Watermelon Slushie
Make this frozen watermelon slushie recipe to get your daily fruit in a refreshing drink just in time for summer. Enjoy this refreshing beverage made with only 6 ingredients, including real watermelon. Relax on the porch with a refreshing drink of watermelon, flavored with lime, raspberries, and mint.
For another refreshing summertime drink, try this raspberry mojito.
Today’s recipe is “short, sweet, and hard to beat” like my mom always says. I was inspired to make this recipe by my friend Kathy Patalksy’s site, Healthy Happy Life. What a fun website she has! I’m always looking for ways to get more variety in the foods I eat and sometimes that means mixing things up a bit…literally. These watermelon slushies are fun, colorful, and so refreshing!
What comes to mind when you think of a typical slushie? Is it a super-sweet icee drink? I’m here to tell you there are healthy slushies and this frozen watermelon drink is a great example. It’s a real game-changer because it’s easy to make and full of all the refreshing flavors.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Adding lime juice gives a splash of zest to these smooth, refreshing drinks
- Raspberries add bright, vibrant color and a little bit of sweetness, too
- Using fresh mint leaves creates an undeniable summertime flavor, making this an irresistibly tasty frozen slushie!
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Fresh watermelon — I bought a small, round watermelon which provided plenty of watermelon chunks for this recipe
- Lime juice — You can use fresh or boiled lime juice
- Water — You can use plain water or sparkling water
- Stevia — Watermelon is pretty sweet, but it needs a little boost. I add just a bit of stevia, but you could use maple syrup if you prefer
- Raspberries — We’ll add a few raspberries (fresh or frozen) to make the slushie a brighter color and to add flavor, too
- Fresh mint leaves — We have lots of fresh mint in our garden, but you can also buy mint leaves in the produce section of your grocery store.
How to Make a Watermelon Slushie
- Chop & Freeze the watermelon.
- Soften frozen watermelon slightly before blending.
- Purée the watermelon with the rest of the ingredients.
- Serve in glasses and serve immediately with fresh lime wedges.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions:
Step One: Chop & Freeze
Chop & Freeze — Simply chop the watermelon into chunks (don’t even worry about seeds!) and freeze them. It takes about 2 hours to get the watermelon thoroughly frozen.
I place the watermelon chunks in freezer bags and lay them flat (so they freeze in individual chunks rather than one big clump). Depending on the size of your watermelon, you may have leftover frozen watermelon chunks. If so, they’re great to add to your healthy green smoothies.
Step Two: Soften Frozen Watermelon
Watermelon gets crispy when it’s frozen. This can be taxing on your blender, so I recommend putting them in the blender and then letting them sit at room temperature for a few minutes until they soften slightly. This will make for a creamier watermelon slushie, too.
Step Three: Blend
Add the lime juice, water, stevia, raspberries, and mint leaves to the blender along with the frozen watermelon.
Pulse at low speed for a few seconds to break up the large pieces. Then turn up the blender speed until it transforms into a thick, slushie-like consistency.
Taste and add additional sweetener if necessary. If the blender locks up it’s a sign the watermelon is still too frozen. Let it sit for a few minutes, stir it, and then blend again.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these watermelon slushies as-is or use these tips to add some flair and possibly even a bit of alcohol:
- Simple Refreshing Watermelon Slushie — Garnish glasses with fresh mint leaves, raspberries, watermelon, or lime wedges
- Watermelon Vodka Slush — Substitute lime-flavored vodka for the lime juice. You can also use plain vodka or any of your favorite flavored vodkas.
- Watermelon Lemonade Slushie — Use basil lemonade in place of the water.
- Make Watermellon Wine Slushies — Use white wine in place of all or part of the water.
Marly’s Tips
I like using seedless watermelons, however, if your watermelon has seeds, there’s no need to remove them if you have a powerful blender. In that case, seeds are healthy so you can leave them in!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Can you freeze watermelon?
You can freeze watermelon by cutting the flesh from the rind and chopping it into chunks, trying to keep them a consistent size. Add chopped watermelon to a freezer bag or container. They will keep in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. Please note that the texture of thawed frozen watermelon is quite mushy. You will mostly want to use frozen watermelon for smoothies.
Are watermelon slushies healthy?
Watermelons are healthy. Of course, like most fruits, they are higher in carbs than vegetables, but watermelon is so delicious, it’s worth it. I absolutely love the filling nature of this slushie. It’s a perfect way to fill up on healthy, nutritious ingredients, without all that added sugar you’ll find in some slushie recipes.
I used stevia instead of something like maple syrup. Also, you can add sparkling water in place of the water in this recipe for a bubbly blended watermelon drink!
Storage Tips
You can refreeze any leftover slushies. Remove from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature until it softens to a slushie consistency.
More Vegan Beverages
This watermelon slushie is great, and here are even more great beverages to try:
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Watermelon Slushie
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped watermelon
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon stevia
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries
- 5 fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon into slices and remove rinds. Chop the fruit into chunks. If your watermelon has seeds, there's no need to remove them, unless you prefer it. Place chopped watermelon in a freezer storage bag and wait at least two hours for the watermelon to freeze.
- When the watermelon is frozen, remove it from the freezer and let sit on the counter for about 10 minutes, until they soften a bit.
- Add the lime juice, water, stevia, raspberries, and mint leaves to a high-speed blender. Pulse that for a few seconds.
- Add the softened but still frozen watermelon to the blender. The watermelon will break up into pieces. Continue blending until it transforms into a thick, slushie-like consistency. Taste and add additional stevia if necessary. If the freezer locks up, it is a sign the watermelon is still too frozen. Let it sit for a few minutes and then blend again.
- Pour the slushie mixture into 2 glasses. Garnish with watermelon wedges. Serve immediately.
- You can refreeze any leftover slushies. Remove from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature until it softens to a slushie consistency.
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The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2011 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
I want one, right now!
I’ll be right over!
A perfect summer treat!
This sounds so refreshing…especially since it is 105 degrees right now. I agree…healthy food does not need to taste gross! Thank you for always making me smile with your yummy food, thoughtful words and inciting recipes, Marly. I hope you have a blessed Sunday!
Marly, what a healthy TREAT! I don’t think I would even notice it’s good-for-you it looks so appealing. 😉
We’ve been enjoying watermelon slushies this summer. Love your recipe — will have to try!
Watermelon rinds! OMG, pickle them! They are really good. Thanks for this recipe.
I would have never thought of pickling them. Sounds great!
Sounds good. And by the way, the watermelon rinds can be used to make watermelon pickles. I swear they’re fabulous! My favorite recipe has cinnamon and cloves and a syrupy brine, but there are other varieties as well.
I love watermelon and I buy big ones but never can finish before it loses the freshness. Thanks for the recipe, Marly! I know what I am doing this weekend:)
This is perfect for this heat wave we’ve been having. And I love that it’s low sugar!
This sounds just grand! I actually watched Kathy and Gena’s video this weekend and instantly went out to buy a watermelon.