Serve a fair-style homemade lemon shake up in no time at all! All you need are some fresh lemons and granulated sugar to whip up this easy lemon shake-up recipe...
Copycat County Fair Lemon Shake Up
I just love this time of year, especially the state fairs and street festivals! You know, seeing old friends, playing games with the kids, and of course, eating ALL of the fair food: like a funnel cakes or an elephant ear, cotton candy, fried Oreos, maybe a corn dog...
Oh my gosh, that reminds me — I skipped my usual funnel cake and tried a fried cupcake at our county fair last night! It was AMAZING!! Maybe a bit over the top, but totally perfect for sharing.
However, as much as I love all of the sweets, what I look forward to the most are the lemon shake-ups. There's just something about an icy cold, sweet and sour fair lemonade. It's such a refreshing, perfect drink on a hot summer day! Though it nearly kills me to pay their astronomical prices, I just can't help but cave every time.
So I set out to figure out how to make the best lemon shake up at home. You're totally going to want to make this easy lemon drink all summer long!
Added bonus? Homemade lemon shakeups cost a fraction of the price you'll see at summer festivals.
Lemon Shakeup Ingredients
To make this lemon shake up recipe, you'll need a quart size mason jar and the following simple ingredients:
- 🍋 Lemons: For a single serving, you'll need fresh lemon juice from half of a large lemon or one whole smaller one.
- Sugar: Shake ups generally use granulated white sugar, but you can also use simple sugar syrup if you're not a fan of having undissolved sugar crystals in the bottom of you cup. See my note below on this!
- 🧊 Ice: Use whole ice cubes instead of crushed ice or nugget ice which melt much more quickly.
- 💧 Water: Filtered water is best, but tap water works just fine too.
NOTE: Find quantities and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How To Make Lemon Shake Ups
The classic way fresh lemonade shakeup drinks are served is over lots of ice with the whole lemon rind or a lemon wedge in the cup. So the first thing you'll want to do is scrub the outside of the lemons extra well. Or you might even consider using organic lemons, although you'll still want to wash them.
To make your own lemonade shake-up, start by adding ¼ cup of sugar to the mason jar. Next, using a citrus reamer or press, juice half of a large lemon over it. Give the leftover lemon rind a good squeeze to release the essential oils, and toss it into the jar, as well.
Add about one cup of ice, and then fill the jar with enough water to reach the 16-oz. mark. Place a canning lid and band on the jar, and close it tightly. Shake mixture vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Substituting Simple Syrup
Traditionally, a lemon shake up is made with the juice of a lemon and granulated sugar. But it does require a lot of shaking to dissolve the sugar crystals!
Substituting two tablespoons of this rich simple syrup for the sugar gives the same amount of sweetness without leaving any undissolved sugar crystals in the bottom of your cup.
Best Lemonade Shake Up Cups
You can serve these homemade lemonade shake ups right in the mason jar — with or without a straw. Or I found these adorable insulated mason jar tumblers at Walmart the other day. They hold the amount that this lemon shake ups recipe makes perfectly!
NOTE: You don't HAVE to use a mason jar, although it's my preferred method. I like that you can use the markings on the jar instead of measuring things out. But really any container with a tight lid that holds 16-oz. plus some extra room for shaking will work!
Clearly I should have purchased more than two, though! I had to hunt these down for my photos, because my girls keep taking them.
They love helping make this easy lemonade recipe and can pretty much do it all on their own. I've started keeping cut lemon halves in the fridge so they can make them whenever they want.
Lemon Shake Up Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ large lemon or one whole smaller lemon, depending on size
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash your lemon well, roll it around on the countertop to make it easier to juice, and then cut it in half.
- Pour sugar into a quart size mason jar. Using a citrus press or reamer, squeeze juice of half a large lemon into the jar. If your lemons are smaller, add the juice of the whole lemon.
- Give the lemon rind a good squeeze to release the essential oils, and toss it into the jar.
- Add about one cup of ice on top of the sugar and lemon juice and rind. Then fill the jar up with water to the 16-oz. mark.
- Place a canning lid and band on top of the jar, and secure it tightly. Shake lemonade mixture vigorously until all of the sugar is dissolved, and serve ice cold.
Tips & Suggestions
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If you like this lemon shake up recipe, you might also enjoy these other fun copycat recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your homemade lemon shake-ups turn out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
abraham says
Sounds good. About to make one now. I use the same amounts except for lemon. I use two whole lemons. Yummy.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yeah, you definitely have to play around with the amount of lemon sometimes. Some lemons are sweeter than others, and I actually like mine a little more tart, too!
Shaina says
So cute! These look adorable, and I love that you shake them.
marly says
Love those jars and this easy and fun drink!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
What a great summer drink, and so much fun for the kids!
The bees says
What's the difference between this and lemonade ?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
There's no difference really — it's just the method that vendors use to make individual servings of fresh lemonade at fairs and festivals around here.
Paula - bell'alimento says
How fun are these? My kids would go nuts.
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
I love those tumblers! I bought a couple and the kids use them all the time. I've never had a shake up but I will be trying them soon!
Cindy Dickerson says
Oh this sounds so delicious! Glad your not in my area to buy up all the jars with lids. I will have to look at my Walmart!! Do they come in colors?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I saw online that they also come in a bright pink color, but my store only had the teal. They're so nice and sturdy, and they're dishwasher safe!