Sugar Free Lemonade

I created this recipe with just three ingredients as a lemonade alternative for my kids! It’s great for the entire family or anyone wanting to reduce added sugar.

I know I’ve been bringing you a lot of drink recipes lately (don’t sleep on my peach iced tea or Snicker’s Shake!), but it’s where I’m at in life.

I find myself informally hosting most evenings, having a friend swing by on her way home from work to catch up or playdate after playdate with my kiddo’s friends. 

That’s how this sugar free lemonade came to be. I wanted something that I could serve to both the kids and my friends, something that was a fun treat for hot days yet also didn’t contain a lot of sugar.

What’s naturally sweet and pairs perfectly with fresh lemon juice? Pineapple!

Just three ingredients and you’ve got the most refreshing, thirst-quenching, sugar free lemonade.

Why I love this recipe

I’m not anti-juice for my kids, but I prefer for them to have it only on occasion. And while sugar-sweetened beverages are fun, I haven’t yet introduced them to my kids and prefer to hold out as long as possible.

I occasionally will offer pomegranate juice or orange juice, but for the most part, I stick to just water, milk, or dairy-free milk.

However, on hot days, I’m not opposed to fun summertime drinks like this. Made with only 3 simple ingredients, without any artificial sweeteners or added sugar, this sugar-free lemonade seems like a good choice for everyone.

Ingredients

• Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemonade wouldn’t be lemonade without lemon juice! You’ll need about 3-4 medium-sized lemons, assuming each one yields about 2-3 tablespoons of juice.
• Fresh Pineapple: The pineapple makes this sugar-free lemonade recipe sweet without any sugar, so it needs to be very ripe. Underripe pineapple won’t have the same zip, so it should be fragrant and juicy.

Here’s where I will advocate for fresh lemon juice and fresh pineapple. I haven’t tested this with pineapple juice, but the fiber in the pineapple makes this lemonade slightly thick and perfectly sippable.

Substitutions

The best part about this recipe is that it’s 100% naturally sweetened. So many sugar free beverages use sugar substitutes like erythritol, stevia, xylitol or monkfruit sweetener. I have such an aversion to the taste of most artificial sweeteners, I’d much rather use fruit instead!

However, if you want to add some or if you find that your pineapple isn’t quite sweet enough, then I recommend adding in liquid stevia drops or cane sugar. If you are adding in sugar then I recommend adding it to the blender with the rest of the ingredients, adjusting to taste and then straining.

I find this sugar free lemonade perfectly sweet, but if you wanted it sweeter then feel free to drizzle in honey or maple syrup.

How to Make

Step 1: Blend ingredients together

Place the lemon juice, fresh pineapple, and water in a blender and puree. I use my Nutribullet blender (it’s the best blender for the price, in my opinion!), but you can use any blender.

Step 2: Strain and Serve

Strain using a fine-mesh strainer and serve over plenty of ice! I think this sugar free lemonade tastes best over lots of ice.

Expert Tips

The sweetness of this sugar free lemonade relies heavily on the ripeness of your pineapple. Choose a pineapple that is fragrant, heavy for its size, and has a golden-yellow hue. A ripe pineapple will provide enough natural sweetness and reduce the need for additional sweeteners.

I also recommend avoiding bottled lemon juice, as I find that it often has a metallic taste. Freshly squeezing the lemon juice gives this lemonade a bright, tart flavor that works well with the pineapple’s sweetness.

Variations

To make a strawberry lemonade, add in 1 cup of fresh strawberries for 1 cup of the fresh pineapple. Then strain and serve over ice.

To make blueberry lemonade; exchange 1 cup fresh blueberries (or blackberries) for 1 cup of the fresh pineapple.