Ginger Free Chilled Cucumber Mint Lemonade
Cool, refreshing, and genuinely stunning in a glass, this cucumber mint lemonade is the kind of drink that makes a regular afternoon feel like a special occasion. A homemade mint simple syrup — made by steeping fresh leaves in warm maple syrup and water — gives it a floral sweetness that's far more interesting than plain sugar. Blended English cucumber adds a clean, hydrating depth that plays beautifully against the bright tartness of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. The whole thing comes together in a large pitcher and chills until it's perfectly cold, so it's just as good for a quiet solo glass as it is for a crowd. So many store-bought lemonades and flavored drinks sneak in ginger as a "zing" ingredient, but every element here is straightforward and easy to verify — no hidden spices, no surprises. Garnished with thin lemon slices and a sprig of fresh mint, it looks like something you'd order at a fancy café, but it's completely made from scratch in your own kitchen.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the mint simple syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
For the lemonade
- 1 medium english cucumber (about 10 oz), peeled and roughly chopped
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons)
- 2 cups cold water
For serving
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 4 thin lemon slices (optional)
- 4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the 1/2 cup water and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the maple syrup fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the mint leaves, and let steep for 10 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant and pale green. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
- 2
Place the chopped cucumber in a blender with 1/2 cup of the cold water and blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain the cucumber purée through the fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract all the juice; discard the pulp.
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