Black Pepper Free Classic Lemonade
Bright, tangy, and endlessly refreshing, this from-scratch lemonade is the kind of drink that makes any afternoon feel like a celebration. A homemade simple syrup is the secret here — dissolving the sugar in warm water first means every sip is perfectly smooth and evenly sweet, with no gritty texture at the bottom of the glass. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice gets strained to remove seeds and pulp, so the result is clean, vibrant, and genuinely better than anything from a powder or bottle. For anyone avoiding black pepper due to sensitivity or intolerance, this recipe is a completely safe and satisfying choice — there's nothing hidden in these ingredients, just sugar, water, and lemons doing their thing. You can easily dial the sweetness up or down to suit your taste, which makes it feel like a truly personal drink rather than a one-size-fits-all recipe. Served over ice with a few lemon slices and fresh mint, it's as pretty as it is delicious.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the simple syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
For the lemonade
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6–8 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool for 15 minutes.
- 2
While the syrup cools, juice the lemons and strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp.
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