Watermelon Slushie

This cold and refreshing Watermelon Slushie will hit the spot as the days get hotter and cravings for watermelon get stronger. Only requires 4 ingredients!

What I love about my job is that recipes can be very powerful; often times memories are tied to specific foods that take you back to your childhood.

When I was in elementary school, there was a roller skating rink nearby where everyone would have their birthday parties.

I never did get the hang of roller blades, but I could at least roller skate.

You would skate around to your favorite 90s songs and even do dances like the chicken dance and the hokey pokey.

Of course since you’re there for several hours, you got thirsty, which then you would head towards the snack bar.

The snack bar had one of those dual slushie machines where you could pick from two flavors. Most of the time it was cherry or blue raspberry, but sometimes they would also have Coke.

When I ordered one, I would almost always get a mix of cherry and blue raspberry in one cup (but secretly the cherry was my favorite).

Unfortunately, the skating rink closed. Another company did reopen it again as a skating rink, but it just wasn’t the same after that. Now I think it’s a restaurant and gym.

I’m trying really hard to remember the last time I had a slushie. I’m sure I had one a few more times after my skating rink days, but nothing that really stands out.

Now that the weather is getting hotter, I’m craving a lot of cold drinks and treats.

I tried my hand at some watermelon ice cream, but I have mixed feelings on the recipe. I already did watermelon sorbet and watermelon margarita popsicles.

How else can I cool down this summer with watermelon? That’s when I got the idea to make a Watermelon Slushie.

Watermelon may not have been a flavor that the skating rink sold, but they should have! It’s sweet. It’s refreshing. It’s the perfect way to rehydrate yourself after a long day of exercise.

Even if you have no plans of exercising, you can still enjoy this recipe for watermelon slushie as the days get hotter and the cravings for watermelon get stronger.

And if you really want a reason to make these watermelon slushies, National Watermelon Day is coming up on August 3!

Is watermelon good for you?

Watermelon is the perfect way to rehydrate yourself as watermelon is 92 percent water.

You probably already know that watermelon is healthy, but did you know it’s now certified by the American Heart Association as a heart healthy food?

I certainly didn’t know that! I knew it was packed full of vitamins and nutrients but didn’t realize it was super healthy for your heart.

Another great reason to eat more watermelon.

What is a slushie?

Sometimes spelled slushy, a slushie is a frozen drink usually made with fruit and ice processed in a blender, similar to my frozen mango margarita recipe but without the alcohol.

Although if you wanted alcohol, you can add wine like I did with my strawberry slushies.

Ingredients For Watermelon Slushie

To make your recipe for watermelon slushies, you’ll need the following 4 ingredients:

• Watermelon: When choosing a watermelon, make sure it’s symmetrical, heavy for its size, and has a yellow sunspot. You can also use pre-cut watermelon if you’re a small household.
• Ice cubes: Gives your drink its slushie texture
• Lime juice: Adds brightness and acidity to balance the sweet watermelon. You can also use lemon.
• Sugar: Although watermelon is sweet on its own, you still want to add a little bit of sugar. The amount will depend on how sweet your fruit is.

Can you make slushies with frozen watermelon?

Since I’m not a fan of ice, I tried this recipe both ways – with ice and with frozen watermelon cubes instead of ice.

It was easier to blend with ice as the watermelon turns into liquid needed to make it smooth.

With the frozen watermelon cubes, I had to add some water to get it started.

You can absolutely make this recipe for watermelon slushie either way, especially if you have some frozen watermelon you need to use up. Just keep adding water in increments until it smoothes itself out.

How To Make Watermelon Slushie

This watermelon slushy recipe is SO easy, there’s only one step:

1. Blend together watermelon, ice, lime juice, and sugar until smooth.

That’s it! You’ll want to serve it immediately but if it gets too liquidy, you can either add more ice or freeze it for a bit then serve.

Just don’t add too much ice or you’ll dilute the watermelon flavor.

More Watermelon Recipes

If you bought a whole watermelon, you’ll definitely have leftovers! Here are more recipes using watermelon:

• Watermelon Ice
• Watermelon Popsicles
• Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa
• Watermelon Sangria
• Watermelon Margaritas
• Pickled Watermelon Rind from A Couple Cooks

First published June 4, 2015