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This cucumber lemonade is a super refreshing, thirst-quenching, super-hydrating beverage perfect for sipping on hot summer days!

Cucumber lemonade with lemon slices and watermelon in a glass and pitcher.

Refreshing Cucumber Lemonade Recipe

Cucumber lemonade is a simple and refreshing drink any time of the year, so making the step to cucumber watermelon lemonade was practically inevitable as the weather heats. It’s perfect for enjoying pool-side, at picnics, gatherings, and to keep in your fridge all summer between pitchers of peach lemonade, watermelon cooler, and fresh strawberry lemonade.

There’s no simple syrup making or cucumber de-seeding. Just chop the ingredients, add everything in a blender, and in 2 minutes, it’s ready.

Even better, there are several ways to add your own personal twist to this homemade lemonade, including using your choice of sweetener (refined, unrefined, or sugar-free) and/or adding fresh herbs (how to store fresh herbs to last), or fruit.

Looking for more fun vegan drinks? Try out this mango bubble tea, watermelon slushie, virgin bloody mary, ginger fruit smoothie, matcha boba tea, or kale pineapple smoothie.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for cucumber lemonade arranged on a white surface.

What Else Could I Add?

  • Basil: Use fresh, vibrant, aromatic leaves to create delicious cucumber basil lemonade.
  • Mint leaves: The fresh and delicious flavor of mint complements cucumber’s freshness for a super summery, refreshing mint cucumber lemonade.
  • Rosemary: Add subtle, aromatic, herbal flavor by adding a sprig of rosemary to the pitcher of cucumber lemonade while it chills before serving.
  • Ginger: For the slightly spicy, zingy flavor of ginger, add some finely grated ginger.
  • Elderflower syrup: Just a little, as it really complements the cucumber flavor. You can use this alongside or instead of another sweetener.
  • Lemon peel: Add lemon zest or peel for a more intense citrusy flavor without tart flavor.
  • Chia seeds: Add 3-4 tbsp chia seeds to this lemonade and leave it to chill for several hours for added texture and protein.

How to Make Quick Cucumber Lemonade

Cut lemon, cucumber, and watermelon arranged on a white surface.
A citrus squeezer held over a pitcher of lemon juice.

Step 1: First, peel and roughly chop the cucumber, watermelon, and peel and quarter the lemons (remove as much white pith as possible).

Step 2: Then, add the prepared ingredients, sugar, and one cup of water to a blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth. Add the remainder of the water, blend one more time and serve over ice. 

Enjoy the lemonade as-is or in glasses with ice. Optionally, garnish the cucumber lemonade with thin cucumber ribbons.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

  • To not peel or peel the cucumber: We prefer to do the latter, as cucumber peel can add a bitter flavor to the lemonade. However, it’s up to you. Cucumber seeds can also be slightly bitter, so de-seed it if preferred.
  • Tweak to taste: Easily adjust the amount of sweetener and lemon juice to your liking.
  • Chill before serving: For the best flavor, allow the cucumber lemonade to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This allows the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to meld.
  • To avoid watered-down lemonade: Add ice to cups rather than the pitcher. OR make special cucumber lemonade ice cubes, so they don’t dilute the flavor as they melt.
  • Zest the lemons: Even though zest isn’t required for this recipe, if you zest the lemons before juicing them, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. For a frozen lemon treat, try these homemade lemon ice pops.
A pitcher of cucumber lemonade with lemon slices and watermelon.

Storage Information

Store any leftover cucumber lemonade in a covered jug in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, stirring well between servings.

Other Vegan Drinks to Consider

If you tried this cucumber lemonade recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

Cookbooks

If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!

Cucumber Lemonade

5 from 36 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Cucumber lemonade with lemon slices and watermelon in a glass and pitcher.
This 4-ingredient cucumber lemonade is a super refreshing, thirst-quenching, super-hydrating beverage perfect for sipping on hot summer days! Sugar-free + flavored options available!

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups of water divided
  • ½ to 1 cup of sugar or more to taste
  • 2 cups of watermelon
  • 2 medium cucumbers peeled and chopped
  • 2 lemons peeled and cut into quarters

Instructions 

  • To the blender pitcher, add 1 cup of water, sugar, cucumbers, watermelon and lemons. Blend for one minute or until fully blended.
  • Add the remainder of the water, blend one more time and serve over ice.

Notes

  • Not peel or peel the cucumber: We prefer to do the latter, as cucumber peel can add a bitter flavor to the lemonade. However, it’s up to you. Cucumber seeds can also be slightly bitter, so de-seed it if preferred.
  • Tweak to taste: Easily adjust the amount of sweetener and lemon juice to your liking.
  • Chill before serving: For the best flavor, allow the cucumber lemonade to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This allows the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to meld.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.004gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 42IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.3mg

Additional Info

Author: Toni Okamoto
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Method: Blender
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂

About

Toni Okamoto

Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, which she started in 2012. She has created over 1,500 budget-friendly vegan recipes and written four cookbooks, including a VegNews Cookbook of the Year and a Publishers Weekly bestseller. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and NBC News, and has 2 million followers on social media.

More about Toni Okamoto
5 from 36 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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