Watermelon Sorbet

July 13, 2021

Try this 3 ingredient watermelon sorbet recipe, a refreshingly icy summer dessert! Each bite is an explosion of pure juicy fruit flavor.

Are you a sorbet fan? Then you absolutely must try summer’s best dessert: Watermelon Sorbet! I’ll admit, we’re chocoholics over here. But this sorbet is definitely up there when it comes to summer treats! Each bite is an explosion of pure juicy fruit flavor, with a smooth, frosty texture. When we made it for our 4 year old, he said, “I could eat this every day.” Even better: it’s incredibly simple to blend up!

What you need for watermelon sorbet

Skip the store-bought stuff, because watermelon sorbet is so simple to make at home! All you need are 3 ingredients. In fact, it seems impossibly simple. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to assemble:

Ripe watermelon
Lime juice
Sugar

Why is the sugar needed? Well, when you freeze anything, it dulls the flavors. You’ll want to add just enough sugar so that the flavor pops when it’s frosty. We found this recipe sweetened it just enough to complement the fruit, but not so much that it’s intensely sweet.

Necessary equipment: an ice cream maker!

An ice cream maker is the best tool for the job with sorbet! While you can make no churn sorbets, the absolute best texture is with an actual ice cream maker. (Trust us!) It’s a great investment, as you’ll be able to make sorbets and ice creams all season long.

Here’s the 2 quart ice cream maker we use. It’s a great gift idea, too! Use it as a housewarming present or a fun surprise for ice cream lovers. We’ve had ours for years and it holds up well!

The churning process: eat right away, or freeze 1 hour

Once you blend up your watermelon, lime, and sugar, you’re ready to churn! It takes about 20 to 25 minutes for the watermelon sorbet mixture to freeze. Here are a few notes about the process:

Eat right away for a soft-serve style texture. Our favorite way to eat it is right out of the ice cream maker! If you’re making it for guests, churn it up while you’re finishing your meal.
Or, freeze for about 1 hour for a scoop-able texture. You can also pop it in the freezer and freeze 1 hour. Then it forms into scoops like you see in the photo.

Make ahead & storage info for watermelon sorbet

Here’s the golden rule when it comes to watermelon sorbet: homemade sorbet is best the day it is made. Why? Freezing homemade sorbet overnight freezes it into a solid block. So it’s best to eat when it’s freshest! You can eat leftovers the next day if you like: we’ve found a few tricks!

Make it up to 2 hours in advance. It will start to freeze to the edges of the container, so give it a good stir before serving.
Leftovers save 1 day, but defrost 20 minutes. Blend if desired! Leave out the container on the counter until it defrosts a bit. To revive the texture, you can also give it a few pulses in a blender or food processor. This helps it to come closer to the texture after churning.

More great watermelon recipes

When it’s summer, we’re watermelon obsessed! There are so many great ways to serve this tasty melon outside of a summer dessert. Here are some favorites:

Salad: Try Watermelon Feta Salad or Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Smoothies or Juice: Go for Watermelon Slushie, Watermelon Water or Easy Watermelon Juice
Cocktails: Opt for Watermelon Smash, Watermelon Margarita, Watermelon Sangria or Watermelon Martini
Pickled: Use the rind for Pickled Watermelon Rind!

This watermelon sorbet recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.