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Two small glass jars filled with pink watermelon sorbet granita, garnished with fresh mint leaves. A spoon and some spilled sorbet are visible on a white tiled surface.

Watermelon Sorbet

I love making Watermelon Sorbet when it's too hot for heavy desserts. It tastes like frozen summer in a bowl and needs just three ingredients you probably already have. Fresh watermelon, sugar, and lemon juice blend together and freeze into a smooth, icy texture that melts on your tongue. I make this for Fourth of July cookouts, pool parties, backyard BBQs, and picnics because it's a healthy dessert that both kids and adults love. It's fruity, not too sweet, and incredibly refreshing.
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Prep Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Watermelon Sorbet
Servings: 6
Calories: 64kcal
Author: Mandy Applegate

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups seedless watermelon cubed
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Fresh mint leaves for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add watermelon, sugar, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
    4 cups seedless watermelon, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and freeze for 1 hour.
  • Use a fork to scrape the frozen edges into crystals. Return to the freezer.
  • Continue scraping once every hour for 3 more hours, until the sorbet is fluffy and slushy in texture.
  • Scoop into chilled bowls or glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
    Fresh mint leaves

Notes

Here are my favorite tips for making the fluffiest watermelon sorbet:
  • Pick ripe, seedless melons: Tap the watermelon and listen for a deep, hollow sound, which means it's ripe and sweet; underripe melons make watery sorbet that needs extra sugar, and seeded varieties require straining through a fine-mesh sieve.
  • Customize the flavor: Swap the sugar for maple syrup or use fresh lime juice instead of lemon juice, add ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger for subtle spice, or garnish with fresh basil leaves instead of mint for an herbaceous twist.
  • Try advanced techniques: Heat ¼ cup sugar with ¼ cup water in a small saucepan, whisk until it comes to a boil and dissolves for a silkier texture, or stir in 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol, like vodka, to keep the sorbet softer since it lowers the freezing point.
  • Set hourly timers: Scraping every hour is crucial for fluffy texture; if you skip a scraping session, large ice crystals form and the sorbet gets too hard.
  • Chill your serving bowls: Pop bowls or glasses in the freezer 10 minutes before serving so the sorbet doesn't melt immediately when you scoop it.
  • Flash freeze for storage: If you're storing sorbet long-term, scrape it one final time before transferring to containers so it stays fluffy rather than forming one solid block.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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