Cool off with a glass of this delicious Single Serving Lemonade! This refreshing one person drink has the same tart-sweet flavor you love, but you only need one lemon to make a glass, and it's ready in just five minutes!
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Lemonade is one of my all-time favorite drinks. We drank tons of the powdered stuff when I was a kid, but my aunt always made it from scratch. Needless to say, I looked forward to visiting her family during summer!
It's actually surprisingly easy to make this sunny drink from scratch. As much as I love it though, I don't always want (or need) a whole pitcher. Which is where this Single Serving Lemonade comes in!
If you've ever found yourself craving just one glass of Lemonade, then this recipe is for you! This tasty drink's sunny taste can't be beat ... you're going to love its refreshing sweet-tart flavor. Best of all though, you need just one lemon and only five minutes to make a cup.
Keep reading to learn how to make this refreshing summertime treat whenever a craving strikes. It couldn't be easier!
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Ingredients
Your need three simple ingredients to make this Lemonade by the Glass at home:
- Lemon - Fresh squeezed lemon juice works best for this recipe. Best of all, you only need one lemon ... as long as it's a large juicy one. If you're lemons are small, or not very juicy, you'll need more than one.
- Sugar - The clean flavor of granulated sugar makes it the perfect sweetener for this tasty drink. Honey and simple syrup will also work though. Check out the Variations section below for tips.
- Water - You'll use a combination of hot and cold water. You do not need to boil the hot water, from your kitchen faucet is fine.
This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Entertaining for a Veggie Planet! It's an older book, but one I turn to again and again for amazing vegetarian recipes.
You'll Also Need
To prepare this Mini Lemonade Drink, you'll need a tall glass (16-ounces or larger). I used these beer mugs, but a regular glass or mason jar also works! You'll also need a lemon juicer. I used my handy glass juicer, but a handheld juicer is another option.
How to Make Single Serving Lemonade
This homemade Lemonade recipe for one person is so easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Squeeze lemon. Start by squeezing your fresh lemon juice. As long as you start with a large, juicy lemon, you should only need one. To get the most juice, roll the lemon firmly on your counter before cutting it in half and juicing it.
- Combine sugar and hot water. Add the sugar to a tall glass, then add the hot water (from the tap is fine). Then, stir until all the sugar crystals have dissolved. You'll know you're done when the water becomes clear.
- Mix in lemon juice and cold water. Next, stir in your fresh squeezed lemon juice and the cold water. I like to use water from my Brita pitcher. That way, it's nice and chilled.
- Add ice. Finally, fill the glass with ice. Add a lemon slice for a garnish if you like, then serve.
Wasn't that easy? The best part is that you can make a single serving of Lemonade in just five minutes! Keep a few lemons in your fridge so you can make a cup whenever a craving strikes.
Variations
Once you master this basic Single Serving Lemonade recipe, have fun experimenting! Here are some easy variations you can try:
- Sweeter - To make your drink sweeter, just add more sugar. I'd recommend starting with an extra teaspoon or two at first.
- Less Sweet - Like your Lemonade extra tart? You can either use less sugar or add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Honey - Lemons and honey are a match made in heaven! Swap in two tablespoons honey for the sugar. Make sure to mix it with the hot water first before adding the other ingredients, otherwise it won't dissolve.
- Simple Syrup - Homemade simple syrup can also be used to sweeten this recipe. To do so, substitute three tablespoons simple syrup, plus one tablespoon water, for the granulated sugar and hot water called for in the recipe. Otherwise, prepare as directed. Flavored syrups, like this Rhubarb Simple Syrup would also work great.
- Sparkling - For Sparkling Lemonade by the glass, simply use mineral or sparkling water in place of the cold water.
- Flavored - To make a Watermelon or Strawberry flavored version, mash up a few strawberries or a small handful of watermelon, then stir into the finished drink.
- Pink - For a natural Pink Lemonade, stir in watermelon or strawberry juice (as directed above), or add a splash of cranberry or pomegranate juice.
- For Two - To adapt this recipe for two, either divide the drink into two portions (for a mini drink), or prepare two glasses side-by-side, assembly line-style (it's just as fast and easy). Keep in mind that you will need at least two large, juicy lemons in that case, instead of one.
Related Recipes
Looking for more lemonade ideas? Try one of these delicious recipes next:
- Classic Lemonade - My go-to recipe when I want to make a full pitcher!
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Rhubarb Lemonade
- Orangeade
- Spiked Raspberry Lemonade
- Lemon Shandy
You can check out all of my drink recipes here for more refreshing ideas, like this Iced Green Tea with Coconut Water, Homemade Watermelon Juice, Peach Green Tea Cooler, and this Iced Ginger Melon Green Tea!
Single Serving Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about one large, juicy lemon)
- ¾ cup cold water
- ice
Instructions
- Add sugar and hot water to a tall glass. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Stir lemon juice and cold water into sugar-water.
- Fill glass with ice, then serve. Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
