Watermelon Popsicles
June 2, 2025
Sweet, slightly tangy, and totally refreshing, these watermelon popsicles are the perfect cool treat to beat the summer heat. They're made with just 4 simple ingredients and have no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors, no refined sugar, and no dairy. And they're so easy and fun to make, even the kids will love helping!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Do I really need to add a sweetener? Can I use lemon juice instead of lime juice? If you have any questions about the ingredients in this recipe, check this section first! If you don't find the answer, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll reply as soon as I can.
watermelon chunks: Choose a sweet, ripe watermelon. If it's not seedless, make sure you remove all the seeds so they don't end up as bitter chunks inside your popsicles!
lime juice: This adds just a little bit of tanginess to balance the sweetness of the watermelon. For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed juice. Lemon juice is also delicious here.
agave: You can use the sweetener of your choice, but I like agave for its neutral sweet flavor and because it's more natural than refined sugar. Note that sugar isn't just acting as a sweetener in this recipe; it actually prevents the popsicles from developing an icy texture, keeping them soft and creamy.
vanilla extract: Although you can skip it if you prefer, I love the subtle vanilla flavors that real vanilla extract adds to this recipe.
Tips for Perfect Watermelon Popsicles
These watermelon popsicles are so easy to make that even small children can help, but there are still a few things you'll want to pay extra close attention to in order to make sure that you get the best results.
Start by choosing a ripe watermelon. Look for a watermelon that's heavy for its size and has no shape irregularities. Next, check for the pale spot on the watermelon where it sat on the ground; a watermelon with a yellow or orange spot is ripe and will have more flavor than one with a white spot. The watermelon should also have webbing on the outside; the larger this webbing is, the sweeter the watermelon will be. And as a watermelon ripens, its exterior becomes dark and matte; a shiny exterior is a sign that it's not ripe yet.
Choose a seedless watermelon OR carefully remove all the seeds. A seedless watermelon will be the easiest to prepare. If your watermelon has seeds, check each piece to ensure that they're fully removed, because even one seed can add bitter spots to your popsicles.
Leave space at the top for the popsicles to expand. As your popsicles freeze, they'll expand, so make sure you leave at least 1/4 inch (1/2 centimeter) at the top. This should be plenty of space if you have a silicone mold, because the mold will expand a bit too. If you're using a firmer mold like a metal mold, you may need to leave a bit more space at the top.
Freeze your popsicles quickly. One of the best ways to avoid an icy texture in your popsicles is to freeze them as quickly as possible. That means setting your freezer to its coldest setting. If your freezer has a quick freeze function, that will help too. Using metal molds may also encourage the popsicles to freeze more quickly, but I've had good results with my silicone molds, too.
Make Them Your Own
Since these popsicles are so simple, it's easy to customize them to your taste. Here are some ideas to try:
Make layered popsicles: Separately mix up three kinds of fruit popsicles. Add your first flavor to the bottom 1/3 of your popsicles, freeze, then repeat with the remaining two flavors. Between layers, you don't need to freeze until each layer is completely solid; as long as the layers won't mix, you're good!
Add mint extract or fresh mint leaves: Mint and watermelon is a classic combination, and you can add in a little bit of minty flavor with mint extract (I'd use 1/2 teaspoon) or some fresh mint leaves.
Replace some of the watermelon with other fruits: Instead of using 3 cups of watermelon, you can use 1 1/2 cups of watermelon and 1 1/2 cups of another fruit. Some good choices would be strawberries, raspberries, or orange juice.
Make it creamy: Add 1/2 cup of canned coconut milk or non-dairy yogurt to create a creamy texture.
More Sweet Summer Treats
If you liked this recipe, there's more where that came from! Here are some of my favorite treats for summer:
Watermelon Popsicles
Yield6 to 7 popsicles (about 2 1/2 cups or 590 mL)
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time4 hours, 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups watermelon chunks (seedless or seeds removed)
- 3 tbsp. agave
- 1 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
Add all your ingredients to a blender jar and blend until everything is smooth.
![Watermelon popsicles mix before (left) and after (right) blending.]()
Using a funnel or a pitcher, pour the mixture into your popsicle molds, leaving about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) of space at the top for the popsicles to expand as they freeze.
![Watermelon mixture being poured into popsicle molds.]()
Cover the popsicles and insert popsicle sticks about 3/4 of the way into the popsicles.
![Watermelon popsicles in molds, covered and with sticks inserted.]()
Put the popsicles in the freezer until they’re frozen all the way through, about 4 hours or overnight. Use your freezer’s quick freeze mode if it has one.
Leave your popsicles out at room temperature for about 5 minutes before attempting to pull them out of the molds, then store them in freezer-safe bags until you’re ready to eat them.
Notes & Hints
Popsicle molds are different, and removal methods may vary. Some molds may release popsicles more easily after being briefly run under warm water. With my silicone molds, I like to push the popsicles up from the bottom to release them.
The exact freezing time will vary depending on your freezer settings and your mold's material.
Store your popsicles in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can keep them in one large bag if you'll eat them within a few days, otherwise I recommend wrapping them separately.
Nutrition Data
Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe; Calories: 56; Fat: 0 g.; Saturated Fat: 0 g.; Cholesterol: 0 mg.; Sodium: 1 mg.; Carbohydrates: 14 g.; Fiber: 0 g.; Sugar: 13 g.; Protein: 0 g.; Vitamin A: 22 mcg. RAE; Vitamin B12: 0 mcg.; Vitamin C: 7 mg.; Vitamin D: 0 mcg.; Calcium: 5 mg.; Iron: 0 mg.; Potassium: 91 mg.; Zinc: 0 mg.Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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