Ice Cream With Watermelon

Homemade ice cream without added sugar? Yes, it’s absolutely a thing. And you can make it yourself with just a few ingredients from your local grocery store! All you need is a ripe watermelon, heavy cream, and some honey for sweetening.

Better yet, it’s the best way to utilize extra watermelon that you need to use up. Not only is this recipe made with fresh fruits, but it is also a no-churn ice cream recipe.

Of course, there are definitely other methods of making ice cream, like the Ziploc bag method or running it through an ice cream machine. However, you don’t need an ice cream maker for this recipe.

And it is much less labor-intensive than using the Ziploc baggy method! Since we use a blender for this recipe, it is almost like making a thick watermelon smoothie, except the end result is a sweet, velvety ice cream.

For this ice cream recipe, you can purchase seedless watermelons or watermelons with seeds (refer to the Tips section if you have questions!). Using fresh watermelon is a healthier way to enjoy a perfect treat on a hot summer day.

You’ll have so much fun making your own ice cream! Talk about one of the best ideas for when the kids are out of school, and you want to surprise them with a unique-flavored fun treat.

Ingredients Needed

This recipe has very simple ingredients! Here are some notes about them:

Watermelon Pieces: The fruit’s fresh watermelon juice gives a natural watermelon flavor while providing high amounts of vitamin C without any artificial ingredients. Make sure to chop the watermelon cubes before freezing them because they will freeze faster. They also need to be one-inch cubes for easier blending.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream has a high fat percentage which is what makes this ice cream so creamy. It also provides a nice thick texture.
Honey: by sweetening the recipe with honey, it makes the recipe entirely sugar free, aside from natural sugars! Not to mention, the taste of honey and watermelon pair very well together.
Optional Food Coloring: For a bolder pinkish-red color, you can add a couple of drops of red food coloring, but this is completely optional.

In the recipe card below, you can find the exact quantities needed for the recipe.

Other ways

Watermelon Citrus Ice Cream: When mixing in the heavy cream, add a splash of lemon juice or lime juice to give the treat a more citrusy undertone.
Watermelon Popsicles: If you have popsicle moulds, you can certainly create watermelon popsicles with this mixture. Make sure to give them plenty of time to firm up in the freezer before you unmold them.
Watermelon Ice Cream with chocolate “Seeds”: After you finish blending the ice cream, transfer it to a bowl before the loaf pan, where you can fold in some chocolate chips, which make the ice cream look like it has little watermelon seeds! And if you are trying to stick to a sugar-free dessert, there are no-sugar-added dark chocolate chips that you can purchase.

Pantry notes

Dairy-Free Heavy Cream Replacements: The heavy cream provides a rich, thick texture, so if you want to replace it with a dairy-free option, we suggest using a thick coconut cream rather than just regular coconut milk. Similarly, instead of almond milk, you can purchase the almond heavy cream substitute that thickens when mixed or blended. The vegan versions of cream often have guar gum or another ingredient that helps with thickening, making them perfect for vegan ice cream recipes.
Sweetener Replacements: Instead of honey, you can also use maple syrup or agave nectar to naturally sweeten the ice cream! It will slightly alter the taste, but it will still taste notable!

How it comes together

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the watermelon cubes in a single layer, and freeze for 4 hours.

Watermelon cubes on a parchment-lined sheet pan.

2. Add the frozen watermelon cubes to a blender or high-speed food processor. Add the heavy cream and honey and blend until smooth and thick. Optionally, add food dye and blend to combine.

3. Pour the pureed watermelon ice cream mixture into a loaf pan.

4. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap, directly touching the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

5. Let the ice cream rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving, so it is easier to scoop and serve.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 cups watermelon cubes, 1-inch cubes
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
½ cup honey
A few drops of red food coloring, optional

Method

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the watermelon cubes on the sheet pan in a single layer. Place them in the freezer to freeze for 4 hours.
Add the frozen watermelon cubes to a blender. Add the heavy cream and honey and blend until smooth and thick. If you want a richer red color, consider adding a few drops of red food coloring, then blend again to combine.
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and cover with a plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic wrap touches the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 6 hours before scooping and serving.
Let the ice cream rest on the countertop for about 15 minutes before serving to allow for easy scooping. You could also dip the ice cream scoop into hot water before serving to allow for easy scooping.

Notes

Freezing the watermelon cubes before blending is absolutely crucial to this recipe. This step is not to be skipped. When you freeze the watermelon fruit first, the watermelon will have a thick consistency when blended and make creamy ice cream. If you don’t freeze the fruit first you’ll end up with a watery and icy mess.

The heavy cream should remain in the fridge until ready to use. Don’t let it sit on the countertop first. That way, it will thicken nicely and be well blended.

To help the heavy cream thicken even more, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes before blending!