How to Make Homemade Gatorade
Sports drinks are popular to replace lost electrolytes during the sweat of exercise. Follow this DIY recipe to make fresher Homemade Gatorade.
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Healthy drinks like this homemade electrolyte drink recipe are easier than people think. We also love this Warm Almond Milk and this Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix. Check out all of our Healthy Drink Recipes for inspiration.
IN THIS POST: Everything you need to Make Homemade Gatorade
Why we love this recipe
We’re all familiar with those brand-name sports drinks that line the shelves at the grocery store.
The sugar in some of these drinks is combined with artificial flavors.
This recipe is using fresh and natural ingredients.
Personally, I avoid these drinks and have never been much of a soda pop drinker. However, I wanted to provide a healthier DIY version for two reasons.
Firstly, I have a man in the house who is a big fan of sugary drinks. I have been able to steer him towards stevia-sweetened fizzy drinks and this homemade version of Gatorade just gives him a bit more variety to choose from.
Secondly, electrolyte drinks have more of a purpose than just flavor. If you are an athlete or, if heaven forbid you become afflicted by some horrible flu, then you will need to rehydrate with something other than water.
This is where the sodium in sports drinks comes into play. Just a tad of salt helps your body retain the fluid you are taking in when you drink. This also works for people who exercise heavily to replace electrolytes lost through sweating and aid in muscle repair.
These are easy-to-make, healthier alternatives to store-bought sports drinks.
Ingredients
- freshly squeezed citrus – lemon juice, lime juice, and orange juice.
- filtered water – we use a Propur Water Filter
- sea salt – in my experience, Redmond’s Real Salt is the BEST!
- sweetener – we use organic cane sugar but you can also switch up the sweetness by substituting the tablespoons of sugar for raw honey or maple syrup.
Equipment
mason jars with lids – we use 16 oz./500 ml size.
How to make this recipe
Step 1
First, squeeze the juice! The fresh stuff beats powder any day of the week.
Step 2
Next, add the ingredients to a mason jar. Split it up into 4 jars – two with the lemon-lime flavoring and two with the orange.
Step 3
Then, shake it all together. It is that easy. Leave a bit of room at the top of the jar for shaking before drinking.
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These drinks taste so good! I am partial to the lemon-lime flavor but they are both pretty delish. And both are a fabulous sources of vitamin C.
Recipe variation
Add more bang for your electrolyte buck by using coconut water instead of cold water. It boasts potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Coconut water may also help to replenish the body’s nutrient supply of trace minerals.
Storage
Store the jars, sealed in the fridge for up to a week. Give them a good shake before drinking.
FAQS
Each serving is about 60 calories.
Yes! Add a few ice cubes and pulse it in a blender until you reach your desired consistency.
More healthy drink recipes
- Cucumber Lemon Mint Water Recipe
- How to Make Grapefruit Juice – Fresh and Healthy!
- Cashew Coffee Creamer – Easy Plant-Based Alternative
- How to Make Spiced Coffee
**This recipe was originally posted on August 21, 2013, updated on June 21, 2019, and updated again on October 5, 2022, with updated recipe notes, writing, and photos.**
If you’ve tried our Homemade Gatorade, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
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How To Make Homemade Gatorade
Equipment
Ingredients
LEMON-LIME FLAVOR
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups filtered water
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
ORANGE FLAVOR
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 cups filtered water
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients together and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Split this into four 16 oz./500ml mason jars. Two of each flavor.
Under nutrition, you state it’s 67 kcal. That’s 67,000 calories! I don’t think you meant kcal.
Today was HOT HOT HOT. This gatorade was a lifesaver!
So nice to see the sun 🙂 Thanks Bella!
it was not good
Can you elaborate, Jak? What wasn’t good? Maybe I can help you troubleshoot. Thanks!
Hello, I woke up to my 16 yo son saying that he had been throwing up and having diarrhea for hours. He asked for Gatorade, which I don’t stock. I found your recipe and made him the lemon-lime. He asked for 1 tsp. maple syrup and a bit more water per portion, but then said it was good! So thankful to have a real version that I could whip together with zero notice that is better for him. Note that I used bottled juices, since that was all I had. He didn’t mind. 🙂
Aw, that is amazing Jennifer! Thanks so much for the great comment. I’ve used this recipe many times for the same reason. Hope your son is feeling better – and that he knows what a great mom he has. 🙂
Hi, just curious if we could use carton orange juice in place of the fresh if that’s all we have on hand at the moment?
Sure Hannah that can also work – you just want to try to avoid any extra sugars or additives.
This is so yummy!! My husband and I love this recipe after our long bike rides. Didn’t have fresh lemon juice, so I used some bottled juice and it turned out lovely! Nice and bright with the orange juice. I even add a little extra powdered vitamin C for my daily dose. Excited to try the lemon lime next!
Awesome!! Thanks, Morgan. 🙂 I love the idea of adding even more vitamin C too.
Wow, these are great! My kids love Gatorade but I hate buying it with that long list of ingredients. I filled their bottles with this and they loved it. Thanks!
I never buy the store bought drinks because of all the sugar. So I’m so glad I found this recipe. These are perfect post workout drinks and they taste great!
LOVE this idea for homemade electrolyte drinks…and love that it’s much healthier! Can’t wait to try making this myself! Thanks for sharing!
Oh this is so convenient for those days where you wake up and feel like death, with no electrolyte drinks in the house.
I love this recipe because you know the store bought stuff isn’t very good for you with either too much sugar or aspartame.
Interesting! Tastes much better than the store bought version and it’s much better for you too.
These are SO MUCH BETTER than Gatorade. Although I never liked the store bought stuff and love fresh citrus so I knew these would be good! Great option for my active boys too!
Excellent recipe! I tried both versions and both were excellent. I did not have cane sugar on hand, so I used 2 Tbsp. of white granulated sugar and it still turned out great. I am bummed to think of all the money I have wasted buying store bought Gatorade instead of making a healthier version for a fraction of the cost. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
I totally agree about saving that money! And sparing the environment from that plastic is nice too. 🙂 You could also try honey as a cane sugar substitute if you have that on hand. Thanks, Michelle!
Very true! Win-win all around – healthier, cheaper, and no plastic! Honey sounds awesome as well. I am about to make another batch today, so I will give the honey a try. Thanks!
I didn’t have lime or orange so I just made lemon flavour and it’s just lemonade tbh but it’s the best lemonade I’ve ever had
Sounds good to me!
Made this as soon as I Saw it, used high pulp orange juice and bottled lemon juice.
Had my doubts but, AMAZING!!!
I also used bottled water.
I love it too! High pulp OJ sounds great. You could also use coconut water if you wanted an extra electrolyte boost! Thanks, Lee. 🙂
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! My 5yr old wanted gatorade and I had no intentions of going out today. “If you look, you shall find” and boy did I find a hitter!……..She loved it!!!!! Thank you!
These are the BEST comments! I love it when the kids are contented. Thanks, Kandice and your sweet 5 yr old. 🙂
Very delicious, way better than store-bought. 🙂
I 100% agree! There is no comparison with fresh juice. Thank you, Brooke! So glad you gave this recipe a try. 🙂
Thank you so very much! My athletic son loves Gatorade and for his baseball game last night in the sweltering heat, I put this in his water bottle and he flipped out he love it so much! So, so glad to be done with buying that stuff!
Omgsh Abigail this is the BEST comment. Thanks so much. I’m happy your son loved it. He’s lucky to have you. 🙂
I doubled the salt and used honey instead of cane sugar. This is a very refreshing drink.
Love subbing in the honey! Thanks Chris. 🙂
I’d use stevia instead of sugar
Does the potassium come from only the fresh citrus?
You’re pretty cool!
Yes, citrus fruit is such a good source of potassium! Thanks Karen Anne. 🙂
Wow! so simple and delicious! Thank you for this superb alternative!
My pleasure! I’m so glad you found the recipe. Have a great week Lisa!
Such a great idea for sports drinks! I love this recipe for my son and replenishing his electrolytes after soccer. So much healthier than buying a sugar filled sports drink. And the bonus is that he loves it!
Perfect for post sports! And it is surprising how much sugar is in the store bought version. Thanks Julie!
Wow!! Homemade Gatorade the flavor is amazing without all of the chemicals! So easy to make too!!
Right?! Thanks Delia. I couldn’t with you more. Why buy? So easy to make at home. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
I’ve been making a rendition of Gatorade for months now. I use Himalayan pink salt instead of sea salt and freshly squeezed lemon/lime. I X’d the sugar as I’m watching my sugar intake. But, I will try the freshly squeezed orange!!! Thanks for sharing this.
I love the orange flavour! Definitely try it. 🙂 And I totally am down with the pink salt. Great idea.
Thanks so much for this. I was knocked down today with a migraine. Feeling a little bit better. But threw up most of this morning. I am too weak to go to the store. But managed to make this because I am dehydrated and need to replinish my electrolytes. I searched homemade gatorqde and drinking it now. What a lifesaver!
This recipe has saved me few times too! Hope you are feeling better, Rebekah. xoxo
I just made these last week and like both flavors much better than store bought Gatorade. Thanks, I’m going to make some more today! Also thinking I could add some Tequila and make them into a margarita drink too 🙂
I never thought about making these into ‘adult’ beverages. 🙂 Great idea, Kim! Maybe this weekend …
Great Idea! Thanks, I love my Vitamin Water or Gatorade during and after my zumba workout. We have been doing the clean eating since finding out I have hypertension. Can’t wait to give these a try. I will be sure to update my post after I make them.
Thanks Candi! These are the best for post workout recovery. Keep up with the clean eating! 🙂
Great post!!!! And so needed because the store bought stuff isn’t really great for you!
Do you have to add the sugar? I mean, if you don’t, well that dimish the electrolyte effect? If you have to have it sweet, can you add honey instead?
Hi Mary Lou! You can totally add honey instead – that works perfectly also. Sugar is more for adding a carb to boost energy.