Quickly whip up this easy watermelon sorbet in under 5 minutes. Perfect for summer, this sweet, refreshing treat is actually healthy, paleo, and vegan.
With the heat of summer come my cravings for something icy and cold. I also crave more fruits and vegetables, smoothies, salads, and yogurt.
Watermelon has always been one of my favorite fruits, and seeing it in season makes me happy. I like to eat it plain, but I also like to incorporate it into my frozen treats.
While watermelon sorbet has always been one of my favorites, this easy watermelon sorbet is even better!
Traditional sorbets
Most watermelon sorbets are made by freezing a watermelon pureé that is sweetened with a simple sugar syrup. While making the sugar syrup is easy enough, it takes some time to make and cool and then incorporate the syrup into your watermelon puree.
Most of the time I follow a relatively low sugar diet, so I’m used to eating desserts with less sugar. I find those traditional sorbets too sweet.
I used to make an unsweetened watermelon pureé and freeze it. During the freezing process, I periodically mixed it up with a fork to keep the texture light.
The problem with making a sorbet that way is that if you forget to periodically break up the ice crystals durting the freezing process, you end up with a solid block of watermelon ice.
Even when done right, it’s not easy to get it from a slushy texture to the more solid texture of a smooth, scoopable sorbet.
After seeing people online whipping up one-ingredient banana “ice cream” (also known these days as “nice cream”) by blending up frozen banana chunks, I wanted to try it out with other fruits.
When I first posted this recipe, in the summer of 2014, making sorbets with other fruits in a food processor wasn’t really “a thing” yet. I was really excited when I gave it a try and ended up with the perfect, smooth, yet scoopable sorbet.
Made in 5-minutes?
The term “5-minute watermelon sorbet” may be a bit misleading because you do need to freeze your chunks of watermelon first before making this sorbet.
Once you have frozen watermelon cubes ready, though, you can quickly mix up a batch of this sorbet in under 5 minutes! (So, I suggest always having some frozen watermelon chunks ready!)
Ingredients
This recipe couldn’t be any simpler! All you really need is two ingredients: watermelon and lime juice. (Lemon juice will also work well!)
If you want a sweeter sorbet, you can also add a sweetener to it. I’ll give you some options below in the section about customizing the recipe. (Some are healthier than others.) ?
Preparation
Before you begin, you’ll need to prepare the watermelon by cutting it into cubes and freezing it. I used 1/4 of a small watermelon. The piece weighed just over 1kg and the watermelon cubes, once removed from the rind, weighed just over 600g.
While you could just throw the bowl of watermelon into the freezer, they may freeze into a block that is difficult to separate. To avoid that, either separate the chunks periodically throughout the freezing process or freeze them in a single layer on a tray.
Once your watermelon is frozen, the rest is quick and easy!
Add the watermelon chunks to the bowl of a food processor, and add a little bit of lime juice. I normally start out with the juice from half of a lime.
Begin to process the watermelon with the lime, checkin on the texture as you go.
Getting the right texture
To get the texture right, I find it’s best to add the liquid, little by little. My food processor has the ability to blend watermelon chunks pretty smoothly even without adding any liquid. That said, the addition of a liquid helps move the process along more smoothly and can help improve the final texture of the sorbet.
If the mixture is dry, add some more lime juice and continue to process it. The lime juice will also add a mild acidity that balances the sweetness of the watermelon. So, periodically tasting the sorbet as you make it will help you determine if you want to add more juice at any given point.
Blender vs. Food Processor
While this may be possible to make with a powerful blender, making this sort of sorbet is generally easier with a food processor. Food processors have a wider container, making the process much simpler.
I have a Thermomix food processor. It looks like a wide blender, but it’s actually a great multipurpose food processor. They are very popular here in Europe. Any decent food processor should work well, though. Some powerful blenders, especially those with wider containers, may also work.
If your only choice is a blender, you may need to add more liquid to get the mixture to fall down to the blades. Keep in mind that adding too much liquid will result in more of a slushy texture.
Customizing the recipe
While I prefer the fresh flavor of using only watermelon and lime juice, some people have complained that this recipe isn’t sweet enough for them.
The sweetness, of course, will depend on the sweetness of the watermelon used. Don’t expect to use a not-so-great watermelon and end up with a perfect sorbet.
Adding a sweetener
That said, you can add some sweetener if you are looking for a sweeter dessert (or have used a not-so-sweet watermelon). You can add just about any sweetener that you enjoy or feel comfortable using. Maple syrup and stevia work well in these sorts of desserts.
If using a crystalized sweetener (like granulated sugar), it’s best to first either dissolve it in the lime juice or make a syrup with it. Using a simple sugar syrup makes a more traditional type watermelon sorbet.
Sweetening with a simple sugar syrup
A sugar syrup can be made from equal parts of sugar and water. (You can measure by weight or volume. It doesn’t have to be precise.)
Cook them in a small saucepan and stir them together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then, remove from the heat and cool thoroughly.
Drizzle the cooled syrup in with the lime juice while blending the watermelon chunks.
More like ice cream
If you prefer a creamier watermelon treat, try exchanging the lime juice for a bit of coconut milk (or even fresh cream if dairy isn’t an issue for you). The result is more of a watermelon ice cream! This sorbet used to be my favorite, until I tried that one!
Video
5 Minute, Easy Watermelon Sorbet
Ingredients
- 2 cups watermelon Cubed
- 1/2 lime Juiced
Instructions
- Dice your watermelon, and place the pieces in the freezer overnight. After several hours in the freezer, you can proceed, but if the watermelon isn’t completely frozen, the sorbet will have more of a slushy texture rather than be a solid sorbet.
- Place your diced, frozen watermelon into the food processor and add some lime juice. I used 2-3 cups of watermelon for each half lime, but it’s a good idea to just add a little at the beginning and add more, to taste, later on. Don’t add too much liquid at the beginning or it will tend to fly out of your food processor. (Don’t ask me how I know that!) Start with just a few drops, and slowly add in more as you process your sorbet.
- Continue to process your watermelon and lime juice in your food processor until you get a sorbet-like texture. You can add a little more lime juice as needed for taste and texture.
- If you want a sweeter sorbet, you can add in a little honey or another sweetener of your choice. I usually just leave it plain as I prefer it without. I have tried adding honey, and it works OK, but there were a few places where the honey froze up into small drops within the sorbet. It didn’t really bother me, but it’s something to consider before adding it because it does change the texture somewhat. Adding liquid stevia extract doesn’t usually change the texture, but I don’t like the flavor as much.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Making a Watermelon “Slushy”
If you prefer something to sip on, rather than to eat with a spoon, all you have to do is to let the sorbet melt a little. Here in Spain, slushes are called “granizados.”
You could even add a little vodka or rum to it. I won’t judge. š
I like to serve my slushies with reusable stainless steel or glass straws.
Other quick and easy frozen treats!
Another similar creamy treat for pineapple lovers is my 5-minute pineapple ice cream. It’s amazingly creamy and refreshing and makes you dream of a tropical escape.
Quick and Easy Pineapple Ice Cream
If you are on a low carb diet, you could also try my easy mojito sorbet. Because it doesn’t have any sugar sources, not even fruit like these recipes, it can even be eaten on the strict candida diet!
BRIANNA
You could come up with some more things other than one thing a give more details.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Brianna,
I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what you are upset about. Does the recipe have too few ingredients?
You are welcome to add a sugar syrup or something else to it if you like. This is just an easy, basic recipe that shows that you don’t need a lot to whip up a quick, healthy dessert. I have plenty of more complex recipes on the blog, though, if you prefer those.
Nelisha Herscha
So I had a watermelon about to go bad, it was pretty mushy when I cut it open. So I froze the chunks not over night for a few hours. I do not have a food processor.
Instead I uses a wooden spoon and stirred it probably a good 100 strokes, and added lime juice in between stirring.
It made this perfect watermelon sorbet, and my girls absolutely loved! It really easy a very easy recip.
This a great warm weather light and healthy snack/dessert.
Tracy Ariza
Hi Nelisha,
I’m so glad they loved the recipe! It’s one of my favorites. It’s also great with coconut milk for more of an ice cream/sherbet type frozen dessert. Did you see my post about making watermelon ice cream using the same method? (And I think my favorite uses pineapple š )
Cruz Mandell
I can’t believe that this sorbet didn’t get a higher rating. I give it 5 stars. Although, I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit. I saved the juice that was extracted while dicing the watermelon. Then I made a simple syrup (no cooking involved) . I mixed the approximately 1/4 cup of watermelon juice with about 4 tsp. of sugar. I also added 1/2 of a frozen peach . I used a Vitamix to make the sorbet. It was delicious and the texture was perfect! Thank you for a fantastic dessert!
Tracy Ariza
Thanks Cruz!
You’re very welcome!
I think if the rating isn’t as high it’s because most people are used to adding more sugar to recipes. I’m used to drinking coffee and tea without any sugar, and I prefer my desserts on the less sweet side. I purposely made it to be a dessert that was supposed to be on the healthier side and mentioned that anybody who wants a sweeter dessert can add the sugar in. You happily tweaked the recipe to suit you- as I would also do, but some people get upset when a recipe doesn’t fit their taste exactly as is. š
Elyse
I was looking for ideas to use my yummy watermelon as an entree and saw your recipe. I live in banana ice cream-(made with my food processor) and I don’t usually like I’ve cream! I love it plain, but have mixed in other fruits. I’ve also missed in Nutella. I was considering trying watermelon, so I’m glad to know will work. š
Here’s a solution for all the people having trouble with their “blocks of watermelon.”. Before mixing the fruit in your food processor (or blender), take it from the freezer and let it sit on the counter and that a few minutes. The fruit will easily go through the blades, and your dessert will be even more creamy!
Tracy Ariza
Hi Elyse,
Yes, watermelon is probably still my favorite, but you can make all sorts of great frozen treats this way. š
Thanks for your tip!
Janny
Hi. This recipe works for me nicely. Tried with blender firat, got frustrated because it wouldn’t break and the blender blade stopped working despite me scrapping and only putting very small amount of watermelon chunks. Tried with the food processor/chopper. Worked like magic.. 10 seconds only to crush about 200 grams of the watermelon chunks. Thanks for the recipe. The lime juice added a nice zing of freshness š will share this on Facebook soon.
Tracy Ariza
Thanks Janny!
Yes, the shape of the blender makes it impossible to use for this sort of thing. Using the food processor is the key!
I love making all sorts of frozen fruit desserts using this method, but this is one of my favorites. š
Jesseka
This recipe was a total nightmare. After struggling with both my food processor and blender for over 30 min, I was left with MAYBE a cup of actual sorbet-type substance. The watermelon would NOT break down. It was so frustrating that I ended up breaking down and giving up. So not only did I waste 30 min and a bunch of watermelon/lime, but all I have to show for it is a semi-slushy drink and a sink full of dishes š
Tracy Ariza
Hi Jesseka,
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you.
This definitely wouldn’t work in my blender either. Because of the shape of the blender container, you end up needing to add liquid to get the fruit down to the blades in order to get it to break it down, meaning that you will end up with a slushy or smoothie consistency in the end.
As for it not working in your food processor, the only thing I can think is that your food processor wasn’t potent enough for the size of the fruit chunks you were using. I have made this many, many times in a variety of food processors (some being very inexpensive ones), and have never had any issues with the watermelon sorbet. I did have a hard time getting the frozen cucumber to break down for my mojito sorbet in one of my older food processors, but even then it did eventually break down. Perhaps with older, less powerful food processors, you would need to cut the watermelon into much smaller pieces before freezing the fruit. I will try to update the recipe with those tips when I get home from vacation to help save anybody else from having any issues.
This is really the first time I’ve heard of anybody having issues with this recipe, though.
I only post recipes that I’ve made myself successfully several times and that I have enjoyed enough to want to share with others, but since we all use different machines, it’s impossible for me to know if it will work out the same way for everybody else.
Jet
We made this last night, but had a very difficult time getting it to break down. I had frozen the pieces overnight, and added a little lime juice, but only the bottom layer would get mixed up in the food processor, and the top layer would just sit at the top, not reaching the blades – even when I scraped the sides down and tried to mix the contents before starting the food processor again.
We tried using a blender, which worked, but only if we did a couple very small pieces at a time, and then scraped them into a bowl to mix (by hand) with the lime juice. I also ended up using a pastry blender to break down some of the chunks by hand when I got too frustrated with the blender/food processor not working. The five-minute sorbet turned into a half-hour ordeal (but a very tasty one, once all was said and done!).
Any tips on getting the watermelon to cooperate with the mixing device?
Tracy Ariza
Hi Jet,
I’m really sorry to hear that!
I guess it really must depend a lot on each particular food processor. Some are more powerful than others and some have the blades higher or lower than others. In my case, my blender would never work for this type of thing despite it running on the same motor as my food processor. The one I have isn’t known as a particularly powerful one, so I assumed that it would work as well (or better) for pretty much everybody. For me it works quick and easy, and I follow the same process with lots of fruits. With frozen cucumber it does take my food processor a little longer because it is more solid than the watermelon, but even that works pretty well for me. Maybe I should make a video.
I guess if I were in your situation, I would either try cutting the watermelon into smaller pieces before freezing and blend it in smaller quantities at a time, adding more in little by little, or perhaps try not letting it freeze as solid. The only problem with the latter is that you probably would end up with more of a slushy texture than a sorbet. You could always freeze it for a short time afterwards, but I’m very bad with freezing sorbets and they always end up freezing into a solid block. š That’s why I like the food processor method so much- that, and because I can quickly make myself a treat at the last minute.
I hope that helps a little.
Byron
I LOVE sorbet! I’ll try this, and I just might add the vodka. š
Tracy Ariza
Haha,
Thanks, Byron!
I’m sure you’ll like it even more after a couple of them, then. š
Megan Stevens
Found this through Pinterest. Sharing tomorrow on my FB page. LOVE it!!! š
huntfortheverybest
great refreshing dessert!