This fresh ginger lemonade recipe is naturally sweetened with honey! It’s the perfect refreshing drink to cool off with this summer, and you won’t want to miss all our delicious flavor twists to try!

glasses of raspberry, lemon, and peach ginger lemonade next to a pitcher of lemonade

Healthier Homemade Lemonade With a Little Twist!

There is nothing like an ice cold glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade on a hot day, and this naturally-sweetened honey ginger lemonade recipe is a delicious twist on classic lemonade.

EASE: You only need 4 simple ingredients + your favorite garnishes! If you can slice and stir, you can make this recipe.
FLAVORS: You’ll get bright, sunny lemon flavor, a subtle warmth from the ginger, and a kiss of sweetness from honey. The flavors are balanced, bright, and delicious–kind of like the summer version of Lemon Ginger Tea!
TOP TIPS: Fresh lemon juice is a must here for the best flavor. Don’t miss some delicious flavor variations to try below!

Happy sipping! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

Let’s make some lemonade! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Fresh Ginger. You’ll need fresh or frozen ginger for this recipe. It’s what gives the ginger honey lemonade it’s delicious flavor and spicy ginger twist! The finer you slice it, the more intense the flavor will be as it steeps. You can even use grated ginger for even more flavor.
Honey. This is a naturally-sweetened ginger lemonade, so I use honey. The sweetness of the honey is the perfect balance to the tart lemon and spicy fresh ginger flavors here. You can use agave for a lighter flavor or use granulated sugar or cane sugar instead, if you prefer!
Fresh Lemon Juice. A must for homemade lemonade! Bottled lemon juice will come off bitter and overly acidic, so I only recommend fresh juice here.
Water. You’ll heat some of the water to steep the ginger, then cool things down with cold water for the lemonade.
Plenty of Ice. Hot summer days call for ice cold lemonade! If it’s not ice cold, I don’t want it! Aim for at least 3-4 cups of ice cubes for best results!
Garnish or Fruit! For a pretty finish, try adding lemon wedges or lemon slices, slices of fresh ginger, some fresh mint leaves, or your favorites!

How To Make Honey Ginger Lemonade, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Steep The Ginger. Wash and thinly slice the ginger. Add to a saucepan along with 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let the ginger steep 10-20 minutes. (The longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be!)
Sweeten & Strain Ginger Syrup. Add the honey to the slightly steeped ginger mixture and stir to dissolve. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the ginger pieces and combine with 2.5 cups cold water.
Combine. Pour the ginger syrup into a large pitcher along with lemon juice. Stir to combine well. At this point, you can chill lemonade the mixture until you’re ready to serve.
Garnish. Right before serving, add ice, along with any desired garnishes, such as lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, or slices of fresh ginger.
Serve & Store! Enjoy over ice and store leftover lemonade in the fridge up to 5 days.

A pitcher of honey ginger lemonade garnished with lemon slices

Glasses of honey ginger lemonade garnished with mint, fresh fruit, and slices of ginger

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Ginger Lemonade

Add Some Fruit! This honey ginger lemonade is also DELICIOUS with fresh fruit! Muddle some fresh strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or mangos in a glass, then top with lemonade and stir to make a pretty summer mocktail! (Alternatively, you can puree 2-3 cups of fruit with the ginger syrup before straining, then strain to remove any seeds or excess pulp).

Can I Use Powdered Ginger Instead? No. Dried ginger, ground ginger, and granulated ginger have a different, earthier flavor that can be too strong and assertive for lemonade. For the best ginger flavor, use fresh ginger or frozen ginger.

Try It With Turmeric! For a twist, you can try swapping the ginger out for fresh turmeric, or add turmeric along with the ginger for a stronger flavor!

What To Use Instead of Honey. The flavor of the honey will come through here, and if you’d just taste the lemon and ginger, granulated sugar, simple syrup, or agave are great alternatives for milder flavor.

More Easy Mocktail Recipes To Try

two strawberry mint julep mocktails in glass julep cups

Virgin Strawberry Mint Julep Mocktail

Blood Orange Mocktail

Non-Alcoholic Citrus Pomegranate Drink from One Lovely Life

Sparkling Citrus Pomegranate Mocktail

Honey Berry Lemonade

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Honey Ginger Lemonade recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Tap to Leave a Review

Honey Ginger Lemonade

Naturally-sweetened lemonade with a twist! Our Honey Ginger Lemonade is a delicious combo of sunny lemon, spicy fresh ginger & sweet honey!

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Print Pin Rate

Servings: Cups

Calories: 76kcal

Ingredients

1 cup Fresh Ginger, thinly sliced or finely diced*
4 cups Water, divided
1 1/2 cups Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Honey or Agave
2-4 cups Ice Cubes
Optional Garnish: Lemon slices, mint leaves, ginger slices, etc.

Instructions

Steep The Ginger. Wash and thinly slice the ginger. Add to a saucepan along with 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let the ginger steep 10-20 minutes. (The longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be!)
Sweeten & Strain Ginger Syrup. Add the honey to the steeped ginger mixture and stir to dissolve. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the ginger pieces and combine with 2.5 cups cold water.
Combine. Pour the ginger syrup into a large pitcher along with lemon juice. Stir to combine well. At this point, you can chill lemonade the mixture until you're ready to serve.
Garnish. Right before serving, add ice, along with any desired garnishes, such as lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, or slices of fresh ginger.
Serve & Store! Enjoy over ice and store leftover lemonade in the fridge up to 5 days.

Notes

USE FRESH GINGER. ONLY use fresh ginger or frozen ginger for this recipe. The thinner you slice the ginger, the better the flavor can infuse into the lemonade. If slicing, you don’t need to peel it first, just wash well, and thinly sliced. If you prefer, you can use grated ginger or frozen ginger cubes instead. If using grated ginger, I only recommend 2-4 cubes. The flavor will be more potent and spicy!
ADD SOME FRUIT! This lemonade is DELICIOUS with fresh fruit! Muddle some fresh strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or mangos in a glass, then top with lemonade and stir to make a pretty summer mocktail! (Alternatively, you can puree 2-3 cups of fruit with the ginger syrup before straining, then strain to remove any seeds or excess pulp).
WHAT TO USE INSTEAD OF HONEY. The flavor of the honey will come through here, and if you’d just taste the lemon and ginger, you can swap the honey out for granulated sugar, simple syrup, or agave for milder flavor.