Summer days are so much more enjoyable with a glass of Peach Lemonade. This simple homemade lemonade is made with only 4 ingredients and no artificial flavors. This lemonade is sweet, tart, and full of aromatic peach flavor.
Speaking of refreshing summer drinks, don’t leave without trying my Strawberry Lemonade and Peach Iced Tea.
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Peaches are so bright and sunny, they bring happiness whether eaten raw or cooked. Classic lemonade is made so much happier and brighter just with addition of peaches. You can’t beat this simple, refreshing lemonade recipe!
The second peaches start appearing again at the fresh marker, I come home with bags full of gorgeous, ripe peaches. It’s time to start making lemonades, iced teas, Bellini, cobblers, and cakes loaded with peaches. I don’t stop at sweet treats though. My peach chicken is now a traditional dinner to make at the beginning of peach season.
On one hand, I get very sad when the season is over and there are no more peaches to be found. But on the other hand, if we had it available all year long, we would not appreciate this fruit as much. It would become mundane like strawberries, grapes, and apples. Instead, we jump for joy when the stock boy bring out a box of fresh peaches for the first time in months.
I hope I’m not the only one who is jumping at the sight of peaches but I sure do get a lot of people staring at me as I load my shopping bag with peaches. It would be embarrassing if I wasn’t thinking of the tasty Peach Lemonade and Peach Cobbler that I am about to make.
Ingredient Notes
Citrus – You’ll need a good amount of lemons, get 6-8 to be safe. When picking lemons, make sure they are not too soft and not too hard. They should have some yield. Fresh lemons are always best to lemonades, limoncello, in lemon desserts, baked fish recipes, and basically in everything.
Peaches – make sure to pick ripe peaches at the store! If they are too hard, they are not ripe and will not have much flavor. If they are too soft on the other hand, they are over-ripe and most likely starting to go bad. You can use any of you favorite peach variation and if you use white peaches, make sure to save some for Peach Margaritas.
Sugar – 1.5-2 cups of sugar gives a nice sweetness to balance out the sourness of lemon and lime juice. But, as always, adjust the sweetness to your own taste! Start with less and work your way up.
See the recipe card for a complete list of recipes below.
How To Make Peach Lemonade
PRO TIP: You can choose to peel the peaches or leave the skin on. If planning on reusing peaches in pancakes or as ice cream topper, I suggest peeling the peaches before cooking.
First, you need to cook the peaches: Peel peaches, take out the pits, and slice them. Add peaches into a sauce pot and combine with sugar and 2 cups of water. Stir and bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and let peaches cook until softened (1). Take off heat and set aside to cool!
PRO TIP: squeeze lemons that are at room temperature! They will yield more juice than cold lemons.
Next, juice lemons: Juice the lemons and limes (if using) into a large container (2). Strain fresh squeezed lemon juice through a fine mesh strainer (3).
Pour the COOLED peach mixture into a pitcher (4). (Note, you can strain out the peaches or leave them in the lemonade.) Add remaining cold water to the pitcher and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Stir everything together and taste to make sure you like the amount of sweetness. Refrigerate until cold.
Recipe FAQs
This lemonade recipe is mildly sweet. If you want to make your lemonade sweeter, you can simply add 1/4 to1/2 cup more sugar. Add about 1/4 at a time and make sure its thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
Pick out lemons that are tender to the touch but not too soft, or they will be too ripe. Tender lemons that have some give when you squeeze them are the best ones to use for lemonade. Hard lemons are unripe and will not give you much juice at all, so avoid those entirely.
Absolutely! You can make this peach lemonade into a cocktail by adding tequila, gin, or vodka. You can mix individual cocktails or make a whole pitcher. For individual peach lemonade cocktails, combine 2 oz. of liquor with 4 oz of peach lemonade. To make the whole pitcher of cocktails, add about 1 1/2 cups of liquor, depending on how strong you want the punch to be.
Flavor Variations To Try
Bring some more flavor to the lemonade by adding other complimentary favors.
Raspberry Peach – add 6 oz of raspberries to the peaches and cook it together. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer to get rid of the raspberry seeds.
Mint Peach – add a couple of mint sprigs to the post with peaches when peaches are almost softened and finish cooking. Strain the peach mixture and discard the cooked mint. You can add another fresh mint sprig to the pitches with ready lemonade.
Ginger Peach – add 2 tsp of sliced fresh ginger to the sauce pot with peaches and cook both together. Strain the peach mixture though and get rid of cooked ginger slices.
Sparkling Peach – prepare the peach mixture according to the recipe and combine it with the lemon juice. Cool down the mixture and place in the refrigerator until cold. Combine peach mixture with soda water instead of water in the pitcher right before serving.
Storing Suggestions
Make ahead – this is the perfect drink recipe to make ahead of time. In fact, it’s best to make is a few hours or a day before you actually need it. Don’t add any ice and refrigerate it in the air-tight container.
Storing – Make sure to store peach lemonade in an airtight container (like a pitcher with the lid on) in the refrigerator. It’s always best to pour some out when you need to rather than scoop some out with a ladle. Properly stored, it should last for up to 10 days.
Freezing – you can make the lemonade concentrate by combining the peach syrup (with or without peaches) and the lemon juice together and freeze that. Freeze the concentrate in an air-tight freezer friendly container. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator and then mix it with cold water.
Tools For This Recipe
(Affiliate links)
Citrus Juicer – had it for years, love it!
Plastic Cutting Board or Wooden Cutting Board
Some More Refreshing Drink Recipes
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Peach Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
Peach Mixture:
- 20 oz peaches (3 large peaches)
- 1.5 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups water
Peach Lemonade:
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5-6 ripe lemons)
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
- Juice lemons, strain and set aside the lemon juice.
- Peel peaches, take out the pits, and slice them. Add peaches into a sauce pot and combine with sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 cups of water.
- Stir and bring the mixture to simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat a little and let peaches cook until softened.
- Pour the peach mixture into a pitcher through a strainer. You can add some of the peaches to the pitcher or all of them. Add remaining cold water to the pitcher and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Stir everything together and refrigerate until cold.
Notes
- Adjust the sweetness: This lemonade recipe is mildly sweet. If you want to make your lemonade sweeter, you can simply add 1/4 to1/2 cup more sugar. Add about 1/4 at a time and make sure its thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
- Make ahead – this is the perfect drink recipe to make ahead of time. In fact, it’s best to make is a few hours or a day before you actually need it. Don’t add any ice and refrigerate it in the air-tight container.
- Storing – Make sure to store peach lemonade in an airtight container (like a pitcher with the lid on) in the refrigerator. It’s always best to pour some out when you need to rather than scoop some out with a ladle. Properly stored, it should last for up to 10 days.
- Freezing – you can make the lemonade concentrate by combining the peach syrup (with or without peaches) and the lemon juice together and freeze that. Freeze the concentrate in an air-tight freezer friendly container. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator and then mix it with cold water.
wilhelmina says
This was just what I needed in the southern heat today! So refreshing and suoer easy. This will be on repeat in our house all summer long!
LyubaB says
I am so happy you found it to be refreshing!
Jin Yao Putman says
Made this recipe and loved it! I loved that this recipe is on the sweeter side for a lemonade and also my preference!
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it!
MIssy says
This is so refreshing and delicious. It was the first time I’ve made peach lemonade and we will make it again as soon as we pick up more peaches. Great recipe.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Missy! I am so pleased you liked it!
Maegan says
How would you do this recipe to make a gallon?
LyubaB says
There are 16 cups in a gallon, this recipe makes 6 cups so you could double it for 12 cups which is slightly under a gallon, or triple it for 18 cups and slightly over a gallon.
Norma says
Can you use canned peaches??
LyubaB says
I have not tried it, I would imagine it would not taste the same because the canned peaches won’t infuse the same into water. You may have to use the juice in the can and the peaches, I am not sure how it would taste but you could try it.
sunnysusan says
Yummy! With the lemon juice, the peach flavor came out really well. My only (minor) complaint is that it was a little too sweet, but that is easily explained by the sweetness of the peaches. The perfect summer treat!
LyubaB says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Susan!
Ashley Aull says
Can this be prepared and then frozen for later? I am assuming yes….
LyubaB says
Yes, you can freeze it!
Al says
So good! The peach flavor came out really well and it mixed perfectly with the lemon juice. The only (minor) issue that I ran into was that it was a little bit too sweet, but that easily could have been how sweet my peaches were. Perfect for summer!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it…even if it was a little sweet!