lemonade will be. It’s worth it to wait till you have a good watermelon.

Can I Use a Sugar Substitute? Probably, though I haven’t tested it myself. Look for a simple syrup recipe that matches the sweetener you want to use (like stevia simple syrup or monkfruit simple syrup).

More Homemade Lemonade Recipes To Try

a glass of bright pink raspberry lemonade

Easy Raspberry Lemonade

homemade peach lemonade in mason jar glasses

Fresh Peach Lemonade

an ice cold glass of homemade lemonade garnished with lemon slices and fresh mint

Classic Homemade Lemonade

Homemade Cherry Limeade

🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Watermelon Lemonade recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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Watermelon Lemonade

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Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Made from just 4 simple ingredients, this refreshing watermelon lemonade recipe is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day! It's bright, delicious, and the perfect easy drink for a BBQ.

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Ingredients

For The Watermelon Lemonade

6 cups Fresh Watermelon Cubes
1 ½ cups Fresh Lemon Juice
5 cups Cold Water – Divided
1 cup Granulated Sugar (200 grams)
3-4 cups Ice Cubes

Optional Garnish:

Watermelon Slices or Watermelon Balls
Lemon Slices
Fresh Mint Leaves

Instructions

Prep The Simple Syrup. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 cup of water over medium-high heat until the sugar has totally dissolved. Set the syrup aside to cool slightly while you gather your other ingredients.
Make The Watermelon Juice. Add watermelon cubes to a blender and puree until it's as smooth as possible. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve to strain out any seeds or pulp.
Combine. Pour the strained watermelon juice into a large pitcher and add lemon juice, simple syrup, and 4 cups cold water. Stir to combine well. At this point, you can chill the watermelon lemonade in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
Finish. Right before serving, add 3-4 cups ice cubes to the pitcher and garnish with lemon slices, watermelon balls or watermelon slices, and fresh mint leaves, as desired. Serve with plenty of ice!
Store leftover lemonade in the fridge 3-4 days.

Notes

Try A Twist! Instead of regular simple syrup, use mint simple syrup to make watermelon mint lemonade! Or, add 1-2 cups of fresh berries to the blender with the watermelon for a berry watermelon twist.