Watermelon Juice
Watermelon juice is so simple to make with a blender. Refreshingly sweet and hydrating, it's perfect for a hot summer day. Learn how to make it here!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Yesterday evening, I made a pitcher of sweet, refreshing watermelon juice to keep me hydrated while I packed up my house.
It took me back to San Pedro Island, where I sipped watermelon juice under the shade of a palm tree earlier this month.
We walked down the beach to Estelโs, where we enjoyed a leisurely, traditional Belizean breakfastโscrambled eggs, refried black beans and fry jacks, complete with watermelon juice. It was a good start to a very good day.
How to Make Watermelon Juice
Watermelon juice couldnโt be easier to extract. You donโt need a fancy-schmancy juicer, just a blender.
Scoop the watermelon into the blender, blend for about thirty seconds, and ta da! Youโve made watermelon juice.
Taste your juice straight from the blender. If you like it as is, you donโt need to strain it.
If your watermelon had seeds in it, or you want your juice to be less pulpy, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Easy!
If your juice separates as it sits, give it a little whirl with a spoon. If youโre thinking about adding a splash of tequila or white rumโฆ I can verify that that is indeed a good idea.
Watch How to Make Watermelon Juice
Watermelon Juice Nutrition
As you would expect, watermelon juice is good for you. Itโs high in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. Itโs about 92% water, so itโs plenty hydrating, too (nutrition source).
I thought my juice was perfectly sweet without any added sugar, but I added a squeeze of lime juice for that extra zing.
Watermelon Juice Recipe
Refreshing, naturally sweet watermelon juice couldnโt be easier to make in a blender. Yield will vary based on the size of your watermelon, but my 6.5-pound watermelon yielded about 5 cups of juice.ย
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet watermelon (a 6 pounder will do)
- 1 small lime, juiced (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon in half. Using a big spoon, scoop chunks of sweet watermelon into the blender. Discard the rind.
- Blend the watermelon until it is totally pulverized. This shouldnโt take more than a minute. For extra flavor, squeeze the juice of one small lime into the blender and blend for a few seconds.
- If your watermelon is notably pulpy or seeded, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. If not, you can pour it directly into glasses filled with ice. Watermelon juice will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. The juice will separate over time; stir it with a spoon to recombine.
Notes
Watermelon selection: Your juice will only be as good as your watermelon, so find a good one at a farmerโs market or health store. Look for a watermelon that is heavy for its size, round, dark and dull (versus shiny) with a yellow field spot.
Change it up: You can make cantaloupe juice using the same method! You can also turn your watermelon juice into popsicles by pouring the juice into a popsicle mold and freezing until solid.ย You might also like my melon cocktailsโtry the watermelon cucumber cooler or cantaloupe fiesta cocktail.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Mmmmm I love watermelons! Your photos are beautiful, Kate. Last week watermelon was on sale at my nearest grocery store for $3.77, and call me crazy, but I demolished 7 of them in a week. Yes, 7, and they were by no means mini ones. As you can imagine, watermelon babies grew in my belly and I looked about 6 months pregnant all week, but it was just so freakinโ good. Your pitcher (with the hole in the middle) is awesome! Where is it from?
PS. Congrats on the move and the new place! Sounds like an exciting adventure ahead!
That is a lot of watermelon! Iโm glad youโre getting your fill of them. The pitcher is from Crate and Barrel! I love it!
$34.65 at Amazon. Type in pitcher With a hole in it
Isnโt it amazing how a food or drink can almost immediately transport us to a past vacation or fond memory? I had the best watermelon juice on vacation in Hawaii. Its about time I make myself a glass and remember watching the waves roll in and out!
So true! Itโs fun to find local ingredients and try to make those travel favorites at home.
OMG, my husband is going to die over this one. Watermelon is his FAVE and he goes through several a week as he snacks through the day. He doesnโt even cut them up, just scoops out the innards. Canโt WAIT to see/hear/experience the move. So excited for your new adventure. Liquor store heist, hee hee. That made me laugh.
Watermelon juice is one of my favorite things. Itโs so refreshing (probably because watermelon is packed with water!). Iโm so excited for you and the big move. Iโve heard great things about KC and Iโm sure youโre new apartment is just gorgeous. Canโt wait to see pics and follow your new life there. Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Kasey! If you ever have an excuse to come visit KC, please do!
Ah! So exciting, Kathryn โ looking forward to hearing about the adventures ahead!
Watermelon juice sounds like the most refreshing drink ever for long sultry summer days. Love it!
I love watermelon juice! First time making some a few weeks ago and Iโm hooked.
Goodluck with your move. Having just been through a big one in the spring, I feel your pain! The reward is always worth it though. Enjoy getting settled in your new place.
Thanks, Angela! Moving seems daunting now but Iโm sure it will be worth the effort! Wish I could fast forward to my neat and organized new apartmentโฆ
Moving is fun! Well, once youโre all moved. I hope you enjoy your new scenery, everyone needs a change once in awhile.
YUM! Sounds so refreshing!!!! Good luck with your move! Canโt wait to hear more about it and see pics of your new place! Hope youโre getting a bigger kitchen :) โฆ.. Also, I have that Crate & Barrel pitcher too, itโs one of my favs!!! I just think itโs so cool! hehe
Thanks, Autumn! Maybe Iโll post a few photos once I have everything in order in my new place. I got that pitcher for Christmas, LOVE it!
Love your pitcher! Yes please to the lime and rum additions :). Congratulations on the move โ hope youโll share pictures of your new space!
hello kate, this is my first post. iโm a recent reader of your blog. though i havenโt crossed over from blog- and cookbook-reading to actually cooking/baking/mixing โฆ iโm getting closer :)
about this watermelon juice, have you tried adding beet juice? i recently had watermelon-beet-tangerine juice and it was perfection. fresh, sweet and a little tang. the beets were the secret, though, adding something extra.
Hope youโre inspired to try one of my recipes soon, Carmen! No, I havenโt tried adding beet juice. Unfortunately, Iโm allergic to raw beets (they make my throat scratchy), so I donโt think drinking beet juice would be a good idea! I bet it would add lovely color, though.
My obsession with watermelon loves this post! Gorgeous juice and good luck with the move!
Was just browsing articles on punchfork and i of course as a Belizean had to drop in to say hi and glad you enjoyed your stay in Belize!
Iโve always said I wanted to make watermelon juice in the summer. I do have a juicer and it would be so easy. Thanks for the reminder. Love your pitcher. I have the same one. I got it as a housewarming gift a few years ago from my best friend. Isnโt it the perfect size?
Itโs so perfect, I love that pitcher!
Inviting, pretty and Iโm sure ultra-refreshing lookingโฆcanโt wait to make it. Thanks!
I put my watermelon chunks in the freezer and blend them with a touch of water and frozen limoncello. It turns into the most gorgeous pink slush thatโs so refreshing after a hike or exercise in the summer.
That sounds fantastic! Yum.
yummmmm.
I wish you were moving to NYC!! Good luck with all the hustle and headaches that moving naturally brings. This watermelon juice looks insanely good, and so so refreshing!!
Love the colour of this, so bright and vibrant (and your photos really do it justice!). Good luck with the move :)
Iโm so glad you donโt strain your juice. Why bother, right? This looks so refreshing.
Excited for you and your new digs. Look out Kansas City!! :)
This sounds perfect. Good luck with your move, lady!
This sounds awesome! Love it!
Wow, Iโm so loving this refreshing watermelon juice drink! Iโve never thought of squeezing or juicing a watermelonโฆ..brilliant Kate and totally irresistible when watermelon is so sweet! Pinned it and printed it too! Thank you!
If it makes you feel any better, when we move, we have Depends boxes. You know, adult incontinence products? Yaโฆ my Mom used to work at a nursing home and when I first moved out of their house, itโs all the boxes they had. I was so embarrassed at 17 moving out of my parents house and having to explain to the movers that the boxes werenโt mine. The one guy was so cute, too! Enjoy the move :)
Ha! Thatโs hilarious. My apartment still looks like a liquor store, slowly but surely Iโm disposing of those liquor boxesโฆ
Love that pitcher! Watermelon juice is so yummy, but my favorite summer watermelon treat has to be watermelon popsicles.
good luck with the move kathryne! that sounds very exciting! :) a house with vintage charm and a sunroom sounds like my kind of houseโฆ
that pitcher is sooooooooo beautiful! where did you get it???
Thanks, Margarita. The pitcher is from Crate and Barrel, I love it!
Yummy! Love the color of this!
So happy for you, pretty lady.
Thank you, K. :)
Iโm terribly excited about this drink. The Farmerโs Market I go to sells water with watermelon and basil in it, but it just tastes like โฆ water with hints of watermelon and basil. Iโve been wanting something that tasted like it was supposed to. I think this might just be the thing. :)
Well, perhaps weโll wait for you to get settled in for our Skype date. That way I can see the new digs! Watermelon and lime is one of my favorite combinations. Add a sprinkle of salt, so good.
Hey there Kathryne,
Ooooh I love watermelon juice! And it just feels good for you, doesnโt it?
And that pitcher of yours is a stunner:)
xxoo
E
Iโm not a big juice drinker, but watermelon juice is quite an exception. Canโt get enough of it! Hope youโre well, Erin.
What a terrific idea! Simple recipes are the best! Couldnโt get any easier than this! Canโt wait to try it out- great blog!
Love that it takes you back to our island. And I LOVE watermelon juice. Great post.
Ooh this looks so refreshing!
So excited for your big move!!!! Canโt wait to see your new place.
Come see it! I almost have all the boxes put away.
watermelon is my favourite! my mother used to live off the stuff when I was little :)
Cant wait to make this for her when she next comes to visit! good luck with the move, look forward to your next post!
http://www.amazine.com The Online Magazine
Congratulations! This sounds like the most refreshing thing ever. I got a small watermelon in my CSA this week, so your timing is perfect. Happy packing!
I have a deep love of all things watermelon and never thought to puree the stuffโbrilliant! Thereโs something so hopeful about moving, everything is so full of possibilities. Good luck with the transition!
Watermelon juice seems like a healthy substitution to all those juices with a lot of sugar. Thanks for the simple drink idea.
hi Kate! Iโm going to miss seeing you walk cookie in my neighborhood park. good luck in Kansas city! I will, of course, keep an eye on the blog :)
Thank you, Jenny! :)
I just found this, but I have been looking for a recipe like this for a while. I use to get this drink in PI, Thailand, and etc when I was in the Navy on deployment and I loved it. Now, back in the US they donโt serve drinks like this anywhere I know. So, thanks for sharing.
Instead of discarding the rind, I like to make watermelon rind pickles. Another option if you have a juicer is to juice the rinds, add lime juice and maybe a little salt and drink.
Oh, dreaming of summer as I read thisโฆ :) I look forward to trying this and adding mint!! Mint and watermelon = tastebud heaven!
This is refreshing drink.
This is my Favorite fruit in summer.
Thanks so much for this recipe!! I look forward to trying it- yumm. Also, I have been looking at your other recipes and they also seem deeelicious!!!
Thank you! I hope youโll give one of my recipes a try soon.
wow! you left okc, Anyway I love the information about watemelon juice any other good ideas give me a call i am getting over a stroke
We just got back from Belize, ourselves, where our sons fell in love with having watermelon juice with their breakfast. I was just Googling the โrecipeโ to see if seeds were included and your site came up! The fry jacks were a close second, especially topped with locally produced โMarie Sharpsโ mango jam!
Tom, glad you found my post! I donโt think I tried Marie Sharpโs mango jam (bummer!) but I brought some of her hot sauce home with me. Love that stuff.
I just pinned one of your photos. They are beautiful and the juice looks even better!!!
I cannot say anything else about the juice because I just discovered your site and I havenโt tried it yet. :-)
Thank you for pinning my recipe, Fabia! Hope you try one of my recipes soon.
I was just thinking about watermelon juice from back home in Bze and said let me google and see if it is as simple as I think. As I always bought it, or mom or Grans made it, i never made it myself while growing up . The first link I clicked on was yours and where did your inspiration come from but back home in Bze. Making me homesick but thank you about to make a pitcher for the family now. Only thing missing will be the Caribbean sun and the cool seabreeze and sounds.
Showshannah, Iโm glad you found my recipe! Hope you get a chance to make your own watermelon juice sometime. Sipping watermelon juice on the beach in Belize was really lovely.
I first tried watermelon juice when I was in Belize, too! And it is amazing!!!