Making fresh watermelon lemonade is so easy and results in a visually stunning non-alcoholic drink. This cool, refreshing, and healthy summer beverage, made from watermelon juice and lemons or limes, has a gorgeous red color that will make you reach for a glass at first sight! A touch of salt on the rim elevates this drink by playing with the delightfully sweet and salty combination.
Ingredients for Watermelon Lemonade
Super simple and refreshing, watermelon lemonade is made with just a handful of ingredients you most likely have in your fridge during the summer: watermelon juice, fresh lemons (or limes), agave or maple syrup, and coarse Kosher salt for garnish.
How to Make Watermelon Lemonade
Toss the ingredients in a blender and give it a good spin. Prepare your salt-rimmed glass following our step-by-step instructions, then add ice and pour the drink.
How to Prepare a Salt-Rimmed Glass
If you haven't salted a watermelon slice, have you even experienced watermelon? My grandma taught me this trick and it certainly brings out the flavor! Making a salty rim is easy, simply press the rim of the glass onto a plate with lemon juice or agave, and then onto a plate with coarse salt. This will also work with sugar for other drinks. The salt perfectly intensifies the watermelon flavor.
Tips To Follow
- Ripe watermelon works best. Look for a watermelon with a yellow spot where the melon rested on the ground. It should have firm flesh with no bruising.
- If you don't have a blender, use a food processor.
- If your drink turns out a little too textural, use a fine mesh sieve to remove some of the fiber. Pour the drink from the blender through the sieve into a pitcher. If you don't mind the texture, all of that fiber is so good for you!
Variations for Your Enjoyment
- Make an iced version to beat the summer heat. Add ice to your blender for a lemonade slushy.
- Add strawberries, cucumbers, or fresh mint leaves to add an interesting twist.
- Use watermelon lemonade as the base for a smoothie.
- Leave out the syrup for a tart version.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Have you ever wondered what a food geek’s idea of fun is? Well, for us, it is recreating Food Network shows as a family just for the fun of it.
A few years ago, we had two family competitions, Iron Chef and Chopped. One of the drinks we enjoyed that day was this watermelon lemonade, we came up with it years ago, when we bought a watermelon, that was sweet, but the texture was a little pasty. We did not want to throw away a sweet watermelon, we decided to blend it with some lemon juice and made the most delicious watermelon lemonade.
The secret ingredient in our Iron Chef Competition was Jersey corn. One hour to prepare three courses in a hot kitchen with limited counter space and only four burners. Let me tell you, the real Iron Chef Competition is a piece of cake compared to that.
Other Summer Drinks to Try
- Date-Sweetened Raspberry Lemonade
- Rosewater Lemonade
- Jalapeno Mint Lime Ice Tea Spritzer
- Homemade Cold Brew
- Pina Colada Agua Fresca
- Golden Milk Ice Cream Float
- Nectarine Lemonade
- Strawberry Agua Fresca
- Watermelon Lemonade
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Watermelon Lemonade
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
Description
Watermelon lemonade: A cool, refreshing, healthy drink of watermelon juice and lemons or limes. Put a touch of salt on the glass rim for an extra burst of flavor.
Ingredients
- ¼ of a large, seedless watermelon, diced (preferably cold)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
- 3 tbsp of raw agave nectar (or to taste) - OPTIONAL See Note 1
- Coarse sea salt and fresh lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Combine watermelon, lemon juice and agave in a blender
- Blend until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve
- Before serving, place sea salt on a small plate, wet the rim of the cups with a fresh lemon or lime wedge and gently dab it into the salt until all the rim is covered.
- Alternatively, pour some agave on a small plate, turn a glass upside down on the agave, so the rim gets covered in agave, then repeat on the salt plate.
- Pour the cold watermelon lemonade, over ice.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge, if desired
Notes
- If you like your drink more on the sour side like we do, reduce the amount of agave or skip it altogether.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: drink
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 19
- Sodium: 2.5
- Fat: 0.3
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Fiber: 0.8
- Protein: 1.2
- Cholesterol: 0
healthyyou72
I love love this, watermelon and lime together is soooooo delicious! Beautiful, Take Care, Terra
mayihavethatrecipe
I love the combination of the two also. Perfect balance of sweetness and sourness. And soooo refreshing!!!
kitchenriffs
A family version of Family Chef is a great idea! I'm going to have to do that sometime. Good thing I won't have your son as one of the judges, though! He's tough! Nice recipe. I'd probably reduce the sweetness, too, but it sounds really great. Thanks for this.
mayihavethatrecipe
You should definitely try it! It was so much fun, even having to deal with the toughest critic ever! 🙂
I'm with you with the sweetness. If you get a good, ripe watermelon, no additional sweetener is needed... But then again, I LOVE things super sour!
Ann Mah
I love the idea of a family cooking competition... even if it sounds like you might have needed a shot of vodka in that divine-looking watermelon limeade to recover from it!
mayihavethatrecipe
You know, you must have read my mind. That's exactly what I thought after the competition, haha! Maybr I'l try it next time 🙂
thisislemonade
That looks soo refreshing! Yum - thanks for the tip!
mayihavethatrecipe
We thank the never ending heat waves for the inspiration on this one 🙂
Hope you like!!!
Blossom
Love the picture and the color of the drink!!! Sounds delicious!!
Heide M.
Sounds wonderful, perfect for summer.
Elaine
Greetings! How much watermelon would you use if buying pre-cut chunks?
Vicky and Ruth
I am not exactly sure how much you should buy. You can dapt the recipe to your taste, blend the watermelon first and then add the rest of the ingredients little by little until you get the flavor you prefer.
Cindy
This recipe came at the perfect time because I had a less than delicious watermelon. Few ingredients and easy are my thing. Tasted refreshing!!