Watermelon Ice
Love Italian ice (aka water ice)? Learn how to make this refreshing Watermelon Ice at home to cool you down as the weather gets hotter. Vegan, eggless, and dairy free!
As a kid, I never really liked watermelon.
It wasn’t so much that I hated it; rather, it just tasted like, well, water.
I’d rather have the sweet, assertive taste of mango or pineapple if I wanted some juicy fruit to snack on.
Then one hot, blistering summer day years ago, I wasn’t feeling well due to the heat. My parents were with me and had just bought fresh, cubed watermelon from the store.
Considering we didn’t have anything to drink in the car, I gave in and ate a few pieces, just enough to get me through the trip.
That’s when I realized that watermelon isn’t so bad after all. Still watery like I remembered but also a little bit sweet.
Later that summer, I bought a few watermelon slices of my own and made spicy shrimp tacos with watermelon salsa.
Summer soon ended, and that was the last of the watermelon for the year.
Fast forward to this summer and I wanted to take watermelon into a new direction. It’s not an ingredient you typically bake with, considering how watery it is.
As I racked my brain for dessert ideas, frozen treats kept coming to mind.
I made watermelon ice cream but wasn’t crazy about it. Watermelon yogurt pops taste great with dairy, but the ice cream seemed too heavy.
Then it hit me – Watermelon Ice.
And let me tell you – it is the most amazing watermelon dessert I’ve had so far.
Not that I’ve had many watermelon treats, but I was blown away at how good this was. Far greater than expectations I had for it.
It’s a vibrantly pink watermelon Italian ice made with 5 ingredients – water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and of course juicy watermelon.
This watermelon ice recipe is light and refreshing for when it’s just too darn hot outside.
So whether you eat your weight in watermelon or whether you just nibble on it here and there, just promise you’ll give this Watermelon Italian Ice a try.
What is Italian ice?
Italian ice is a frozen dessert made with fruit puree/juice and a simple sugar syrup. There’s no dairy and no egg, making it 100 percent vegan.
The texture is very similar to eating ice (hence the name) but not quite like a snow cone or shaved ice. Think of a snow cone but with finer ice crystals.
It’s very similar to watermelon sorbet but not as smooth. It’s also a bit firmer than a watermelon slushie.
Although the origin dates all the way back to Sicily, it really boomed in Philadelphia (where they call it water ice instead of Italian ice). I was there a few weeks ago and naturally had to buy some locally for myself.
If you still have no idea what I’m talking about, just make a batch. You won’t regret it.
Ingredients For Watermelon Ice
To make homemade Italian ice, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Water: Used to make the simple syrup to sweeten your ice
- Sugar: Needed for the simple syrup
- Watermelon: The juicier, the better
- Lemon zest and juice: Adds a pop of acid so your ice isn’t too sweet
Can I reduce the sugar in Italian ice?
If your watermelon is really sweet, you may want to cut back on the sugar syrup.
The ratio is 1:1, so if you cut it back to 1/4 cup sugar, you’ll also want to make the water 1/4 cup.
Don’t leave it out altogether! You do need some sugar so your ice isn’t rock hard with crystals.
How To Make Italian Ice
Here are the easy steps for making watermelon ice:
- Make your simple syrup by boiling together the water and sugar in a saucepan.
- Blend together watermelon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and simple syrup until smooth.
- Freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
More Watermelon Recipes
Since you’re buying a whole watermelon for making Italian ice, here are more watermelon recipes to make with the leftovers:
- Watermelon Sangria
- Watermelon Margarita Popsicles
- Watermelon Margaritas
- Watermelon Feta Mint Salad by Foxes Love Lemons
Watermelon Italian Ice
Love Italian ice (aka water ice)? Learn how to make this refreshing Watermelon Ice at home to cool you down as the weather gets hotter. Vegan, eggless, and dairy free!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is clear. Remove from the heat.
- In a blender, add the watermelon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and simple syrup (sugar water). Pulse a few times until smooth (don't overblend).
- Pour into a freezer-proof container. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
- If your watermelon is super sweet, you can cut both the sugar and water back to 1/4 cup each. However, don't leave it out completely as the sugar keeps it from turning into a solid block of ice.
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out Watermelon Sorbet and Watermelon Slushies.
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I love all things watermelon, and this is just PERFECT for the hot week ahead! Pinned and Stumbled!
Love this simple, sweet and refreshing looking recipe! Watermelon can sometimes have such a light, watery flavor but I’m sure with the kick of lemon it bursts it right up! Can’t wait to try!!
To me, there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day than icy cold slices of juicy, sweet watermelon. On the other hand, nothing’s worse than a tasteless, watery watermelon. It’s gotta be super ripe and deep red at the height of summer. I’m definitely going to try this italian ice recipe this summer. I can’t wait to see watermelons in the supermarkets!
How much does this make? I’m looking to fill a 1.5 pint container. Thanks.
It would be around 1 pint.
This recipe is PERFECT! when i want a kick, i use quarter cup of water and the half cup sugar for syrup mixture then add a quarter cup of tequila to watermelon mixture …yumderful!
Love the tequila addition!
One thing which goes well with watermelon is rose water! If have not tried it, you should the two are made in heaven. Doing this recipe with rose water would be the perfect combination.
I’m personally not a fan of rose water, but I think it would work well for those who enjoy it! Great suggestion.
Can you use frozen watermelon in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but if you think your blender can handle it, I think it’ll work. If not, you can thaw your watermelon first.
Hey Carla !!
What a fantastic recipe !! We made it last weekend and we loved it so much we just finished making 7 more batches with a not so sweet watermelon !! Texas is going to be between 105 and 106 this next week. This will be wonderful to have on hand !! I realized it was similar to a watermelon lemonade recipe we make, so I am going to try adding some of this to some Simply Lemonade and see if that works too !! Thanks for the great recipe !!
Oh wow glad you love the recipe!