Floral flavor gives the summertime staple new life in this Lavender Lemonade. It’s laid back enough for a cookout but can be dressed up for more formal occasions.
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About this Lavender Lemonade recipe
Lavender is having a real moment right now, and it’s easy to see why. These purple beauties smell beautiful, and add such a delicate flavor to drinks. The key to capturing their flavor is lavender syrup. It’s a floral, infused version of simple syrup that adds both lavender flavor and soft sweetness to your favorite drinks.
It’s great in a lavender latte to kick off a warm spring or summer day, but when the temperatures rise there isn’t anything better than a cold glass of lavender lemonade. It’s the same easy homemade lemonade base you already know, just steeped with real lavender flowers instead of a plain syrup. The floral flavor is delicate rather than soapy or overpowering, which tends to surprise people who haven’t tried it before.
The thing I love about this recipe is that it’s versatile. You can sip it solo on your patio or serve it for a celebration. Since it’s non-alcoholic, it can be enjoyed by all ages, which makes it a must for entertaining.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Uses seasonal flavors to transform a classic recipe. Lavender is the perfect addition for spring and summer months.
- It’s easy to make. If you’ve made lemonade before, this lavender version uses one simple swap that’s easy for anyone to achieve.
- Perfect for any occasion. Whether it’s a casual cookout or a summer celebration, this drink works well for anything.
Ingredients & essentials
👇 For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
When it comes to lemonade, the first ingredient is right in the name. Fresh lemon juice is a must when it comes to making lemonade at home. Personally, I prefer an electric juicer, but a hand press will work too — just use whatever you have!
Water might seem like the easiest ingredient, but it’s not all created equal. You’ll want to use filtered water so that it doesn’t change the taste of your drink.
Lavender syrup is simple to make with fresh or dried lavender, sugar and water. It acts as a sweetener, so no extra sugar needed in your final drink, and it is way tastier than store-bought. Trust me!
Reserve some of your lemons and flowers to dress up your final drink. A sprig of mint would be a nice addition — I like having the option to clip some straight from my cocktail herb garden.
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Instructions
Homemade lavender lemonade comes together in a snap, especially if you make the syrup ahead of time. Store it in the fridge to save time, then all that’s left to do is juice your lemons and stir.
- First, wash your flowers (if using fresh). Measure out the lavender blossoms and combine with cold water over medium heat until simmering, Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Next, place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the floral mixture to yield a smooth, refined liquid. Stir in an equal amount of sugar and let it cool before using.
Be sure to use room-temperature citrus. Refrigerated lemons will not juice as nicely. You can microwave them briefly for about 10 seconds to warm them up, or just leave them out for an hour or two before you plan to juice them.
- Strain your freshly squeezed lemon juice into a large bowl or pitcher.
- Then, stir the water and lavender simple syrup into your lemon juice. Taste and add more if desired.
- Stir to combine all of your ingredients, then refrigerate for an hour before serving.
- Garnish each glass (or the pitcher) with fresh lavender and lemon slices.
Tips & tricks
- Use the juice from fresh lemons. When making lemonade, it makes such a big difference in flavor, as opposed to using bottled concentrate.
- Pick how thick. For a thicker syrup, use a 1:2 or 1:1.5 ratio of water to sugar.
- Make it boozy. Turn this into a cocktail by adding vodka, like in this vodka lemonade.
Serving suggestions
My favorite hosting tip is to do anything you can ahead of time! For this recipe, make the lemonade ahead of time and refrigerate ’til the event. Don’t add ice until you’re ready to serve, so your drink doesn’t end up watered down. For a more formal occasion, create floral ice cubes with the leftover lavender.
When it comes to serving, consider the crowd and use whatever fits both the occasion and your guests. You can use a pitcher, drink dispenser * or even a punch bowl * to serve this stunner. If you want to go really over-the-top, rim the glasses with lavender sugar for an additional burst of flavor.
Balance the sweet and sour combo of the lemonade with the snacks that you serve! Charcuterie cups are a simple way to let guests eat while they mingle. If you want something more laid back, try avocado salsa with some chips.
Don’t skimp on the sweet stuff! Mini lemon tarts are bright and balanced, continuing the lemon flavor that shines in the lemonade.
FAQ
Fresh is definitely best in my opinion! Fresh lemon juice has a more delicate flavor that better highlights the delicate flavor of the lavender. Bottled juice tends to be more cloyingly sour.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can use either fresh or dried lavender. It’s flexible depending on what you have on-hand.
Leave a comment or tap the ★★★★★ below to leave a rating — it helps others and supports our work. We love hearing how it turned out!
Lavender Lemonade
ingredients
Lavender Syrup
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup dried lavender flowers or about 20 fresh lavender flowers, stems removed
Lavender Lemonade
- 1½ cups lavender syrup to taste
- 2 cups lemon juice about 10 lemons
- 6 cups water
- garnishes such as lemon slices, mint leaves or fresh lavender sprigs
instructions
Lavender Syrup
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Do not let boil.¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup water
- Remove from heat and stir in the lavender flowers. Let rest for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, longer for a stronger flavor. Strain out the flowers with a fine-mesh sieve *.¼ cup dried lavender flowers
- Let cool completely.
Lavender Lemonade
- In a large pitcher, stir together the lavender syrup and lemon juice. Top with the water and stir to combine. Taste and add more syrup, if desired.1½ cups lavender syrup, 2 cups lemon juice, 6 cups water
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slices, mint leaves or fresh lavender sprigs.garnishes
notes
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julie says
This looks so good, saving it down so I can give it a go!
Ellie says
I’ve never heard of the sugar rubbing trick, but it sounds fantastic!