Refreshing Watermelon Ice
When summer watermelons are ripe and sweet, grab one (or two) and make this refreshing watermelon ice. It’s a simple frozen fruit dessert that’s deliciously sweet and slightly sour, made with watermelon, sugar or other sweetener, and some zesty lime.
Part Italian ice and part sorbet, this watermelon ice is insanely easy to make and will please every watermelon lover in your group.
If you love this classic summer fruit as much as I do, check out these other easy, healthy watermelon recipes, with tips for choosing the best melon and storing leftovers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s fast and easy. You do have to start with frozen watermelon, but once it’s frozen, this recipe takes seconds to make with a food processor or blender.
- It’s healthy. Watermelon is a significant source of lycopene, a plant compound that gives watermelon its red-pink color. Studies on human cells and animals suggest lycopene has antioxidant and anticancer properties.
- It’s hydrating. Watermelon is 92% water, making it a delicious way to increase your fluid intake, so you stay hydrated.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s all you need to make watermelon ice. Substitutions and variations are in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Watermelon. Choose a seedless melon that’s firm and free from bruises, heavy, and has a large yellow spot (known as a ground spot) on one side, where it sat on the ground while it ripened in the sun. You’ll need about half of a small seedless watermelon for this recipe.
Sweetener. Add this to taste. I find sugar or a granulated zero-calorie sweetener like monkfruit works best because it dissolves easily. I don’t recommend honey for this recipe because it hardens and clumps when combined with the frozen watermelon cubes.
Lime. The zest and juice balance the sweetness of the watermelon and sugar.
Fresh mint. This is optional, but it’s a nice garnish on top and a classic flavor combination with watermelon. You’ll need 3-4 large mint leaves.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap fresh basil or lemon thyme for the mint leaf garnish.
- Use lemon or orange zest and juice instead of lime.
- For a creamy variation, add some vanilla Greek yogurt when blending.
- Try this recipe with one-third each watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew as in my striped melon pudding. Blend each fruit separately and layer them in a pretty, clear glass when serving.
How to Make Watermelon Ice
1. Cut the watermelon. The easiest way to cut watermelon into cubes is to cut the top and bottom off the melon. If you have a very large melon, cut it in half so it’s easier to handle. Then, trim down the sides to remove the skin and rind. Finally, cut the melon into slices, about two inches thick, and cut each slice into cubes.
2. Freeze the watermelon cubes. Lay the watermelon cubes on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. You may need two baking sheets. Freeze them for about three hours.
3. Puree the frozen cubes. Process or blend the watermelon cubes just until they’re broken down.
4. Add the lime zest, juice, and sugar. Add these and pulse a few more times to combine everything. The mixture should be fairly smooth and slushy. Don’t blend it too long because the frozen watermelon will melt. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh mint.
Expert Tips
Always wash and dry your watermelon before cutting it. Melons can harbor bacteria like Salmonella or Listeria on their skin, which can be transferred into the flesh when cut.
You’ll need about 4 cups of frozen watermelon cubes for this recipe, but I like to cube and freeze the entire melon. I keep extra cubes in the freezer so I can make small batches of this watermelon ice when the craving hits.
Seedless watermelon often still has small white seeds. It’s fine to eat them, but try to remove any that are visible.
While you can use a blender to make this recipe, I prefer a food processor because it has a wider bowl. The blending process goes faster, and you don’t have to stop as often to scrape down the sides.
If your watermelon ice is too melty after blending the cubes, transfer it to a container with a lid and freeze it for 30-45 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. If you freeze it too long, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften so you can easily scoop it.
Recipe FAQs
Watermelon’s sweetness can vary, so taste your melon first, and add sugar or sweetener as needed. Besides adding sweetness, sugar will enhance the creaminess. This recipe has just a little sugar, which keeps it icy. If you add more sugar (at least ½ cup), you’ll get a sorbet-like consistency.
One cup of watermelon cubes has 11g of carbohydrate with about 1g of fiber. All fruit is rich in carbohydrates, but because it also has fiber and other nutrients, your body absorbs carbohydrates from fruit, including watermelon, slowly.
Related Fruit Dessert Recipes
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Refreshing Watermelon Ice
Ingredients
- 4 cups seedless watermelon cubed
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
- 3-4 mint leaves minced, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Line one or two baking sheets that will fit in your freezer with wax or parchment paper and set them aside.
- Cut the skin and rind from the watermelon, and cut it into one to two-inch cubes. Lay the cubes on the prepared baking sheets.
- Carefully place the baking sheets in the freezer, and let the watermelon cubes freeze for about three hours or until they are firm when pierced with a knife. They don't have to be frozen solid. This will make them too hard to blend.
- Transfer the watermelon cubes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 10 times until they are mostly broken down.
- Add the sugar, lime zest, and lime juice and pulse another five or six times to combine everything. The mixture should be thick and slushy. Serve immediately, garnished with minced mint leaves.
- Store any leftovers in a covered container in the freezer. Before serving, let sit out for 20 minutes or microwave for 20-30 seconds so ice is easier to break apart and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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A bit too much sweet for me but I am sure it will works with xylitol so I am gonna try this I love watermelon
Hi Carine! Try it first without any sweetener – if your melon is really ripe, you may not need to add any. And, if you do, I’m sure any sweetener will work fine. Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment 🙂
Love the way you present these… would be perfect for a pool party. And those little spoons are so cute!
Yes! Pool party indeed! I love those little spoons too – portion control 🙂
You have really made me want to buy an ice-cream maker 🙂
I resisted forever, but now I think everyone should have one! They’re not just for hight fat treats 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
love this idea!!! reminds me of sno cones!!!
But it tastes SO much fresher and better! Thanks for stopping by Rachel 🙂
Oooooh this speaks to me! New Orleans has snow balls everywhere but they’re always filled with weird ingredients. What a great idea to make your own! And with watermelon! SO refreshing!! 🙂
I never heard of New Orleans snow balls – I’m curious now! I love watermelon season, and can’t get enough, so it’s nice to have this in the freezer. Thanks for visiting Meme!
Anne, Your recipes are always terrific. I am going to do this! Pinning
Awww – Thanks Diane 🙂 I have a honeydew melon on my counter right now that’s calling for a similar treatment!