Sure, beach days,barbecuesand bonfires are cool. But our favorite part of summer is hands-down all thefruitydesserts. In-seasonpeaches,cherries,berries,apricotsandpineapplesmake for some stellar sweets, as does ever-refreshing watermelon. From cooling冰欺凌to Insta-worthycookies, here are 29 watermelon desserts that yourpicnicguests won’t see coming. (Oh, and before you get started, read ourhandy guideto cutting a watermelon like a pro.)
29 Watermelon Desserts That Are Bursting with Summer Sweetness
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Published Jul 7, 2022
1.One-ingredient Watermelon Sorbet
- Time Commitment:4 hours (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, no cook, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
It’s the ultimate antidote for a sweltering day in the sun. You won’t even have to make simple syrup: The recipe calls for nothing butripesummer watermelon.
2.Watermelon-kiwi Ice Pops
- Time Commitment:3 hours (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Forget the fancy ice pop molds in your Amazon cart. All you need to make this treat at home is paper cups, wooden sticks and a freezer. Pick theripestwatermelon you can find for the tastiest pops.
3.Fruicuterie Board
- Time Commitment:20 minutes
- Why We Love It:不做饭,特别occasion-worthy吊人,<30 minutes
Yes, fruit andcheesecount as dessert, don’t @ us. Here, watermelon is only one part of a seasonal bounty, which includes everything from golden kiwis to white peaches to tenderplums.
4.Layered Watermelon Coconut Shakes With Salty Lime Sugar
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, kid-friendly, dairy free, <30 minutes
Coconutmilk and frozen coconut meat make the dairy-free shake impossibly creamy, while watermelon and honey sweeten the deal. Bookmark the saltylimesugar to use on your nextmargarita.
5.Boozy Watermelon Granitas With Coconut Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment:2 hours and 15 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, no cook, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Sorry kids—this one’s just for grown-ups. Coconutrumis whisked into the puréed watermelon before it’s frozen, meaning this dessert doubles as acocktail.
6.Fresh Watermelon Cake With Summer Berries
- Time Commitment:30 minutes
- Why We Love It:kid-friendly, no bake, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Chop off the ends, remove the skin and slather it in frosting—boom, the easiest “cake” of all time. Usevanillafrosting, coconut whipped cream or even meringue to dress the watermelon.
7.Watermelon Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment:6 hours (includes chilling time)
- Why We Love It:kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
These just might be the cutest darn cookies we’ve ever seen. Thesugar cookie doughbase can be plain or infused with a dash of watermelon flavoring to drive the visual home.
8.Watermelon Ice Cream Floats
- Time Commitment:5 minutes
- Why We Love It:no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
The recipe is as simple as dumping all the ingredients in a glass and crowning it with amintsprig. Go the extra mile by juicing your own watermelon.
9.Watermelon Pizza With Cream Cheese Icing
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:low carb, <30 minutes <10 ingredients, keto-friendly
Sweet summer fruit (blueberries!raspberries! watermelon!) are just the match for tangy cream cheese icing. It’s sweetened with powdered erythritol, which makes the dessert free of added sugar.
10.Watermelon Doughnuts
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:儿童,没有烤,< 10成分,dairy free, <30 minutes
Yourpicky eaterswon’t have any problem gobbling up thesehandheldsthe moment they hit the table. (And they certainly won’t mind decorating them either, with everything fromchocolate chipstosprinklesto minimarshmallows.)
11.Patriotic Flag Fruit Platter
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:no bake, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Watermelon is one of four red stripes on this tasty flag, its company includingcherries, grapes andstrawberries. Pro tip: Toss thebananaandappleslices in a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
12.Chile-lime Watermelon Paletas
- Time Commitment:6 hours and 5 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:vegan, no bake, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
If your pantry is still somehow devoid ofTajín—the chile-lime seasoning with a cult following—these pops are a great excuse to change that.
13.Watermelon Mint Sorbet
- Time Commitment:4 hours and 10 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, <30 minutes, make ahead, no bake
The recipe calls for a few optional tablespoons of white rum. It’s not to make the sorbet boozy, but rather to keep its consistency smooth instead of excessively frosty.
14.Grilled Fruit Kebabs
- Time Commitment:15 minutes
- Why We Love It:<30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Come summer, we’ll put *anything* on thegrill, including fruits like pineapples,mangoesandstrawberries. Why not watermelon? Serve with vanilla yogurt (or chocolate fudge) for dipping.
15.Watermelon Lime Sherbet Floats
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
We’ll never say no tovanilla ice cream, but lime sherbet is arguably a more refreshing alternative for this bubbly bev.
16.Watermelon Gelatin Pops
- Time Commitment:4 hours and 30 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
A duo of boxed gelatins meets French vanilla yogurt and semi-sweet chocolate chips to create one adorable homage to our favorite summer melon.
17.Watermelon Mojito Granita
- Time Commitment:20 minutes (plus freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, dairy free, one pan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Your go-tobeach cocktail—but make it dessert. The key to its mojito-inspired flavor is the homemade mint-rum simple syrup.
18.Mezcal Margarita Watermelon Wedges
- Time Commitment:3 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, no bake, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
The wedges soak in a mixture ofmezcal, orange liqueur and lime juice before being finished with sweet, saltyandspicy toppings.
19.Honey-lime Watermelon Floats
- Time Commitment:5 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It:<30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
这是没完没了的riffable吸者。使用市面上我ce cream instead of standard vanilla, swap in ginger ale, lemon-lime soda or hard seltzer for club, or substitute agave or maple syrup for honey.
20.Seedless Watermelon Hard Candies
- Time Commitment:20 minutes (plus hardening time)
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
We’ll be handing these out at every cookout we ever host. Dust thecandiesin powdered sugar before bagging them to keep them from sticking together.
21.Watermelon, Mint And Lime Frosty
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, <30 minutes, no bake, beginner-friendly
Since it’s mostly fruit and coconut water, this treat should be far thicker and frostier than a regular smoothie.
22.Fresh Watermelon Popsicles
- Time Commitment:40 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
The chocolate-coconut oil drizzle takes these ice-cold pops over the top, but what really seals the deal is a flourish of flaky sea salt and dried rose petals.
23.Chocolate-drizzled Frozen Fruit Kebabs
- Time Commitment:30 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The recipe calls for watermelon, grapes, bananas and other fruit, but you can easily substitute any produce you’re not a fan of. We’re talkingraspberries, Mandarinoranges, kiwi—whatever you’re feeling as you peruse the supermarket.
24.Watermelon Raspado
- Time Commitment:3 hours and 10 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, no bake
Consider the raspado Latin America’s version of a slushie or snow cone. Feel free to zhuzh up the recipe with berries, fresh herbs or shredded coconut.
25.Caterpillar Fruit Kebabs
- Time Commitment:30 minutes
- Why We Love It:kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Cantaloupeand watermelon get a googly-eyed makeover, along with a creamy side of honey-limeyogurtdip. Go ahead and invite honeydew to the party, too.
26.Hibiscus Watermelon Granita With Ginger & Lime
- Time Commitment:4 hours and 30 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why We Love It:crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
LoveStarbucks’sPassion Tango tea? This summer cooler is especially for you, since the granita gets its tart, floral flavor and vibrant color from dried hibiscus flowers.
27.Strawberry-watermelon Sorbet
- Time Commitment:5 minutes
- Why We Love It:<30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
All it takes is summer fruit and a splash of almond or coconut milk to make this dessert. Frozen bananas are the secret to its creamy, rich consistency.
28.4th Of July Watermelon “cake”
- Time Commitment:30 minutes
- Why We Love It:make ahead, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
TheFourthmay have passed, butLabor Dayis still on the table. (Not that we need a holiday as an excuse to snack on star-shapednectarineand watermelon.)
29.Fresh Mint And Watermelon Soda Floats
- Time Commitment:10 minutes
- Why We Love It:<10 ingredients, kid-friendly, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Picture sipping these on your patio, or better yet, poolside. Swap the club soda for lime or coconut seltzer for a boost of flavor.
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