This cooling watermelon slushie, or slush, comes together in 15 minutes with 3 healthy ingredients and is customizable with herbs like mint or basil, and fruits like strawberries. Budget-friendly, made in a blender, the perfect frosty treat for hot days.
This frosty watermelon slushie is a terrific hydrator and tastes just like a cross between a frosty watermelon sorbet and ice cream. It carries the fun of an ice cream truck treat but also packs a powerful nutritional punch!
Like many of my frozen desserts including my easy how to make candied grapes recipe, watermelon ice cream, watermelon pizza, watermelon fruit salad, and my Can You Freeze Watermelon? post, this terrifically refreshing watermelon slushie is the best hot weather treat.
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Why You'll Love This
- A wholesome treat. This watermelon slush is far healthier than the sugar and preservative laden commercial versions. All it is is watermelon, fruit juice and ice.
- Super easy to make. It takes minutes to make, but only lasts in slush-mode a short time so make them when you plan to eat them.
- A wildly healthy slush. A slushie made from watermelon is as healthy and hydrating as those expensive hydration drinks. Watermelon is 92% water, and although it tastes sweet, it's actually one of the more low-sugar fruits. One cup carries about 10 grams of sugar compared to, say, peaches which carry 18 grams. And it's loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant that studies show lowers risk of disease.
Ingredients
- Watermelon frozen chunks. Either follow my Can You Freeze Watermelon? post or use the recipe instructions below. Using this recipe, 4 cups of frozen watermelon cubes should make 2 cups of watermelon slush.
- Lime juice. Use organic bottled lime juice, or juice fresh limes. Or use a different juice.
- Ice. You don't need much but adding just a few solid ice cubes will strengthen the slushy texture without watering it down.
Steps to Cut Watermelon
- 1.Wash the watermelon all over with soap and water, and your hands. Pat the melon dry. Washing prevents contaminating the inside of the watermelon with field dirt.
- 2. Cut off both ends of the watermelon.
- 3. Remove the rind by standing the watermelon on its side, inserting the knife between the pink meat and the green and white rind, and cutting downward, following the curve. If you have a particularly large watermelon, you may need to cut more sections before removing the rind.
- 4. Now cut the rind-free watermelon into chunks, each 1-2 inches in size.
- 5. Freeze the chunks on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Use the chunks for this recipe, and save any left overs for other recipes such as watermelon ice cream.
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Steps to Make Slushie
- 1.Freeze watermelon chunks the night before.
- 2. Add to blender the frozen watermelon chunks, lime juice and ice. If the chunks are stuck together, pry them apart with a fork.
- 3. Blend briefly, under 1 minute, so the slush doesn't melt by the hot blender blades. You might have to blend in 15 second intervals and pause to scrap down your blender.
- 4. Enjoy right away! Slushies do not keep.
Recipe Tips
- 1.Make sure the watermelon is frozen the night before and covered. Don't leave it exposed in the freezer as it gets freezer burn pretty quickly.
- 2. Add the watermelon chunks directly to the blender, don't let them thaw first.
- 3. Don't blend for more than 30 seconds at a time so as to not allow heating blender blades to melt.
- 4. Prepare to make slushies so you can drink right away as they can't last, even refrigerated.
- 5. The quality watermelon you buy will influence the flavor so look for a ripe one, one with a dull sheen, sounds hollow when knocked and has a yellow spot where it ripened in the field.
Make Ahead & Storage
- It's hard to make a watermelon slushie in advance because it will melt if you refrigerate it and it will become an icy brick if you freeze it. So plan on enjoying it right away.
- If you must make it in advance, store individual portions in storage containers and freeze. Thaw and blend briefly again, adding a bit of ice to achieve that fresh slushie texture.
Variations
- 1.Add fresh mint or basil leaves for a lovely herbal flavor.
- 2. Add ⅛ teaspoon of salt to boost electrolytes to this already hydrating treat.
- 3. Add frozen fruits to add a second fruit flavor. My favorite is to add frozen strawberries, but kiwi, cherries and even pineapple all add interesting fruity flavors to this slush.
- 4. Instead of lime juice, feel free to add lemon, orange or pineapple juice, or even vodka for a watermelon cocktail slush.
FAQs
You can but watermelons taste sweet already with natural sugars so you might not need it. If you do want to sweeten, I recommend not using refined sugars, so opt for 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or agave.
Yes, watermelon needs to be frozen to use it to make homemade slushies. If you use non-frozen watermelon and ice alone, the slushie may be too watery
There are several things to look for when choosing a ripe watermelon. Find a heavy one, one with dull finish, a yellow spot to indicate it sat ripening, and the stalk should be dry and yellow.
No, you should use lime juice, not the whole lime. The whole lime skin will ruin the slushie texture.
Other Watermelon Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Watermelon Slushie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon chunks, frozen
- ¼ cup lime juice (juice from 2 limes)
- ½ cup ice
Optional
- ¼ cup mint, fresh leaves or basil, fresh leaves
- ¼ cup strawberries, frozen and hulled
- ⅛ teaspoon salt to boost electrolytes
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Instructions
Prep
- Make frozen watermelon bricks. Chop watermelon in 1-inch blocks and freeze on baking sheets. Store left overs in a sealed container.
Make the Slushie
- Prepare the watermelon slush. Briefly blend up ingredients to make a slush, about 30 seconds. You might have to blend in 15 second intervals and pause to scrap down your blender. Enjoy right away!4 cups watermelon chunks, frozen, ½ cup ice, ¼ cup lime juice
Optional additions
- If you are adding the mint or basil leaves, and/or frozen strawberries, blend these first, then add the frozen watermelon so you don't melt down the melon.¼ cup mint, fresh leaves, ¼ cup strawberries, frozen and hulled
Video
Notes
- Make sure the watermelon is frozen the night before and covered. Don't leave it exposed in the freezer as it gets freezer burn pretty quickly.
- Add the watermelon chunks directly to the blender, don't let them thaw first.
- Don't blend for more than 30 seconds at a time so as to not allow heating blender blades to melt.
- Prepare to make slushies so you can drink right away as they can't last, even refrigerated.
- The quality watermelon you buy will influence the flavor so look for a ripe one.
- To make layered parfaits as pictured: Rinse buckwheat groats and add to a jar, layer on yogurt and chia seeds, then spoon slush on top.
simone francois says
Easy
Dee Dine says
So glad you liked the recipe!