Orange Lemonade

Get a taste of sunshine in your glass with our easy orange lemonade recipe. This summery refresher combines sweet oranges with tart lemons, adding an extra layer of citrusy flavor to any classic lemonade recipe.

Whether you’re craving something cool for a hot day or want to elevate your regular lemonade game, this take on orangeade will be your new favorite morning pick-me-up. Or, enjoy the orange and lemonade drink for happy hour by adding a splash of vodka to create an orange-flavored version of spiked lemonade.

Orange Lemonade Ingredients

• Sugar: The best lemonades have the right balance of sugar and citrus.
• Water: Sugar is dissolved in water to make a simple syrup. Then, extra water dilutes the citrus juices to create an orange and lemon drink with the perfect sweet-tart balance.
• Lemon and orange zest: Zest gives the drink a more robust citrus flavor. You’ll strain out the zest before serving the drink, so feel free to zest the lemon using a zester, box grater or vegetable peeler.
• Lemon and orange juice: Fresh-squeezed lemon juice provides the classic lemonade flavor, while fresh orange juice cuts the tartness of the lemons.

Directions

Step 1: Make a simple syrup

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and 2-1/2 cups water. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool slightly.

Step 2: Add the citrus

Stir in the lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice and orange juice. Let the mixture stand, covered, for one hour.

Step 3: Chill the syrup

Strain the syrup. Cover it and refrigerate until cold.

Step 4: Combine the syrup and water

Fill glasses or a pitcher with equal amounts of the syrup and cold water. Add ice and serve.

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Recipe Variations

• Add different fruits: All your favorite summer fruits taste good in lemonade! Try using other fruit juices to make fresh peach lemonade, blackberry lemonade, strawberry watermelon lemonade or sparkling kiwi lemonade.
• Make it bubbly: Combine the chilled syrup with carbonated water instead of still water to create an orange-flavored sparkling lemonade.
• Turn it into a slushie: To make an orange and lemonade slushie, blend the drink with ice, as in our peach-basil lemonade slush recipe. Or, pour the orange and lemon drink into an ice cube tray and then blend the frozen cubes with cold water.

How to Store Orange Lemonade

Pour leftover orange and lemonade drink into a jar with a tight lid to keep it tasting fresh. It should last up to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze orange lemonade?

The best way to freeze orange lemonade is to freeze the syrup before it’s combined with extra water. After straining and chilling the syrup, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and stash it in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to make the orange and lemonade drink, let the syrup defrost in the fridge overnight.

Orange Lemonade Tips

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How do you make an orange lemonade cocktail?

You can use orange lemonade in place of regular lemonade to make any of your favorite lemonade cocktails. For an easy orange lemonade cocktail, mix the orange and lemon drink with vodka or light rum. Garnish the cocktail with fresh mint leaves or thin slices of lemon or orange—or go fancy with candied orange slices.

What is the best way to juice a lemon?

The most basic way to juice a lemon is to cut the fruit in half and squeeze it with a hand-held juicer or citrus reamer. But there are plenty of tools to make it easier on your muscles. You could try the hack that makes juicing lemons easier and poke a hole in the fruit instead of cutting it.

Or, to juice lemons the easy way, let an electric juicer or food processor do the work. If you’re using a food processor, rinse and chop the fruit, pulse it in the food processor and strain the mixture to get rid of the peels.