Blended Whole Lemon Lemonade

We’re using the whole lemon to get a sweet-and-sour drink with just a touch of bitterness. It’s the perfect lemonade for any hot summer day.

Blender lemonade served in two tall glasses on a tray.
Alison Bickel

This is lemonade for grown-ups. Not because it has alcohol in it but because we’re using the whole lemon in this recipe—zest, pith, and all.

Using the whole lemon adds a bit of bitterness to that classic sweet-and-sour blend. It has the intensity of a state-fair-style lemonade, which often uses the zest to increase the lemon flavor. But because the whole lemon is blended with the sugar and water, it’s more complex, which is super refreshing on a hot day.

Just trim and seed the lemon, and then let your blender do all the work! Serve over ice for a lemonade that’s light-years from the powdered stuff.

Choosing the Right Lemons Is Key

When you make most lemonades, you’re after the citrus juice. But this recipe calls for the whole—seeded—lemon to be tossed in the blender. So, knowing which lemon is the best lemon will make the refreshing sweet, sour, bitter drink you’re after.

  • Selecting thin-skinned lemons is key. Thin-skinned lemons are generally smooth and easy to squeeze.
  • If the lemon is hard, it likely has a lot of pith, which will tip the lemonade from pleasantly bitter to grossly bitter.
  • If you can find organic lemons, you might feel a little safer consuming the peel.
  • If organic is not an option, that’s fine. Just give it a good washing under warm water to remove any wax or contaminants.
  • Mind the shape of the lemon. The more round and self-contained it is, the better.
  • If your lemons have a nubby, pointy end, which will be only pith, you can trim them (or not!) to control the bitterness.
  • If you can only find craggy, thick-skinned lemons, just trim the ends of the lemon so you can get rid of any extra pith.
Homemade lemonade in tall glasses on a tray.

Alison Bickel

Blend and Strain Your Whole Lemon Lemonade Well

You don’t have to have a high-speed blender for this drink; you just have to make sure that the large chunks are well blended.

The blender extracts a lot of flavor but you will end up with pulp that needs to be strained out to achieve the expected lemonade consistency.

You can toss the pulp if you choose, but you can also spoon it into an ice cube tray and      freeze it to pop into smoothies or frozen cocktails (like daiquiris) later.

Serve the Blender Lemonade Solo or as a Mixer

If you want play around but keep it alcohol-free:

  • Go fifty-fifty with iced tea for an Arnold Palmer.
  • Add a splash of sparkling water—flavored or not.
  • Use it in a smoothie with berries or other citrus.

If you want a little booze, this is a great mixer—it’s like adding citrus and bitters all at once:

  • Add a little gin and club soda, and you have a bold Tom Collins.
  • Try mint and tequila for a Lemon Mojito vibe.
  • Mix with bourbon for an easy Whiskey Sour.
A pitcher of whole lemon lemonade.
Alison Bickel

Storing Leftovers

This lemonade is fairly small-batch, so you don’t overflow your blender. But if you have any leftover, store it in a pitcher or container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

As the strained lemonade sits, it will separate. A quick shake or stir will bring it back together nicely.

More Ways to Make Lemonade

Blended Whole Lemon Lemonade

Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Servings 4 servings
Yield 5 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 thin-skinned lemons (3 to 3 1/2 ounces each)

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 4 cups cold water, divided

  • Ice, for serving

Method

  1. Prep the lemons and add to blender:

    Wash the lemons to remove any waxy coating. Trim the hard stem end; cut the lemons into quarters and remove the seeds. Cut the quarters into large chunks. Add to blender.

    If your lemon has thicker skin, or if the blossom end is thick, trim it to reduce bitterness.

    Chopped lemons on a cutting board.
    Alison Bickel
    Lemons in a blender to make whole lemon lemonade.
    Alison Bickel
  2. Add water and sugar and blend:

    Add the sugar and 3 cups water to the carafe of a blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.

    A blender with ingredients to make blended lemonade.
    Alison Bickel
    Blended lemonade in a blender pitcher.
    Alison Bickel
  3. Strain lemonade:

    Strain the lemonade over a pitcher using a fine-mesh sieve. Use a silicone spatula to press the pulp against the strainer and wring out the remaining juice. You could discard the pulp, if you’d like.

    How to make whole lemon lemonade by straining in a fine-mesh sieve.
    Alison Bickel
  4. Mix in remaining water and serve:

    Add the remaining 1 cup of water and stir to combine. Serve lemonade over ice.

    A pitcher of whole lemon lemonade.
    Alison Bickel
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
315 Calories
1g Fat
84g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 315
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 16mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 31%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Total Sugars 66g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 143mg 716%
Calcium 71mg 5%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 506mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.