Watermelon Slushie Mocktail

This watermelon slushie mocktail is the best way to cool down on a hot summer day. This icy treat is made with just 3 simple ingredients and works with any type of frozen melon.

Homemade slushies are the ultimate refreshing drink during the hot summer months. No additives or too much added sugar, just frozen fruit and other whole food ingredients.

For this particular watermelon drink, you want to use the ripest and sweetest watermelon.

To find a ripe watermelon at the grocery store or farmer’s market, look for a field spot. This is the yellow patch on the rind of a watermelon that rested on the field as it grew. If the field spot is more white than yellow, it was picked too early and won’t be sweet enough. If this happens, I recommend making fresh watermelon juice instead.

Ingredients

• Seedless watermelon – these aren’t completely seedless as they do contain small amounts of tiny, white, edible seeds. If yours have black seeds, remove them first for the best texture.
• Fresh lime juice – adds a bit of tanginess and helps balance out the sweetness.
• Simple syrup – use either plain, but basil, lime, or strawberry simple syrup would also taste amazing!
• Cold water – a little to help it blend.
• Flakey salt – optional.

How to Make Watermelon Slushies

Step 1. Using a sharp knife, cut the watermelon into cubes and discard the rind. Arrange the cubed watermelon in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze for about 3-4 hours or until completely frozen.

Step 2. Make the simple syrup around the same time you freeze the watermelon so that it’s nice and cold when you’re ready to make the slushie drink.

Step 3. Add the frozen watermelon cubes, fresh lime juice, water, simple syrup, and a pinch of salt to a blender. Blend until smooth (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides or use a tamper if your blender has one).

Step 4. Serve in a chilled glass with a salted or sugared rim (optional).

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this watermelon slushie mocktail using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

• No fresh lime juice? – use lemon juice.
• No simple syrup? – depending on the sweetness of your watermelon you may not need it. If you do, you can also use maple syrup.
• Instead of water – use coconut water.
• Add-ins – fresh mint or fresh basil.
• Variations – try other kinds of ripe melon and get creative with infused simple syrups to create endless variations.

Equipment

A high-powered blender works well for getting a smooth yet frozen consistency, using the tamper as needed.

If you only have a standard blender, you may need to blend the watermelon cubes in smaller batches and/or stop and scrape down the sides as needed. You could also try using a food processor.

Helpful Tips

Have leftover frozen watermelon chunks? Store them in a freezer bag until ready to use. Having a stash in your freezer is a great way to make a watermelon slushie even quicker when the mood strikes.

Do you need the simple syrup? Although watermelon is already sweet, a small amount of simple syrup (or any sweetener) helps intensify the flavor of the watermelon. How much you add will depend on how sweet your fruit is and your personal preference, so adjust accordingly.

More Cold Drinks

• Indonesian Avocado Shake (Jus Alpukat)
• Mango Matcha Latte Recipe
• Lavender Lemonade
• Green Piña Colada Smoothie