This Watermelon Italian Ice is the perfect refreshing treat on a hot summer day. No ice cream maker is needed to make this easy 2 ingredients healthy dessert- paleo, vegan, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
The summer heat has made its way to the northeast. We will be hitting the 100-degree mark this week, which means we will be enjoying lots of air conditioning, pool time, and this Watermelon Italian Ice.
Last summer I wanted to make the kiddos and their friends slushies using some watermelon chunks I had in the freezer. Using our Vitamix, I poured some fruit juice, tossed in some frozen watermelon, and gave it a good blend. To my surprise I didn’t quite make slushies… it was much thicker. It had the same exact consistency of Italian ice or a juicy sorbet. The kids devoured it! And now will request it all the time! Even during the winter months when fresh watermelon is hard to come by.
I have happy campers now that watermelon season is back and our freezer is fully stocked with watermelon chunks!
Tidbits
Watermelon-Frozen watermelon is key! I cut my watermelon into 1- 1 ½ inch cubes and place them in a resealable freezer safe bag. Pop it in the freezer until the watermelon is fully frozen, about 5 hours or overnight. I don’t find it difficult to break up the pieces of watermelon that may have froze together. If you want to avoid that, you can freeze the watermelon in a single layer on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment or wax paper.
Juice– To keep it refined sugar free, I always use 100% fruit juice. I found no sugar added, 100% fruit juice lemonade and it has made this Italian ice so delicious! I think the next time I make this I will use pineapple juice!
Spike it-In place of the juice, use a sweet wine, like Moscato. This would make an amazing adult treat!
Easy Watermelon Italian Ice
Equipment
- High Speed Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- ¾ cup 100% fruit juice any kind
- 4 heaping cups cubed watermelon frozen
Instructions
- Place juice and then watermelon in a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until watermelon has broken down and the consistency is smooth. If using a food processor, you may need to stop half way to clear the blade and move the larger chunks of watermelon to the bottom.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!