Easy Homemade Limeade

Bursting with perky lime flavor, this Easy Homemade Limeade recipe is made with honey + lime and water, and it comes together in a pinch.  

Next to lemonade, fresh squeezed limeade is a favorite summertime drink. This homemade limeade tastes as good as any store-bought version, and it’s super easy to make. 

Many limeade recipes are made with refined white sugar and some with corn syrup, which can cause inflammation and blood sugar spikes, but this limeade recipe uses honey + lime which is considered to be a healthier all-natural sweetener option.   

Limeade Recipe

• Lime Juice.  Juice enough limes so you have 1/2 cup lime juice.  Strain lime juice through fine mesh into the glass pitcher with honey syrup. 
• Sweetener. We use honey for this recipe rather than pure cane sugar, but you can use granulated sugar if you prefer. 
• Water. Add 3 -4 cups of water or more depending on your personal preference for sweetness and tartness.
• Garnish. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, lime wedges, or slices of jalapeno if you want to add a little flavor (and spice) to your drink.

For full recipe instructions, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Limeade

This Easy Homemade Limeade recipe couldn’t be easier to make! We use just 3 ingredients and it comes together in about 10 minutes start to finish.

• Juice Limes. Juice enough limes so you have 1/2 cups lime juice.  Strain lime juice through fine mesh into the glass pitcher with honey syrup.
• Make simple syrup. Blend 2 cups room temperature water with 1-1/2 cup honey in a blender until honey is dissolved and pour into a glass pitcher
• Add Water. Dilute honey + lime mixture with as much or as little water as you like for your desired level of sweetness and tartness.
• Stir. Stir the mixture together in a pitcher using a wooden spoon. Chill before serving and serve over lots of ice.
• Refrigerate.  Chill limeade in refrigerator before serving.

What Sweeteners Can I Use to Make Homemade Limeade?

Use a sweetener of your choice when making limeade. Some sweeteners have more calories than others, and some are sweetener than others.

• Granulated Sugar. Granulated sugar isn’t as sweet as honey, so you would use twice the amount that you would use for honey. For 1/2 cup honey, use 1 cup granulated sugar.
• Agave. Agave is sweeter than granulated sugar, so start out by using half the amount that you would use for sugar or honey. For 1 cup sugar, use 1/2 cup agave.
• Honey.  Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, so you would use half the amount that you would use for granulated sugar. For 1 cup granulated sugar, use 1/2 cup honey.

How to Store It

Store Limeade in a tall pitcher or sealed mason jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also pour into ice cube trays to make flavored ice cubes to add to water or iced tea like I’ve done with these Arnold Palmer Ice Cubes. Or you can pour the limeade into popsicle molds to make Limeade Popsicles.

How to Juice Limes

1. With a lime sitting on a countertop, press down hard with the palm of your hand and roll the lime back and forth a few times. This helps to break the juice away from the pulp.
2. Cut the lime in half lengthwise if you are juicing by hand. It’s easier to grip when cut lengthwise.
3. Cut the lime in half crosswise if you’re using a juicer or a reamer.
4. Using a fork, poke the pulp a few times to loosen up the membranes to release the most juice.
5. Use a reamer or juicer to extract as much juice from the fruit as possible.
6. If you don’t need all the juice from the fruit at once, then you can pierce it with a toothpick or tip of a sharp knife and squeeze the juice from the opening. Then place it in an airtight plastic bag and refrigerate for future use.

How Many Limes for 1 Cup Juice?

The more ripe your limes are, the more juice they’ll likely produce. One large lime will produce about 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice. There are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup, so you’ll need about 4 limes to produce 1/2 cup of lime juice.  I always buy a few extra, just in case some of them don’t produce much juice. 

• 1 lime = 2 tablespoons juice
• 2 limes = 1/4 cup juice
• 4 limes = 1/2 cup juice
• 6 limes = 3/4 cup juice
• 8 limes = 1 cup juice

Looking for More Summer Drink Recipes?

• Virgin Mojito
• Watermelon Agua Fresca
• Pink Lemonade
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Honey Lemonade
• Arnold Palmer  (Sweet Tea)
• White Grape Spritzer
• Mango Dragonfruit Refresher
• Watermelon Juice 
• Iced Orange Ginger Green Tea
• Blueberry Green Tea
• Fruit Infused Turmeric Tea
• Sparkling Blackberry Mint Spritzer

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy Homemade Limeade

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Bursting with perky lime flavor, this Easy Homemade Limeade recipe is made with honey + lime and water, and it comes together in a pinch.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (3-4 large limes)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 cups water

Instructions

1. Juice enough lemons so you have 1/2 cup lemon juice.  
2. Pour one cup of room temperature water with honey in a large pitcher and stir with a wooden spoon until the honey dissolves. Alternatively, you can add the water and honey to a blender and blend until the honey has dissolved.  
3. Pour the lime juice and remaining water to the pitcher and stir. Adjust flavor by adding more water or honey for desired sweetness.
4. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices, fresh mint, or jalapeno rings.

Notes

How to Juice Limes

1. With a lime sitting on a countertop, press down hard with the palm of your hand and roll the lime back and forth a few times. This helps to break the juice away from the pulp.
2. Cut the lime in half lengthwise if you are juicing by hand. It’s easier to grip when cut lengthwise.
3. Cut the lime in half crosswise if you’re using a juicer or a reamer.
4. Using a fork, poke the pulp a few times to loosen up the membranes to release the most juice.
5. Use a reamer, juicer or a pair of cooking tongs to extract as much juice from the lime as possible.

What Sweeteners Can I Use to Make Homemade Limeade?

Use a sweetener of your choice when making limeade. Some sweeteners have more calories than others, and some are sweetener than others.

• Granulated Sugar - Granulated sugar isn't as sweet as honey, so you would use twice the amount that you would use for honey. For 1/2 cup honey, use 1 cup granulated sugar.
• Agave - Agave is sweeter than granulated sugar, so start out by using half the amount that you would use for sugar or honey. For 1 cup sugar, use 1/2 cup agave.
• Honey - Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, so you would use half the amount that you would use for granulated sugar. For 1 cup granulated sugar, use 1/2 cup honey.

How to Store It

Store Limeade in a tall pitcher or sealed mason jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also pour into ice cube trays to make flavored ice cubes to add to water or iced tea like I’ve done with these Arnold Palmer Ice Cubes. Or you can pour the limeade into popsicle molds to make Limeade Popsicles.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 0gSugar: 35gProtein: 0g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.