There is no time like a heat wave to unlearn everything you thought you knew about watermelon. I don’t need to tell you that a slice of fresh watermelon cold from the fridge is one of life’s perfect things. But most of my attempts to bake with it or turn it into drinks, with this exception, have had limited success, because there is a mildness, a gentleness to watermelon that gets smothered under other things. “So, just eat it fresh and be done with it,” would be a reasonable, rational takeaway. The watermelon has spoken; it has told you its limits. But I don’t want to be reasonable nor rational, and I’ve been pining for a frozen watermelon mojito for a couple summers now and been stuck at the impasse of knowing once I added the requisite ice, simple syrup, or club soda, the watermelon-y impact would be all but diminished. I’m not sure why it took me as long as it did to have my a-ha moment but the solution was, well, right next to the ice cubes in the freezer.
Freezing your watermelon in cubes and foregoing the ice cubes is summer drink brilliance. It actually tastes like watermelon because you haven’t diluted it in any way. The texture is fantastic enough that you might skip the club soda too (but adding a splash basically makes it a grown-up Slurpee; you’re welcome). Simple syrup, and the water involved in making it, is never necessary if you can just dissolve sugar in your lime juice. I’ve made it as straight frosty watermelon lemonade and limeade (no rum; keep the mint if you wish) but as a heatwave balm of a summer drink that takes approximately 65 seconds* to make, it’s downright revolutionary.
* because you had the forethought to go ahead and freeze watermelon right now. Go! Make a giant bag of cubes and have this at the ready all summer. I promise you’ll thank you later.
Previously
One year ago: Corn Fritters and Bourbon Peach Smash
Two years ago: Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Three years ago: Corn, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta
Four years ago: Tomato and Fried Provolone Sandwich
Five years ago: Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles and Grilled Peach Splits
Six years ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
Seven years ago: Bacon Corn Hash
Eight years ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
Nine years ago: Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint, Thai-Style Chicken Legs, Peach Blueberry Cobbler, and Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons
Ten years ago: Light Brioche Burger Buns, Blueberry Boy Bait, and Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
Eleven years ago: Chocolate Sorbet
Twelve years ago: Double Chocolate Layer Cake
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Chocolate Puddle Cakes
1.5 Years Ago: Korean Braised Short Ribs
2.5 Years Ago: Small-Batch Tiramisu
3.5 Years Ago: Hot and Sour Soup and Belgian Brownie Cakelets
4.5 Years Ago: Oven-Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Garlic and Pecan Sticky Buns
Frozen Watermelon Mojito
Let’s talk about sweetness: A thing I noticed making a few rounds of these is that the level of sweetness that tastes exactly right out of the freezer/blender (2 tablespoons) tastes a bit sweet for my tastes as it defrosts. That’s why there’s a range here; you’ll find your sweet spot (sorry) when you make it. For lemonade for the kids, I usually go up to 3 tablespoons of sugar per pitcher. Sweetness will of course vary by the ripeness of the melon.
Let’s talk about booze: 1 shot (3 tablespoons or 1.5 ounces) per glass makes a gentle cocktail but we found an extra splash (1 tablespoon or so) to be the right level for the size drinks we made.
- 1 pound (a scant 4 cups) watermelon in 1-inch cubes (from about 2 pounds with rind on)
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes), plus wedges for serving
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 to 4 ounces (6 to 8 tablespoons) white rum
- Leaves from 1 to 2 sprigs of fresh mint, plus extra for garnish
- Two splashes of seltzer (optional)
Spread watermelon cubes on a tray lined with plastic wrap or parchment (for easiest removal) and chill in freezer until frozen. Add sugar to lime juice and stir to combine; sugar should dissolve in a minute or two. Place frozen watermelon, sweetened lime juice, and rum in blender and blend until thick but smooth. Add mint and pulse a few more times, so that is chopped but not pureed. Pour into two glasses. Top with a splash of seltzer if you wish, finish with lime wedges and extra mint. Repeat all summer.
I’ve been thinking about doing this in the summer as well! Thank you for the recipe and another reason why I need to try it.
What are y’all feeding those adorable children?! They are growing so tall!😳 The one watermelon we got so far this summer was pretty blah🙁. I am the world’s worst watermelon picker outer. Thank you for the frozen cube idea!
Bartender trick (or should I say hack?): Super-fine sugar dissolves faster.
Where are you buying your watermelons? The ones from Trader Joe’s have been dismal for the last few weeks. Bodega melons are hit or miss.
I get it at Westside. They sell large ones in wedges so you can always see the inside and never get a dud. However! It all falls apart when you imagine that 4x what you paid ($5 to $7 for a giant piece) is what they’d charge for a full-size watermelon, so don’t think too hard about it.
Ha, I always walk past Westside and see those humongous melons lining the sidewal. I didn’t know they sell them in wedges. I don’t mind paying more for a guaranteed good melon, especially if I keep throwing away these horrible spongy $4 melons!
Ralph’s at $0.425/Lbs. large size, sweet, ripe, seedless paid+/- $8
A restaurant near me does Watermelon Jalapeno Mojitos, if I want to take these to another level, how do you think I should add the jalapeno?
Their mojito doesn’t seem to have actual jalapeno in it, but maybe in a syrup?
I was already planning on going to the store after work, so all these ingredients are going on the list!
I made watermelon jalapeno margaritas recently, and the recipe called for briefly steeping the sliced jalapeno in the tequila. I imagine this would work here too?
That sounds like a great idea! I think I’ll try that and see how it turns out. I’ll have to wait for the watermelon to the freeze, so that way they’ll have plenty of time to steep.
You could also do a jalapeño (or jalapeño mint) simple syrup by throwing in the jalapeños as the simple cools.
Thanks, Deb! These were a hit at a little backyard evening party my roommate and I hosted tonight. We made one big batch in the blender (2 lb. of watermelon, everything else doubled too) and just served up mini mojitos as a mid-party treat. (Next time I’ll have to get a bigger melon!) We had to add some liquid before the purée was thin enough to pour; we just added a cup or two of seltzer to the blender, re-blended briefly, and served ’em up. Yum!
I don’t comment on recipes (or other web articles), but I wanted to take a moment to let you know I enjoyed it, because I have both your cookbooks, use them regularly, and love your blog. So in my head we are already friends :-)
I make these all the time and use Swerve for the sweetener. I add fresh mint AND basil. Works with tonic water.
Kathryn, I ream out a large jalapeno…slice off both ends, get rid of the seeds and membranes with a jalapeno reamer, then slice off about 1 1/2 inches of it. Add to the blender with everything else. OMG! The taste of jalapeno takes this margarita over the top, and it’s not hot at all! I also sweeten with a couple of Tablespoons of high quality maple syrup, and use tequila instead of rum. Delicious!
You’re a genius. Thank you
The concept of frozen fruit works well for margaritas as well. Use frozen strawberries. No need for ice.
Yess… I love this for (real) strawberry daiquiris.
When my wife and I were in Thailand I think we had a watermelon smoothie twice daily, $1 ea in 100% humidity was irresistible. This looks like a great version, I’m going to have to give it a shot in this Texas heat. You think they’d keep the frozen texture better if you kept the rum in the freezer? Or even pre-mixed watermelon rum and sugar and froze?
I definitely think you could keep your rum in the freezer (it’s where we keep our vodka) but the drink I left blended in the freezer solidified so I might leave the watermelon in cubes and just blend as needed. One thing nice is that when it melts, which takes longer because everything is cold, there’s still some thickness to it because it’s just blended fruit, not blended water.
I’m thinking of skipping the mint and substituting mezcal for the rum (maybe a bit more lime juice too?). There’s magic that happens when the floral notes of watermelon combine with the smokiness of mezcal.
We were just in Thailand and Myanmar in Jan. The fruit smoothies there were awesome! I’ve been making watermelon smoothies at home by just putting cold (refrigerated) watermelon cubes in the blender. (I’ve also made mango smoothies with frozen honey (champagne or atalufo) mango chunks, a few ice cubes, a spoonful of sugar and a little water to thin them out)
How do you think a heaping tablespoon of frozen limeade and a good sprint of free lime would be? This is how I make frozen strawberry daiquiris.
This is SO GOOD. I was wondering what to do with all this watermelon I froze :)
Making this for the weekend because it has been so hot in Chicago! A side note though, I just got your Every Day cookbook and as someone who has a special diet I REALLY appreciate that you take the time in the back to list which recipes are dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. It just makes things really easy, not that some recipes can’t be adapted but if I am feeling lazy and can just flip to something it really makes a difference. If you make a third book please do this again!
Num!! You are so brilliant!
Come to think of it (thanks for the reminder!), I make a granita that is honeydew cooked in sugar and lime then frozen and scraped; it would be natural, if not obvious, to add mint during cooking, then add rum to the granita and serve. I can’t wait for honeydew to come into season (prices are a little high…so perhaps in a couple weeks or so?).
I made these tonight- delicious!
Made these tonight, and they were perfect for the weather. Yum!
Please do tell about the auto citrus juicer! I have one, but it doesn’t have a press down handle, which seems like the game-changer!
So, looking at your Instagram video, what juicer do you use? It looks amazing.
Watermelon cocktails! Spike this sparkling watermelon lemonade with Clement Mahina Coco… you’ll thank me (mostly just for the Mahina Coco, which is the most wonderful thing…). https://rasamalaysia.com/sparkling-watermelon-lemonade/
Hold the alcohol if you’re drinking during the TRIPLE DIGIT heat index days. This what happens to your body. Sorry to be bearer of not so pleasant news.
https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/08/happens-body-drink-alcohol-hot-weather-7615314/
This is perfect for summer!
This is perfect for summer.
This is perfect for summer!
Oh. My. Goodness! I am a watermelon junkie. Why have I never thought to freeze it!? I just made these and seriously… there are not words!!! So amazing!
This was amazing. It also reminded me to report that I sometimes use frozen watermelon in place of ice cubes in your coconut frozen limeade, which is a nice variation. This is a purer version, and I love them all.
The heatwave is coming here and I feel watermelon is synonymous with hot weather, so will definitely be giving these watermelon mojitos a go :)
Sarah Oomph London
These are incredible! I may do even less sugar next time (I used 1 TBSP). But wow!
This is exactly how I make strawberry margaritas — well, with strawberries and tequila, that is. They are a summertime staple.
that’s great, this much be a summer best love! My best fruit is watermelon and can’t wait to try it, but it is hard to get the such a good watermelon here…..
It looks really refreshing) summer is really hot and everytime I want something so delicious as watermelon) this coctail is very tasty, I think!
My husband and I are obsessed with these! Does anyone have ideas on how to keep it cool for a few hours? Was thinking of making large batch for a Labor Day party!
the seven members of Maple Jam plus one spouse had this over the weekend at our annual retreat. 95 degrees out, and THIS WAS THE BEST THING!!!!! soooo refreshing, gorgeous with the fresh mint buzzed in and the black flecks from the watermelon. we used frozen concentrate limeade, so no added sugar was needed. PERFECT! thank you, Deb! (yet again :)
So, I tried to make these without the booze for my kids, but my Vitamix had a hard time blending the solid watermelon cubes. I added some water, but I didn’t want to dilute the flavor too much. Did anyone else have this problem?
I needed to bang the pieces down a little more but it eventually blended!
My Vitamix was also unimpressed (although I wondered if it’s ’cause I halved the recipe for a single serving) but between banging the cubes down and adding a roughly equivalent amount of water as lemon juice (I was out of lime) it worked fine and definitely didn’t water things down noticeably.
Yes, my vitamix wasn’t happy, either. I added the lime and rum and club soda/seltzer right away to help with the blending, which fixed the problem. It seems to need some liquid in the bottom in order to process frozen stuff. Also, leave it on low (1-2) longer so it has time to grab the chunks and break them down.
Same here…the container is too big. I finally used the Ninja with the 32oz container and it worked perfectly.
I recently discovered this recipe and have been making these nonstop! Although I have a Ninja I’ve found it blends easier if I use half frozen watermelon and half refrigerated watermelon. This is the by far my favorite drink ever!
I’m such a mojito and watermelon lover. Meed to try this stat
OMG. This is so refreshing. Couldn’t ask for anything better in this weather.
I am woefully short on freezer space. (Side note- side by side refrigerators are a bad ides!) Do you suppose I could make this with not frozen watermelon and then cool it and run it through my small ice cream maker until it is the consistency of slush?
This is spectacular! I did have to add an ounce of watermelon juice to get it to blend, but my blender is on the wimpy side. Definitely going to be on repeat this summer!
These are life changing. I left out the sugar because the watermelon I had was SO GOOD and sweet and topped it with Topo Chico. Phoenix is now holding on to 105+ temps so these will be on repeat for a long time! Thank you!
Looks really delicious, I always double up on the mint and lime! Also think that pineapple is quite a nice addition, have you tried it before?
Looks delicious! Sometimes I blend frozen strawberries with lime, a tiny bit of sugar, and watermelon for popsicles, which I picked up from Our Best Bites.
Freezing watermelon cubes is beyond brilliant! Now I can buy a large watermelon knowing that it will not go to waste!
Holy cow this is the best thing I’ve ever made. I included everything.
This sounds delish! Have you tried popping it back in the freezer after blending to have as a sorbet? Curious if the consistency would work.
Can anyone share roughly how long it takes to freeze the watermelon? (and specify fridge freezer or deep freeze?)
I have a pretty lousy freezer but it was still only a couple hours, especially if the cubes are small and in a single layer. Maybe even one hour in a good freezer.
Made this with some watermelon that had been sitting in my freezer from last August (horrible – I know). Found the recipe a little too thick and had to add extra rum and lime juice to the blender but the taste was AMAZING. Even my rum-hating husband thought it was delicious!
Fabulous! We had it last weekend and I converted a non-rum drinker. This will be on repeat all summer! I added the zest from the limes for an extra limey kick.
Hi Deb,
I read your feature in the Times. You are such a joy. I don’t cook much or read/watch anything about cooking, but I was so drawn to your funny, witty personality and your ability to share your life in a real and entertaining way. I went on to your website after reading the article, and for the first time in a long, long time I cooked something new. My husband and I loved both recipes. Thank you so much. We are in heaven.
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Stefanie
Thank you so much for this idea and recipe! We made both watermelon mojitos and watermelon margaritas and what a genius idea to freeze watermelons – definitely going to do this again. Thank you!
This looks amazing but what two limes are going to yield half a cup of juice????
Haha never mind. These limes I just bought did it easily. Now just waiting for the watermelon to freeze!!!!
I LOVE watermelon and mint, it’s just the best combination! Such a great idea to freeze the watermelon and blend. There is a watermelon farm near us and we get given all the ones that don’t look good enough for the stores! I usually juice them all and freeze (it takes forever!) but now I’ll just freeze them in chunks and save myself the juicing step :)
This looks so refreshing and delicious! It would be awesome to serve at a summer BBQ. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
OK so I make a version of this that uses Gin and St. Germain instead of rum. (and no simple syrup b/c the st germain is so sweet). It is the drink I love the most – in the summer it is perfect and in every other season it reminds me that summer exists! (FYI I’ve also heard sub the rum for vodka and the mint for basil…).
Also I’ve used (a little) cranberry juice to help watermelon blend in a pinch, and it adds a ‘tang’ and doesn’t dilute or take away from the watermelon taste.
So totally going to make these for our cabin getaway in the Smokies and was planning on using gin. Love the idea of St. Germain and saw that club soda could add some sparkle so going to pick up some Fevertree St. Germain tonic water. If you haven’t tried, it is SO GOOD!
These are so good! Perfect for the hot weather and you can’t beat watermelon. Why it isn’t a more popular fruit I will never understand.
I made these this weekend and they were a big hit! Everybody loved them. My sister even came back the next day and oh-so-casually asked if I happened to have any more watermelon left. I was so glad i had hidden the last package for myself 😉
OK OK – this is great! so refreshing, so good. I had to add a little bit of sugar but my watermelon was quite meh to begin with. I think I’m gonna try a mocktail version of this. In any case – it’s a keeper!
Yum! Just made this and it is so nice on a hot summer night. I love making/eating/drinking watermelon EVERYTHING in the summer.
I make a summer watermelon cocktail that’s similar. I puree the watermelon in the blender, add vodka and a little St. Germaine (elderberry liquor), and pour over ice. I’ll try this too – I’m sure I’ll love it!
Dried watermelon is a great way to “cook” watermelon and concentrate the flavor instead of diluting it.
This was soooo goood!!! I need to run out and buy more watermelon. I used gin instead of rum (didn’t have any) and cut the sugar by about 1/2. I do need to cut the watermelon chunks smaller — it took a fair amount of time for my wimpy blender to crush everything. I also just dumped the sugar in instead of dissolving it in the lime juice.
I’m a watermelon convert now — thanks for making my summer!
Wonderful results! Freezing the watermelon was key and the mix of everything together; just perfect!
I have no idea how I’ve lived without these, but glad they are in my life now! Made these last night for a happy hour on our patio, and they were such a hit! They begged for the recipe, and I happily shared, as well as the tip to freeze watermelon chunks. Why didn’t we think of this sooner! Thanks!
I’ve made these plenty of times before, but this time was my first time during my third trimester in a heat wave. These are a pregnant woman’s dream!
(To anyone else making virgin ones, I used about 1.5 cups of seltzer.)
I made this using the reverse method. Blended the watermelon and lime before freezing until slushy.
I used vodka instead of rum because that was all I had and it’s lovely! Brought me back to drinking vodka-spiked Slurpees in college!
This is delightful, and so perfect for Labor Day weekend. Definitely go with the lower amount of sugar if you’re not fond of super sweet drinks. We used 1 tablespoon and it was perfect.
I am addicted to watermelon. It’s hard to get good ones this time of year, but I’m definitely making this once the weather gets warm. And thanks for the tip about freezing the watermelon, probably explains why mine never gets cold enough…
OMG this sounds incredible! We had some amazing watermelon drinks in Thailand and this sounds like an easy way to replicate at home!
one of my favorite fruits but I was thinking can which juicer we should use ?
Just made this with peaches from last summer that I found in the back of my freezer and orange juice and it’s awesome. Taking cues from the pina colada post, I’m now scheming what other fruits I can use in this format! Cherries aren’t that far away…
This is excellent but be warned if you are making the virgin version that you’ll need to add additional liquid to help your blender run. I added some seltzer and even ended up microwaving some of the frozen watermelon to avoid adding more water. Maybe next time I’ll leave some pieces of watermelon unfrozen to help things move along… But again, overall delicious!
So good, I can’t stop thinking about it. And I’m not even that big a fan of watermelon, but with the lime and mint (and sugar), it’s another thing entirely. Was amazed at how quickly the watermelon chunks froze, took only about an hour. I see no need for any plastic wrap, etc, as the chunks came off my metal pan with no problem. I made it without rum and with less lime juice than called for and had no problem at all getting it to blend. This is going to be a regular this summer. I’m also thinking about pouring the mixture into popsicle molds. So delicious.
Thanks Deb! I’m going on a second summer of loving these, and a rum-less version got me through being pregnant last the summer (absolutely delicious even as a mock tail). It’s still my favorite cooling summer drink :-).
I make these all the time and use Swerve for the sweetener. I add fresh mint AND basil. Works with tonic water.
I’ve been making (virgin) variations on this, but my anemic immersion blender always struggled. I finally figured out that I should start it off with just a few small chunks of the watermelon in the lime and sugar, and then add more chunks as I go along. As long as the proportion lets the frozen chunks sink into the more liquid-y part, the blender can keep up much better. Now that it’s easier, I’ll be making it even more often!
Thank you! So much thank you for the watermelon ice cubes. Also for speaking for so many of us about child care.
This is yum 😋 everyone I’ve made it for cannot wait for the recipe. I’ve never bought or consumed so much watermelon in my life, and despite not being particularly drawn to rum based drinks it’s all I want this summer. Cheers, Deb
Holy moly. This was the best drink I’ve ever made. Whenever I cut a watermelon now I portion some off to be frozen. We’ve made mint syrup to keep in the fridge in place of fresh mint every time. It is wonderful with lemon or lime or neither. Absolutely fantastic!
If you were making these from memory and FIRST threw in a very generous handful of mint into your powerful blender, and pulverized it completely before whirring up the watermelon to a slush, you will not have a delightful pink drink, but an odd chartreuse one instead, although, it will taste wonderful.
This sounds so perfect! My other watermelon go-to is a watermelon gazpacho, pretty much the best summer soup ever.
I have a bag of frozen cantaloupe cubes in the freezer right now. I wonder if that would work or if I’d need some extra liquid.
Would Rose’s Lime work well to take the place of lime juice and simple syrup?
Not sure; I don’t personally find the lime flavor to be very strong. But if it’s all you’ve got, give it a try here.
Okay. I admit it. I read this at 11 in the morning and got up in the middle of the recipe to go freeze the watermelon in my freezer. I now have both basil and mint on my fire escape — can’t wait to make this!
Deb – come on over for an UWS treat!
We got a very ripe melon here in South Georgia. We muddled the mint in the lime juice with 2 tsp sugar. We also used Ginger Ale for the rest of the sweetness. We used Mt. Gay Rum for a bit more depth in the flavor with fresh pick mint. These are AMAZING!!!
Hello! How do people deal with the seeds when making this? The country I’m in right now doesn’t really do seedless watermelon.
Hello! I put mine on my paper towel and let them sprout in the sun for a few days, a crunchy, high fiber snack!
These are fantastic! I’ve found the Sparkling Watermelon juice from Trader Joe’s is a great substitute for the club soda.
Made the non-alcoholic version for the kids this morning as a “beat the heat” treat. Let’s just saying they now worship me. Maybe that’s my interpretation of their adoration, but they did love it.
Made these watermelon mojitos yesterday and they were fantastic. Over 100 degrees here in St. Louis and they were so refreshing. I tried the sugar in the first batch but it stuck to the bowl, so omitted on the 2nd batch because the extra sugar was not necessary with the sweet watermelon. Loved the touch of mint to the blender at the end. Will do this trick with other drink recipes! Thank you!
Loved these. Also recommend an extra splash of rum. Unfortunately my watermelon wasn’t as red as yours. Can’t wait to try this with better watermelon.
Got the watermelon chunks, sweetened the lime juice, rum and mint at the ready…can’t wait for guests to arrive!
I will try again if ever I encounter an amazingly flavorful watermelon. I’ve tried it twice now with average watermelons and it’s pretty underwhelming, though quite pretty.
This really didn’t work for me. The balance was way off — it was super tart and all you could taste was lime. The watermelon got totally lost. I feel like the ratios are way off — my favorite frozen strawberry margarita recipe uses a quarter cup of lime juice and a quarter cup of sugar. This has twice the lime and half the sugar, and a less sweet fruit.