The perfect picnic companion and ultimate thirst quencher on a hot summer day? Oh lemonade, we love you! This Easy Ginger Lemonade is tart, subtly sweet, and (you guessed it) SO refreshing!
Fresh ginger adds the perfect subtle spiciness and complexity to this classic concoction, and it couldn’t be easier with just 3 ingredients and 25 minutes required. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Ginger Lemonade
This lemonade requires just 3 simple ingredients (besides water): agave, lemons, and ginger.
It starts with simmering fresh ginger in a mixture of water and agave to create a naturally sweetened ginger “simple syrup” mixture. Cane sugar would also work, but for natural sweeteners, agave is best. We don’t recommend maple syrup or coconut sugar as their flavors can be overpowering.
To give it BIG lemon flavor and brightness, this lemonade uses a whole lemon per glass, packing a major punch of vitamin C and potassium. A citrus juicer will be your best friend for squeezing all the fresh lemons.
Strain the ginger-agave mixture into the lemon water and give it a stir!
When ready to serve, pour the lemonade over ice and prepare to feel refreshed for all the summer fun!
We hope you LOVE this ginger lemonade! It’s:
Fresh
Gingery
Tart
Subtly sweet
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
It’s the perfect thirst quencher for hot summer days or bringing to picnics and BBQs. Looking for other picnic fare? Try our Simple Vegan Potato Salad, Summer Tomato & Cantaloupe Salad, or Grilled Corn with Sriracha Aioli.
More Recipes for Ginger Lovers
- 1-Bowl Ginger Cookies (V/GF)
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Gingery Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Crunchy Cabbage Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Refreshing Ginger Lemonade
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups water (DIVIDED)
- 1/2 cup agave syrup (plus more to taste)
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh ginger, peeling optional (organic when possible)
- 1 cup lemon juice (5 lemons yield ~1 cup or 240 ml juice)
FOR GARNISH optional
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, the agave, and the chopped fresh ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cook for 10 minutes to extract the ginger flavor. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, to a glass jar or pitcher add lemon juice and remaining water. Place a strainer over the jar/lemon mixture and pass the ginger syrup through it, removing any small pieces of ginger. Whisk the lemonade well to mix in the ginger syrup, and serve it over ice. Optionally, garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve on its own or as a mixer with tequila, gin, or vodka.
- Lemonade will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or freeze in popsicle molds for a sweet, cold treat! Can also be frozen into ice cubes and added to summer beverages.
Video
Notes
*Recipe inspired by the Ginger Lemonade at Bento Picnic and adapted from our Easy Homemade Strawberry Lemonade.
Kevin says
If I’m using cane sugar, is it the same amount of sugar as agave, or more or less?
Hi Kevin, we’d recommend using the same amount. Enjoy!
Jasmine says
OBSESSED. I made it as is but I added a half cup of stevia instead of extra agave.
I didn’t see notes about stevia or monk fruit so next time I’m going to substitute the agave with monk fruit and see how it works.
But it’s delightful as is!! Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re loving it, Jasmine! xoxo
Beth says
Can honey be substituted for agave syrup?
Yes!
Susan says
This is our go-to ginger lemonade recipe. Super refreshing! It’s perfect the way it is, though I sometimes add 1/4 c chopped fresh mint to my saucepan for an elevated experience. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Love that, Susan! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Laura says
A refreshing lemonade. Easy to adjust quantities to get it the way you like it.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thank you for sharing! xo
Chadia says
Love love love this lemonade! I used rice malt syrup as I didn’t have agave. Wasn’t sweet but we didn’t mind (I will put a little more sweetener next time) it also got nicer through the day and was so good used as a mixer with sparkling water. My kids loved it too. Thanks for sharing 💛
Ooo sounds delish with sparkling water! Thanks so much for the review, Chadia!
Jessica says
Is it possible to add fresh tumeric as well? If so, would you just simmer it in the pot with the ginger?
Ooo yes! We think that would be lovely! Adding with the ginger should work well. Let us know how it turns out!
Kimberly says
Thank you for this yummy twist on lemonade. Can the ginger be used after the syrup is made? I like to use everything to its full potential.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly! It might not have a lot of flavor left, but you could try adding it to water to make ginger tea. Similar to this recipe. Hope that helps!
Kristin says
Hi,
Can I use minced ginger instead of fresh?
Thank you!
Hi Kristin, do you mean minced ginger from a jar? If so, it might be okay, but we wouldn’t recommend it for best flavor due to the additives.
Clara says
Yum! Could you sub lime for lemon?
We haven’t tested that, but we think so! Let us know if you try it!
Clara says
Fab, thank you!
Tina says
I can’t wait to try this! But ginger can cause me to “warm up” and I worry about being too hot on a summer day. I do mint in my lemonade, which is super cooling. You should try mint it’s amazing! Thanks for all your wonderful ideas!
Hi Tina, Thank you for sharing! We tested with mint in developing this recipe and found the flavor wasn’t coming through as much. Would love to know your tricks for getting a present mint flavor!
Debbie Blackstock says
Can I substitute raw local honey for the agave? I don’t care for the agave aftertaste. 🙂
Hi Debbie, in our experience, honey doesn’t mix as well into lemonade. We’d suggest checking out the section below the second photo on our strawberry lemonade recipe for our experience using other sweeteners in lemonade.
Dee says
Hey there, would you recommend any low glycemic sweeteners for this recipe?
Hi Dee, we’d suggest checking out the section below the second photo on our strawberry lemonade recipe for our experience using other sweeteners in lemonade.