
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThis post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure)
This easy keto lemonade recipe tastes like summer! On hot days like this, I’ll take anything I can get to cool down and make me feel all the happy summer vibes. An icy glass of healthy sugar-free lemonade does the trick! Wondering how to make lemonade without sugar? It’s probably easier than you think – and just as delicious as the sugar-y kind. This low carb lemonade will show you how.
You might know by now that I don’t do sugar-y drinks. Even though some keto fruits are possible, virtually all fruit juice – and definitely lemonade – is just sugar in disguise. So if you’re looking to make a healthy lemonade, you need to get rid of that sugar. And with my easy sugar-free lemonade recipe, you can do that without worrying about aftertaste or artificial ingredients.
And since it only takes about five minutes, there’s no reason not to try this sugar-free lemonade recipe. Even if you’re feeling all the laziness of summertime.
This sugar-free lemonade recipe was originally published on July 3, 2018, and the post was republished in June 2020 to add process pictures and useful tips. Here is one of the original photos, if you are curious:
Healthy Lemonade Ingredients
What’s the better alternative for healthy homemade lemonade? It comes down to just three simple ingredients:
- Lemon juice
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – it dissolves better than any other brand of monk fruit
- Water
Okay, four ingredients if you count ice.
How easy is that?! I pretty much always have these ingredients around.
How To Make Keto Lemonade
This is what of the easiest lemonade recipes ever. You can make it in five minutes. If you have the needed ingredients, you totally have time to make this sugar-free lemonade recipe.
Step 1: Make Sugar-Free Simple Syrup
It’s easier than it sounds! Simply simmer sugar-free sweetener and water until dissolved. Here is my step-by-step keto simple syrup recipe.
Or if you want even less work and a convenient syrup to use in other drinks, grab my pre-made Wholesome Yum Keto Simple Syrup below.

Get Wholesome Yum Simple Syrup!
Meet Wholesome Yum Keto Simple Syrup - it's sugar-free & naturally sweetened with Besti (a blend of monk fruit and allulose). NO aftertaste & 0 net carbs!
GET IT HEREStep 2: Mix syrup with lemon juice
Fresh squeezed lemon juice is the most delicious if you can (use a lemon squeezer like this)…
But bottled lemon juice will do if you want to save time! Either way, combine the lemon juice and simple syrup in a pitcher.
Step 3: Add ice and enjoy!
To serve the homemade healthy lemonade, pour it over ice and garnish with fresh lemon slices.
Sugar-Free Lemonade FAQs
Is lemonade keto?
Most lemonades are loaded with sugar and a little bit of lemon juice or lemon flavoring. They are definitely not keto friendly.
This keto lemonade recipe is made with my very own Besti sweetener – no carbs, sugar, or calories!
Is lemonade healthy?
You may have seen a few options for diet or sugar-free lemonade at stores. In fact, you can even sometimes find them at fountain drink stations.
Unfortunately, these pre-made sugar-free lemonade drinks are made with artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners. No, thanks!
There’s a better way. You can make your own healthy lemonade without sugar, right at home and it’s why I came up with this keto lemonade recipe.
How many lemons do I need if using freshly squeezed lemon juice?
This healthy lemonade recipe needs 2/3 cup lemon juice. The average lemon yields 2 tablespoons of juice, so if you’re squeezing fresh lemons, you’ll need about 5-6 lemons to get 2/3 cup.
TIP: I recommend squeezing into a measuring cup, so you can just see how much more you need as you go.
Can you use a different sweetener?
Yes, you can. However, most sugar alternatives do not make the best simple syrup. Most contain erythritol, which doesn’t dissolve very well and crystallizes when storing it. If you must use something else, use my keto sweetener conversion calculator to determine the amount, and be sure it’s powdered for the best chance of dissolving.
For best results, use either powdered monk fruit allulose blend or powdered allulose – these dissolve the best and store well. The crystallized versions of these sweeteners should work fine as well, since allulose dissolves so well.
Alternatively, you can get Wholesome Yum Sugar-Free Simple Syrup here for convenience.
How To Store Healthy Lemonade
Can you make homemade sugar-free lemonade ahead?
Want to make sugar-free lemonade ahead of time? No problem! You can mix it all together and just leave out the ice.
When you’re ready to drink it, give it a stir and pour over ice. Happy summer!
How to store low carb lemonade
Store healthy homemade lemonade in the refrigerator without the ice, for 5-7 days. This is one of the reasons why using Besti sweetener is recommended – most others won’t store very well for long.
More Keto Summer Recipes
Summer is a big season for those of us who live in the cold north and we take full advantage of the warmth while we can. Here are some of my favorite low carb keto recipes that are perfect for summer:
- Juicy Burgers – The BEST way to make burgers.
- Keto Hot Dog Buns – These fathead buns are incredibly soft and fluffy!
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus – This works great on the grill as well as the oven.
- Keto Coleslaw – We always seem to have a batch of this low carb coleslaw during the summer months. Just 2 grams net carbs!
- Cauliflower Tabbouleh – Another great summer salad that can be made ahead and is perfect for parties and picnics.
- Keto Ice Cream – Is there anything more summer than ice cream?!
Tools To Make Low Carb Lemonade
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Lemon Squeezer – The best sugar-free lemonade will be fresh squeezed, so get one of these if you don’t have one.
- Bottled Lemon Juice – If you’re willing to sacrifice flavor a bit for convenience, get bottled lemon juice to make keto lemonade super quickly.
- Glass Pitcher – Take this pitcher inside and out, lid included!
Healthy Lemonade Recipe
Healthy Sugar-Free Keto Lemonade Recipe
The easiest sugar-free lemonade recipe EVER! All you need is 3 simple ingredients + 5 minutes, and you've got delicious, healthy keto lemonade without sugar.
Recipe Video
Tap on the image below to watch the video.Like this video? Subscribe to my YouTube cooking channel for healthy recipes weekly! (Click the bell icon to be notified when I post a new video.)
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
Combine Besti and 1 cup water to make sugar-free simple syrup according to instructions here. (Alternatively, you can use the same amount if you get my pre-made Wholesome Yum Keto Simple Syrup here, which is more convenient - no extra steps to make it.)
-
Combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, and remaining cold water in a pitcher. Taste and adjust sweetener as needed. You could also add more water or lemon juice to taste.
-
Pour over ice to serve. Garnish with fresh lemon if desired.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our free low carb support group, too - I'd love to see it!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: ~1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Create a free account to save your favorite recipes!
Sign Up To Save Recipes© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
38 Comments
Janis Strahan
0I love this lemonade. However, after one glass, I developed horrific abdominal gas. It took hours to get out of my system. I know it was the allulose. I normally use a stevia blend.
Chad Wichterman
0I hate the taste of sweeteners, so i would like to see a different way to make lemonade.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Chad, Did you try the lemonade with the recommended Besti sweetener? It dissolves and tastes just like real sugar. We reserve the rating process for those that actually test the recipe.
Robin A. Lee
0Excellent!
Nora
0Hi I just wanted to say how much I have learned from you not to mention all the great recipes, the amazing app that is helping me on my keto, low carb journey I just wanted to ask about adding fresh strawberries to this recipe and about how many lemons does this need? Thank you for giving me something that can keep me on track it was so Hard giving up Dr Pepper:)
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nora, If using fresh lemons, you will need about 5 large lemons. Strawberries sound like a nice addition. I hope you enjoy!
claudia
0Hi. I am confused. How can this have only 2 net carbs if 1 lemon has at least 4g? Am I missing something? I am new to Keto and I would love to be able to drink lemonade
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Claudia, Lemon juice has about 16 grams net carbs per cup. We are using 2/3 cup in this recipe, and diluting with water, so it comes out to slightly over 2g net carbs per serving. Hope this helps!
Beth Register
0This was delicious! I’m trying to improve my water intake but sometimes I want to drink something with flavor and I don’t care for tea or diet drinks. This is perfect. So refreshing and lemons are very healthy. I added a dash of cayenne to mine because that’s what my grandmother added to her fresh lemonade when I was growing up. Gives a nice little kick and cayenne has some health benefits, too. Thank you for this recipe!
Lianne
0How much would be needed if I used your wholesome cellulose zero calorie liquid sweetener instead of making simple syrup? Just too lazy, lol
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lianne, I am sorry, I don’t know. You could probably add the amount of sweetener needed by taste.
Jessica
0This was perfect for serving to the kiddos- no sugar, but still tastes great. So refreshing!
Taryn
0Very refreshing!
Sylvia
0Do you have to use that particular sweetener? Could I use a monk Erythritol blend?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sylvia, You could try it, but I generally don’t recommend using a sweetener that contains erythritol, because it doesn’t dissolve as well – it will likely partially dissolve even when heating. The best options are powdered monk fruit allulose blend or powdered allulose.
Layla
0I’m confused…the post says this recipe is unlike others because it doesn’t requiring heating or extra steps, just mixing everything in a blender, but step one of the instructions is to bring sweetener and water to a simmer… am I missing something?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Layla, Making the sweetener and water mixture on the stovetop just ensures that the sweetener gets fully dissolved. You can skip this step if you would like.
Ward Stanford
0Maya, I think you have an error in your recipe, or im misunderstanding it. The recipe states 1.75 cups of water, separated into 1 cup and 2 1/2 cups. The separated sums to either 2 cups or 3.5 cups, depending on how you interpret the 2 1/2 cups (two half-cups or 2 and a half cups). Am I missing something? (I only did a 2 cups recipe quantity.)
Ward Stanford
0Correction to my post…I stated I did the 2 cup recipe quantity. I meant I did the 2 serving recipe quantity.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ward, The notes don’t change if you alter the scale of the recipe. The recipe was written as a 4 cup yield, so that’s what the notes are referring to. To make this work for 2 cups, you will dissolve the sweetener in 1/2 c of water and add that (to taste) to your lemonade mixture.
Kimberly W.
0Absolutely delicious and so much fun! My kids spotted a lemonade stand on this hot summer day, but I didn’t like the idea of pumping them full of sugar. We squeezed the lemons together, followed the recipe, and all really enjoyed the finished product. I’ve been doing keto for seven months and a refreshing glass of lemonade was such a nice treat!
Phil
0Do you use the original flavor or the lemon flavor monk fruit sweetener for lemonade?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Phil, I used original but I’ll be the lemon one would be amazing!
Glory C'Dealva
0Hi Maya,
I am new to keto and let me say, I love all your recipes! Just wondering why there is 1 gram of sugar in the lemonade recipe and where does it come from? The lemon itself? Also, I made a simple syrup with water and erythritol and lavender. Heated on the stove it worked well and tasted divine!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Glory! Yes, the small amount of sugar would be from the lemon juice. Good to know it works with simple syrup, too!
Karen Thomas
0Your lemon juice link is bad. I am very curious, which lemon juice did you use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, Thanks for noticing! I fixed the link. Fresh squeezed is also great but sometimes I use the bottled for convenience.
Karen Thomas
0I agree fresh squeezed is best, but I too love the convenience of bottled. I will encourage you to research Volcano Bursts lemon juice as it is organic and not from concentrate.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing, I’ll take a look!
Patricia Swenson
0What sweetener do you recommend for those allergic to monkfruit and stevia?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patricia, Sorry, for this recipe I don’t know of one that doesn’t have either of those. But for most recipes needing sweetener you can use erythritol. It just doesn’t hold up to cold beverages very well since it doesn’t dissolve enough.
Chrissie
0You can dissolve some erythritol with hot water to make a syrup before adding it to a cold drink – same deal with most other granulated sweeteners 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for sharing, Chrissie! In my experience erythritol has a hard time dissolving even in hot liquids, at least compared to sugar, but it does definitely work better than cold. It’s worth a try here! Powdered erythritol will dissolve better as well, so use that if you can.
Jan Gage
0Maya – First let me tell you how much I appreciate you! Your recipes are absolute lifesavers. They help me stay prepared with goodies in the fridge at all times.
Next, I’m wondering why I never see Splenda in Keto recipes? I’ve used Splenda forever, actually since it first came out. But, I’m thinking you must know something I don’t so I’m curious.
Thanks again……Your faithful follower…… Jan
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Jan! I don’t use the original Splenda (sucralose) because it’s artificial and also has dextrose and/or maltodextrin as a filler (these are sugars). However, I do use Splenda Naturals, which is an erythritol and stevia blend.
Michelle K
0Have you tried liquid Allulose sweetener? Some keto people I follow on YouTube and Instagram tested that, along with several other sweeteners (including monkfruit), and they liked Allulose the best. It also comes in granulated, and in liquid maple and honey flavors. You can get it on Amazon, or I’ve found it in a few stores here in Texas.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve heard promising things about allulose but since it’s fairly new I think we need more time to know its effects for sure. If you want to use it, I would test on yourself to see how it affects blood sugar and/or ketone levels if you’re keto.
Healthy Kitchen 101
0That’s the same way I make lemonade or orange juice, except that I use sugar xD Anyway, juice truly is a hero for thirsty summer days.
– Natalie Ellis