Mint Lemonade
This mint lemonade is bright and citrusy, not overly sweet, and infused with the refreshing essence of fresh mint. And you only need 4 ingredients to make it, and it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan.
I wanted to post something green for St. Patrick’s Day that’s not matcha-flavored, and mint seemed like a tasty option.
I’m thrilled with the results! This is fun for St. Patrick’s Day but also perfect for the lucky people who have gardens and who have the “problem” of too much mint.
Today’s lemonade is made with an easy-to-prepare mint simple syrup that bursts with a minty coolness. The syrup perfectly complements the zesty tang of the lemons, leaving a lingering mint finish.
And for a bit of effervescence, you could probably swap 2 cups of regular water with sparkling water to add a bit of bubbly. I haven’t tried it, but I think it’d work out well.
Ingredients
All you need to make this mint lemonade is granulated sugar, water, fresh mint leaves, and freshly squeezed lemon juice from about four medium-sized lemons.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is key to great lemonade. Bottled lemon juice doesn’t taste nearly as good, so I highly recommend using only fresh lemon juice.
Mint simple syrup
To make the mint simple syrup, all you need to do is add water and the granulated sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the sugar syrup for 1-2 minutes or until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the lightly packed mint leaves. Set the syrup aside to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, place the mint syrup into a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
Then, combine the syrup with the remaining water and freshly squeezed lemon juice and pour over ice.
Making the simple syrup takes about 5 minutes, so it’s not too much effort.
Full instructions are listed at the bottom of the post. Please scroll to the recipe box for measurements.
Mint type
Spearmint and peppermint both work great in this lemonade. Here’s an overview of their differences in case you’re not sure which one to buy.
While both spearmint and peppermint belong to the mint family and share some similarities, they differ in flavor, aroma, appearance, and uses. Peppermint tends to have a stronger, more intense flavor and aroma due to its higher menthol content, while spearmint has a sweeter, milder taste and aroma.
Flavor and aroma
- Spearmint has a sweeter, milder flavor compared to peppermint. It has a refreshing, slightly minty taste with hints of sweetness and earthiness.
- Peppermint has a stronger, more intense flavor with a sharp menthol taste. It is often described as cooling and refreshing, with a stronger minty aroma than spearmint.
Menthol content
- Peppermint contains a higher concentration of menthol, which contributes to its stronger flavor and aroma.
- Spearmint contains lower levels of menthol, resulting in a milder taste and aroma.
Uses
- Spearmint is commonly used in culinary applications, such as flavoring teas, sauces, salads, and desserts. It is also used in traditional medicine for its potential digestive and respiratory benefits.
- Peppermint is widely used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a popular flavoring agent in candies, gums, and beverages. Peppermint oil is also used in aromatherapy and traditional medicine for its potential digestive, respiratory, and analgesic properties. Speaking of home remedies, using some of the leftover mint lemonade in this honey citrus mint tea would be delicious!
Color
The photographer used spearmint. If you use peppermint, the color is greener with less of a yellow hue.
This is how the spearmint version looks without adding some food coloring.
I added 3/4 teaspoon of Color Kitchen’s natural green food coloring to get the color you see in the rest of the photos. A lot of green natural food coloring is quite drab, so keep that in mind before adding it to your lemonade.
Most of them turn white frosting into olive green frosting. That’s not exactly a nice color for this lemonade, so I would just skip it if that’s all you have.
If you want something super vibrant and not so natural-looking, you could add a bit of Wilton gel food coloring.
And for another fun (and naturally colored!) lemonade, check out this great Pink Lemonade.
Color Kitchen is out of stock on Amazon right now and is back in stock on iHerb on March 31. But you can find it on their website!
Why no naturally-sweetened or keto options?
While I love this Honey Lemonade, I wasn’t sure that a honey-sweetened mint lemonade would be good.
It was not. It was weird.
So I moved on to maple syrup. The combination of maple syrup and lemon works great in these Lemon Bars and these Gluten-free Lemon Cookies, but definitely not in this mint lemonade.
It looked like muddy swamp water. It didn’t taste terrible, but I wouldn’t say it was tasty.
It tastes like a very weird mix of maple syrup, a bit of lemon, and some mint. It was also quite sour. The honey version was better than the maple syrup one, but I wouldn’t make either again.
The only thing I think might possibly work is a keto sweetener.
As I mentioned in my last post, this Green Ice Cream, keto sweeteners don’t really agree with me, so I’m really trying to avoid them. At least for now. Otherwise, I’d experiment for you!
So I stuck with granulated sugar. It’s what works here and what is almost always used in lemonade recipes (like this Lavender Lemonade which I can’t wait to try!).
More drinks for spring and summer
That’s it! I hope you’ll enjoy this mint lemonade. If you make it, please let me know what you think. Thanks!
Mint Lemonade
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1420 ml) water divided
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (16 grams) mint leaves fresh, lightly packed
- 1 cup (240 ml or about 4 medium lemons) lemon juice freshly squeezed
- food coloring optional, see notes
Instructions
- Add 1 cup (240 ml) of water and the granulated sugar to a medium saucepan. Set the mixture over medium heat and bring to a boil (ignore that it says 6 cups below – it's a technical issue that I can't change).6 cups (1420 ml) water, 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the sugar syrup for 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the mint leaves. Set the syrup aside to cool to room temperature.1/2 cup (16 grams) mint leaves
- Once cooled, place the mint syrup into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mint syrup, lemon juice, and remaining 5 cups of water to the pitcher. For a nicer green color, add food coloring (ignore that it says 6 cups below – it's a technical issue that I can't change).6 cups (1420 ml) water, 1 cup (240 ml or about 4 medium lemons) lemon juice, food coloring
- Stir and enjoy. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of fresh mint, if desired.
- This lemonade will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Stir before enjoying.
Notes
- For vibrant green lemonade, use Wilton gel food coloring and for a more natural look (which you see in the photos), add 3/4 teaspoon of Color Kitchen’s green food coloring powder
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Nutrition
Categories:
Dairy-free, Drinks, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Holiday Recipes, Special Diets, St. Patrick's Day Recipes, Vegan,
Such a fun twist on lemonade! Love this!
I have some mint growing in the garden. I love adding it to drinks. This is perfect for the summer parties
Happy St Patrick’s Day! We started the day with this mint lemonade! So fresh and delicious. Definitely making it again!