Easy Watermelon Sorbet
Hey y'all! If you're craving something frosty, fruity, and ridiculously refreshing, this Easy Watermelon Sorbet is your new summer MVP. It's sweet, tangy, and bursting with juicy melon flavor—perfect for cookouts, pool days, or whenever you need a cool-down. Best of all, it’s no-churn and just a handful of ingredients. Let’s get cooking!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes active
- Freeze Time: 4 to 5 hours total
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: About 1 quart (8 servings)
- Freezer Temp: 0°F / -18°C
Why You’ll Love This Easy Watermelon Sorbet
- Four simple ingredients and no ice cream maker—hello, low effort, high reward.
- Light, icy-smooth texture with vibrant, naturally sweet watermelon flavor.
- Make-ahead friendly and freezer-stable for easy entertaining.
- Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy a scoop.
- Budget-friendly and a fantastic way to use up extra watermelon.
Ingredients for Easy Watermelon Sorbet
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, diced and rind removed (about 900 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (30 ml)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional: 1 tablespoon vodka (15 ml) to reduce iciness and keep it scoopable
- Optional garnish: fresh mint leaves, lime zest
How to Make Easy Watermelon Sorbet
Step 1 — Prep & Freeze the Watermelon (10 minutes hands-on, 2 hours freeze)
Line a sheet pan with parchment. Spread the diced watermelon in a single layer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours at 0°F/-18°C. Freezing first helps the sorbet blend cold and set faster.
Step 2 — Blend the Base (5 minutes)
Add the frozen watermelon, sugar, lime juice, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend, starting on low and working up to high, until completely smooth, 60–90 seconds. If needed, stop and scrape down the sides. For ultra-smooth texture, blend an extra 30 seconds.
Step 3 — Fine-Tune Sweetness & Texture (2 minutes)
Taste. If your melon wasn’t super sweet, add 1–2 teaspoons more sugar, blend 10 seconds, and taste again. For extra scoopability, blend in the optional vodka now.
Step 4 — Freeze to Set (2 to 3 hours)
Pour the mixture into a shallow, chilled loaf pan or quart container. Press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface to minimize ice crystals. Freeze until just firm enough to scoop, 2–3 hours. For a softer serve, check at the 2-hour mark.
Step 5 — Scoop & Serve
Let the container sit at room temp for 3–5 minutes for easy scooping. Serve your Easy Watermelon Sorbet in bowls or cones, topped with mint and a whisper of lime zest.
Notes & Helpful Tips
- Pick a ripe melon: Look for a creamy yellow field spot and a heavy feel for its size. More tips here: FDA: Food Safety and Melons.
- Sweetness matters in sorbet: Sugar isn’t just for flavor—it affects texture and scoopability. Learn the why from Serious Eats’ guide to sorbet.
- No blender? Use a food processor and work in batches, pulsing before processing to protect the motor.
Variations: Fun Spins on Watermelon Sorbet
- Strawberry-Watermelon: Blend 4 cups watermelon (600 g) + 2 cups hulled strawberries (300 g), sugar ½ cup (100 g), lime 2 tbsp, salt ⅛ tsp.
- Coconut-Lime: Swap ½ cup (120 ml) chilled coconut water for some watermelon, keep sugar the same, add 1 teaspoon lime zest.
- Spicy Tajín-Lime: Add ½–1 teaspoon Tajín to the blender and finish scoops with a pinch more and extra lime.
What You’ll Need
- High-speed blender or food processor
- Sheet pan + parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and cutting board
- Loaf pan or shallow freezer-safe container with lid
- Flexible spatula
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store Easy Watermelon Sorbet tightly covered in the coldest part of your freezer at 0°F/-18°C. For best texture, enjoy within 7–10 days; it will keep up to 2–3 weeks. To serve after longer storage, let the container sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, then scoop.
Serving & Pairings
- Float a scoop in sparkling water or lemon-lime soda for an instant sorbet spritz.
- Pair with fresh berries, grilled stone fruit, or a sprinkle of flaky salt and mint.
- Make a grown-up dessert: top with a splash of prosecco or rosé.
- Serve alongside spicy dishes—its cool sweetness balances heat beautifully.
Pro Tips for Easy Watermelon Sorbet
- Measure by weight if you can: 900 g watermelon to 100 g sugar hits a reliable sweetness-to-water ratio for smooth scoops.
- Chill everything: A cold blender jar and chilled container reduce ice crystals and speed set time.
- Go bright, not sour: Lime juice adds pop; 2 tablespoons is the sweet spot without dulling watermelon’s flavor. For nutrition notes on watermelon, check Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Easy Watermelon Sorbet FAQ
Can I make it without refined sugar? Yes—use ⅓ cup (110 g) light honey or ⅓ cup (105 g) agave; sweetness and texture may vary slightly, so freeze-check at 2 hours.
Do I need an ice cream maker? Nope! This Easy Watermelon Sorbet is no-churn. If you have a machine, churn the blended base for 15–20 minutes, then freeze 1 hour.
How do I prevent icy sorbet? Keep the sugar ratio, add the optional 1 tablespoon vodka, and press parchment onto the surface before freezing; let it soften a few minutes before scooping.
Ingredients
- 8 cups seedless watermelon, cut into chunks (about 1.6–2 lb / 700–900 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or lime zest (optional)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup or light corn syrup (optional, helps texture)
Instructions
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1Make a quick simple syrup: combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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2Prepare the watermelon: place watermelon chunks in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl if you prefer a very smooth sorbet, pressing on solids to extract juice.
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3Combine ingredients: stir the cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, lemon or lime zest (if using), a pinch of salt, and agave or corn syrup (if using) into the watermelon puree. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed.
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4Churn or freeze: pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions (typically 20–30 minutes) until it reaches soft-serve consistency. If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour into a shallow metal pan and freeze, scraping every 30 minutes with a fork to break up ice crystals until smooth (about 3–4 hours).
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5Serve or store: transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving. Serve garnished with fresh mint or a small lime wedge. Store in the freezer up to 1 week for best texture.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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