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Basil lemonade is about to be your favorite Summer drink. All you need is 3 ingredients to make it, and it’s a total crowd pleaser for a party!

basil lemonade over ice in glass

Benefits of Basil

Why add basil to your lemonade? Mostly, because it tastes ridiculously good. But, basil also has some potential health benefits.

Here’s what you’ll love about basil:

If you have a lot of basil on hand, be sure to try my other basil recipes, including the Summer Salad with Orange Basil Vinaigrette, Avocado Pesto, and Arugula Pesto.

lemons and basil in blender

Benefits of Lemon

When you pair fresh basil with lemon, it’s a match made in flavor-heaven. But lemon also has some other potential benefits!

Here’s what you’ll love about lemon:

Keep in mind that drinking this homemade lemonade will also help keep you hydrated, so I hope you’ll enjoy this Basil Lemonade soon.

basil lemonade poured into glass

How to Make It

This recipe makes 2 glasses of lemonade, but feel free to double or triple it if you need to serve more people. To prepare the lemonade, be sure to start with fresh lemon juice. (Not the bottled stuff from the store– it won’t taste the same!)

Once you’ve juiced the lemons, measure the juice and add it to a blender, along with the maple syrup, fresh basil leaves, and water.

blended lemonade in blender pitcher

You can use as many basil leaves as you want to in this recipe, but I like to start off with about 2 basil leaves per serving. You can always add more, to taste, later!

Blend until the basil leaves are totally broken down. If you don’t have a powerful blender, you can pour the lemonade through a fine mesh strainer to catch any pieces before serving.

My Vitamix totally pulverizes the leaves, so there’s nothing to strain.

How to Adjust the Flavor

Before serving, be sure to taste the lemonade and make any adjustments, as needed.

  • Need a more tart flavor? Add more lemon juice.
  • Want it sweeter? Add more maple syrup.
  • Need a stronger basil flavor? Add more basil.
  • Is the flavor too strong? Add more water to dilute it.

Really, you can’t go wrong with homemade lemonade, because you can taste as you go!

basil lemonade in glass with yellow straw

How Long Does it Last?

You can make Basil Lemonade up to 3 days in advance, as long as you store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then serve it over ice!

basil lemonade in glass with yellow straw

Fresh Basil Lemonade

5 from 4 votes
Basil lemonade is a refreshing summer drink, made with only 3 ingredients. Naturally sweetened and vegan-friendly.
prep5 mins cook0 mins total5 mins
Servings:2

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 4 fresh basil leaves (roughly 1 tablespoon minced)

Instructions

  • Combine the lemon juice, water, maple syrup, and basil leaves in a blender, and blend until the basil is completely broken down. No need to strain! (If your basil leaves are particularly large, start with just 2 leaves, and add more to taste.)
  • Serve over ice right away, or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

  • Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients together, and allow the flavors to meld in the fridge overnight. Remove the basil leaves before serving over ice.
  • You can replace the maple syrup with honey, if you don't need a vegan recipe. You might only need 2 1/2 tablespoons of honey in that case, since it's sweeter than maple syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 40mg
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: vegan
Keyword: basil lemonade
Nutrition information is for half the batch. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, and not a guarantee.

If you try this Basil Lemonade recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience!

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite summer drink? My other favorites are Watermelon Juice and this perfect Watermelon Smoothie.

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. Made this today because I had all the ingredients on hand and it was so delicious! Super refreshing on a hot day and couldn’t be easier to make. My 14 month old kept stealing sips!

  2. Tried this recipe today and it is delicious. The fragrance of fresh basil is breath taking. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Megan, this was delicious and SO refreshing! I finally pulled our 4 foot basil plant and had intended to make a bunch of pesto, until I remembered this. I subbed 3 dates to make it Whole30 approved and I was not let down! Thank you for this yummy recipe 🙂 I can’t wait to make a big batch of it…I think some tequila could be added, too 😉