Rose Lemonade
Updated Feb 19, 2025
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Sweet, floral, and tart, this rose lemonade is made from scratch using just 4 ingredients. Get step-by-step instructions to make this caffeine-free drink delicious every time.
Homemade Rose Lemonade
This rose lemonade is lightly floral, tart, and perfectly sweet. Dried rose buds or petals are steeped in hot water to form a caffeine-free tea that’s layered on top of lemonade. It’s great for summertime gatherings.
When making drinks, always make sure sure to use food-grade rose buds that are edible and not ones from flower shops.
Note from Jee
For my other tea recipes, I usually recommend steeping tea for 5 minutes, but with this recipe, the drink tasted so much better when the rose buds were steeped for 10 minutes.
I initially tried it with more rose buds and steeping it for 5 minutes, but the flavor was weak and it just didn’t come through the lemonade. Upping the steep time to 10 minutes (8 minutes at a minimum) really did the trick to making the drink delicious.
Recipe Summary
- Rose lemonade is a caffeine-free drink made with dried rose buds, lemonade, water, and ice.
- It starts with making a rose tea concentrate by steeping rose buds in hot water, then cooling it down.
- The lemonade is already sweet so no other sweeteners are needed.
- This recipe makes 16 ounces (2 cups) but can easily be increased to make a larger batch.
RELATED: 17 Best Lemonade Recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Dried rose buds: Dried rose petals will also work. Only use dried rose that are food-safe.
- Lemonade: Use homemade or store-bought. Homemade lemonade lets you control the sweetness of the drink.
- Water: I always use filtered water for the best tasting drink.
- Ice: Make ice with filtered water if possible.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Put dried rose buds and hot water into a teapot.
Roughly chop the rose buds for a stronger rose flavor. Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting.
Step 2: Cover and steep. After steep, strain tea and let cool.
Step 3: Pour lemonade into a cup with ice. Optional: Garnish with lemon slices.
Step 4: Add the cooled down rose tea.
Recipe Notes
Only use food-grade rose buds.
Be sure to purchase dried rose buds that are edible and food-safe. The ones that are sold at flower shops are treated with pesticides and not meant for eating.
To make a layered drink, start with the sweetest ingredient.
The order is important when making layered drinks. The sweetest ingredient needs to be added first, followed by ones with less sugar.
In this recipe, the lemonade has the most sugar and the tea is unsweetened, which is why the rose portion is added last. Since the rose tea is light in color, the layered effect will be less distinct.
Prepare the tea part ahead of time.
Steep the dried rose buds to make the tea in advance and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Mix with the lemonade once ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- Decorating the cup with sliced lemon adds a pretty finishing touch. Line the slices first before adding the ice to make sure they stay in place.
- Instead of lemonade, you can add lemon simple syrup to a full cup of iced rose tea.
- This recipe steeps the dried rose buds for 10 minutes, but it’s okay to brew them for longer since the tea won’t get bitter. The rose flavor will intensify the longer you steep.
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Rose Lemonade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried rose buds
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 1 cup ice
- ⅔ cup lemonade
- 2 lemon slices, (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Put dried rose buds and ⅓ cup of hot water into a teapot.Roughly chop the rose buds for a stronger rose flavor. Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set water temperature to 195°F.
- Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and let cool.The rose buds can be steeped for longer without getting bitter. To cool quickly, put the rose tea in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Pour lemonade into a cup with ice. Add cooled down rose tea.Optional: Garnish with thinly sliced lemon.
Notes
- Be sure to purchase dried rose buds that are edible and food-safe. The ones that are sold at flower shops are usually treated with pesticides and not meant for eating.
- Both homemade or store-bought lemonade works for this recipe. Homemade lemonade lets you control the sweetness of the drink.
- The rose tea can be prepared ahead of time. Steep the dried rose buds in advance and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Mix with the lemonade once ready to serve.
- To make a layered drink, start with the sweetest ingredient. The order is important when making layered drinks. The sweetest ingredient needs to be added first, followed by ones with less sugar.
- Decorating the cup with lemons adds a pretty finishing touch. Line the slices first before adding the ice and lemonade to make sure they stay in place.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
