Homemade Orangeade
If you like making homemade lemonade, then you will love this easy recipe for Homemade Orangeade! Just like lemonade, but with oranges! This simple summer drink is cool and refreshing.
If you like delicious drinks as much as I do, check out Homemade Sweetened Iced Tea, Healthy Orange Julius With Protein, Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie With Collagen, Strawberry Limeade, or Blood Orange Lemonade.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Orangeade
- Ready In: 10 minutes
- Makes: 8 servings
- Main Ingredients: oranges, cane sugar
- Flavor Profile: sweet orange
- Dietary Info: vegan, gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: bright, sunny, and ridiculously simple homemade orangeade recipe
Summarize & Save This Content On
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Twist on Lemonade: If you like lemonade, you'll love this Homemade Orangeade! This is just like lemonade, but with oranges! Also, try Organic Pink Lemonade for a twist on lemonade.
- So Easy: With only 3 ingredients, this recipe is incredibly easy. After making a simple syrup, you just juice the oranges, and mix everything together with water.
- Light & Refreshing: This is a light and refreshing citrus summer drink. Think of it like lemonade or iced tea.
- No Flavors or Fillers: When you make your own drinks like this, you leave out all the artificial and natural flavors and filler ingredients that are in a store-bought variety and use clean minimal ingredients instead.
What is Orangeande?
Orangeade is just like How to Make Homemade Lemonade, but instead of lemons it's made with oranges. So, the orangeade ingredients are incredibly simple. It starts by making a simple sugar syrup (which is one part sugar to one part water). The simple syrup is heated over the stovetop so the sugar dissolves into the water. This is crucial as it ensures that the sugar is completely combined into the orangeade.
Once the simple syrup is made, you will juice oranges to get fresh orange juice. Then the simple syrup and orange juice are added together into a pitcher. Fill it with water and you have fresh homemade Orangeade that's an orangey and sweet version of lemonade! You can enjoy this drink on its own or use it in smoothies or cocktails.
Ingredients
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar as this is less processed than granulated white sugar.
- Oranges: You'll need fresh organic oranges.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Tips for Homemade Orangeade
- All fresh oranges will taste a little different. Some may be sweeter, some may be more tart, it just depends on the oranges and where you got them. If you have really sweet oranges, you may need to add additional water to this, and if you have oranges that are less sweet you may need less water. So, I'd advise starting with the 4 cups, tasting a little spoonful and then adding the last 1 cup, then tasting, and then if you need more water for you likeness, go in ½ cup increments until you get the amount of sweetness you desire. This is also a great recipe to make with oranges that are not sweet enough to eat!
- I use organic cane sugar in this recipe. I highly recommend using organic cane sugar here as it is not as sweet as conventional granulated white sugar and I think it makes for a much better tasting and healthier drink.
- I like to add fresh orange slices into the pitcher and the glasses for serving. This is optional, but I feel like adding this to the pitcher enhances the flavor over the few days that it may sit in the fridge.
- For a sparkling option, add in sparkling water instead of still after the simple syrup and oranges are juiced.
How to Make Homemade Orangeade
- In a small saucepan, add ½ cup of water and the cane sugar. Put over medium heat and stir with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Juice the oranges until you have 1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice.
- Add the orange juice and simple syrup into a large pitcher.
- Add in the remaining 5 cups of water and stir to combine completely. Slice the additional orange, and place slices in the pitcher or in the glasses for serving.
Ways to Enjoy
- You can enjoy this Homemade Orangeade like you'd enjoy lemonade.
- Enjoy it on its own, as a mixer for cocktails, mocktails, or even in smoothies like Lemon Blueberry Smoothie or Tropical Cranberry Smoothie.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freezer overnight for homemade orange pops that are a tasty treat!
- Enjoy as an afternoon snack with Olive Oil Raspberry Brownies, Salted Almond Dark Chocolate Bars, or Eggless Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Recipe FAQ's
Orangeade is just like lemonade, but made with oranges. It starts with a simple syrup made from cane sugar and water. Then, freshly squeezed orange juice is added and mixed up. You can enjoy it alone, use it as a mixer to cocktails or as an addition to smoothies! This citrus summer drink is so tasty!
Orange juice is just the juice that is juiced from fresh oranges. Orangeade is a combination of that juice along with a sweetener. I make a simple syrup using organic cane sugar and water. I combine that with the fresh orange juice and water to create an orangeade drink.
The only difference is orangeade is made using orange juice and lemonade is made using lemon juice. They are both sweetened with a simple syrup and finished off with water to create a delicious citrus drink.
You can if you prefer.
You can if you prefer. Instead of making the simple syrup, you can sweeten this with some honey. I recommend heating the honey a little bit so it can easily combine with the freshly squeezed orange juice and water (otherwise, it may just sink to the bottom).
Yes, just replace some or all of the additional water with sparkling water!
This will last in the fridge for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Yes, this is a wonderful drink to make in advance of a party!
Absolutely! Homemade orangeade makes a great base for both cocktails and mocktails. For a simple mocktail, mix orangeade with sparkling water and garnish with fresh orange slices and mint. For a cocktail, add vodka, tequila, or rum and serve over ice for a refreshing summer drink.
Yes, you can pour into popsicle molds after mixing everything together. Just freeze them overnight.
More Orange Recipes to Try
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Homemade Orangeade
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Small Pot
- Whisk
- Pitcher
Ingredients
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 5 ½ cup water
- 1 ¼ cups fresh orange juice (4 to 6 oranges depending on size)
- 1 orange (for topping)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add ½ cup of water and the cane sugar. Put over medium heat and stir with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Juice the oranges until you have 1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice.
- Add the orange juice and simple syrup into a large pitcher.
- Add in the remaining 5 cups of water and stir to combine completely.
- Slice the additional orange, and place slices in the pitcher or in the glasses for serving.
Video
Notes
- All fresh oranges will taste a little different. Some may be sweeter, some may be more tart, it just depends on the oranges and where you got them. If you have really sweet oranges, you may need to add additional water to this, and if you have oranges that are less sweet you may need less water. So, I'd advise starting with the 4 cups, tasting a little spoonful and then adding the last 1 cup, then tasting, and then if you need more water for you likeness, go in ½ cup increments until you get the amount of sweetness you desire. This is also a great recipe to make with oranges that are not sweet enough to eat!
- I use organic cane sugar in this recipe. I highly recommend using organic cane sugar here as it is not as sweet as conventional granulated white sugar and I think it makes for a much better tasting and healthier drink.
- I like to add fresh orange slices into the pitcher and the glasses for serving. This is optional, but I feel like adding this to the pitcher enhances the flavor over the few days that it may sit in the fridge.
- For a sparkling option, add in sparkling water instead of still after the simple syrup and oranges are juiced.
- High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.
Nutrition
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Organic home-made Orangeade is fabulous. Thank you 😊
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Yes. Thank you again 🙏😊
We make this all the time, so good!