Homemade Watermelon Slushies are a fantastic way to “beat the heat,” so to speak. They are so refreshing you may just find yourself “enjoying” the heat.

Freezing the watermelon, rather than blending fresh cubes with ice, gives the blended treat a really nice texture (akin to something “fresh” out of a slushy machine, like an Icee or Slurpee). I find the watermelon juice to have a nice (perfect, even) flavor and sweetness all on it’s own, but if you prefer something sweeter just add sugar!

We like to keep a container full of cubed watermelon in our fridge throughout the summer, for easy enjoyment. Once we’ve snacked our way through the container (by way of salty sumac seasoning or watermelon feta salad), we blend up any remaining cubes and pour the resulting juice into ice cube trays to freeze. After they’re frozen, we transfer the ice cubes into a ziplock bag and begin the cube – juice – ice cycle again, replenishing the stock of juice cubes as the bag begins to dwindle, to ensure a homemade slushy is always just a blender whizz away.

Yes, you could just freeze the cubed fruit, but I like the smoother texture you get from the frozen juice better. It’s a little extra hassle to get the blender out, but I find it to be worthwhile. If you don’t (or if you don’t have a blender) – by all means, just freeze the fruit! There’s no “wrong” way to enjoy a watermelon.

Homemade Watermelon Slushy Guide:

1. Cube and juice ½ of a watermelon; enjoy the remaining half fresh (this step is critical)! Taste the juice, and if you prefer something sweeter, add sugar to your liking (start with a small amount and taste as you go), stirring to dissolve.

2. Optional: add the juice of 1 limes to the watermelon juice and 1 tsp of salt (this just enhances the flavor profile, it does not make it sour or salty).

3. Pour juice into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.

4. Pop frozen juice cubes into blender, adding about ¼ - ½ cup of liquid (this could be water, lime juice, watermelon juice, etc.), and puree until you get a smooth consistency. You may need to add more liquid, depending on how many juice cubes you use.

5. Pour slushies into cups (fun ones, preferably), hand one to a friend, and enjoy!

If you don’t want to wait for the juice to freeze (sometimes you need a slushie now!), check out our other guide to Watermelon Slushies!

Freezing the juice cubes is also a great way to extend the watermelon into the fall and winter! You can blend up a drink and pretend you're basking in the sun on a chilly winter day.