A Little Guide to Making a Lemonade Recipe for One 

You’ve come here looking how to make a refreshing glass of lemonade for one, correct? Well, welcome! Today we will show you how to make a single-serving of lemonade so that you can enjoy this refreshing beverage all to yourself. The best thing about this recipe is you can absolutely use bottled lemon juice if you can’t find any ripe lemons in your area. So grab a bottle next time you are at the store so you’ll always have the ability to make a cool glass of lemonade any time of the day!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below, we will teach you how to make this easy lemonade recipe for one. All you need is a large lemon or a few small ones. You can even use bottled juice! It’s really easy to make.

Step 1: Prepare your Lemon or Purchase Bottled Juice

The first thing you will need to do is wash and dry a ripe lemon or buy some bottled juice. Both will make a great juice, and both have their merits. Fresh is always best whenever possible. You will only need one large lemon, but if your lemons are small, you may need two to get enough juice.

Step 2: Juice your Lemon

Whenever juicing a lemon, we recommend you both zest and juice the lemon. It’s always a great idea to save lemon zest whenever possible for other recipes. For instance, you could make cranberry and lemon muffins to go with your lemonade! You can store the lemon zest in the fridge a few days or even freeze it for months. If you don’t have the need to zest the lemon, that’s okay!

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze firmly over a bowl or measuring cup. Remove the seeds with a spoon or a sieve.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients

In a large cup or measuring cup, mix together the water and lemon juice. Mix in the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, until all the sugar dissolves. Some find it helpful to heat up 1/4 – 1/2 cup (60 – 120mL) of water first to help dissolve all the sugar. This is not necessary, but can be helpful when adding a lot of sugar. For a more tart lemonade, start out with just 1 tbs (12.5 grams) of sugar and add more sugar 1 tsp (4g) at time to get the desired sweetness. More sugar may be needed when using bottled lemon juice due to the preservatives.

Step 4: Add Ice and Serve!

That’s all that is needed to make your very own glass of refreshing lemonade. Wasn’t that fun?

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for making this lemonade recipe.

• Some find mixing 1/2 cup (120mL) of hot water to the lemon juice and sugar first helps dissolve the sugar faster, especially when using more sugar.  If using this method, after sugar has dissolved in the hot water, stir in an additional 3/4 cup (180mL) of cold water.
• Bottled lemon juice can be substituted. In fact, it will often give a more tart kick because of the added preservatives.
• For lemons that are not in season or bottled juice, you may find you need to add a little more sugar. This is because they are typically more tart than ripe lemons. Add more sugar 1 tsp (4g) at a time, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• The calories increase to 152 when using 3 tablespoons (37.5g) of sugar. 
• Before cutting the lemon, don’t waste that rind! Zest the lemon fully and store the zest in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freezer up to 3 months for another baking project.

Storage

It’s very unlikely you will need to store lemonade made for one person. However, what if you have a guest or need to due an errand unexpectedly? Simply place the glass or pour into a container and store in the refrigerator away from strong smells such as onions or garlic. May be kept up to 5 days. Lemonade can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

To freeze, pour lemonade into an ice cube tray and place in an airtight container or bag after frozen. Thaw frozen lemonade on the counter or in the refrigerator over night.

Lemonade for One

For those times you want a nice refreshing glass of lemonade but don't want to make an entire pitcher. This recipe only takes one lemon and makes a tall glass of zesty and zippy lemonade!

Print Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes minutes

Total Time10 minutes minutes

Servings1

Calories 107

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups (300mL) cold water
• 2 – 3 tbs (25 – 37.5g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbs (45mL) lemon juice, about 1 large lemon

Instructions

• Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over a bowl. Remove any seeds using a spoon or a fine sieve.
• In a large cup, stir the lemon juice, water and sugar together until sugar fully dissolves. For a more tart lemon juice, start with 1 tbs of sugar and add more 1 tsp at a time to taste. If desired, add ice.

Notes

Some find mixing 1/2 cup (120mL) of hot water to the lemon juice and sugar first helps dissolve the sugar faster.  If using this method, after sugar has dissolved in the hot water, stir in an additional 3/4 cup (180mL) of cold water.

Bottled lemon juice can be substituted.

For lemons that are not in season or bottled juice, you may need to add a little more sugar. Add sugar 1 tsp (4g) more at a time, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

The calories increase to 152 when using 3 tablespoons (37.5g) of sugar. 

Nutrition Facts

Lemonade for One

Serving Size

 

1

Amount per Serving

Calories

107

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.2

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Sodium

 

1

mg

0

%

Carbohydrates

 

29

g

10

%

Fiber

 

1.6

g

7

%

Protein

 

0.6

g

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.