Strawberry Watermelon Sorbet (5 Minutes)

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Bowl of Strawberry Watermelon Sorbet made without an ice cream maker

While daydreaming about watermelon sorbet recently, I threw a few things in the blender hoping for an easier, quicker method, and the results were shockingly good. So good we went back for seconds…and thirds.

This near-instant sorbet is made with simple frozen fruit, like strawberry, watermelon, and banana, and dairy-free milk or coconut water. The texture is creamy, slightly icy, and refreshing, and the taste? It’s somehow reminiscent of cotton candy. Let us show you how it’s done!

Bananas, strawberries, watermelon, and almond milk

First, freeze the fruit (or buy already frozen, if available).

How to Freeze Watermelon

While it’s easy to find frozen strawberries at the store, it’s unlikely you’ll find frozen watermelon. Luckily, it’s super simple to do at home.

Start by cutting a watermelon into cubes or scooping into balls (make sure it’s juicy and ripe for best flavor).

Then add the cubes or balls in a single layer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours or until firm. Once frozen, transfer the watermelon cubes to a sealed container or use immediately.

Banana, watermelon, and strawberries in a blender

How to Make Watermelon Sorbet

Once the fruit is frozen, there are just 5 minutes, 4 ingredients, and a blender between you and watermelon sorbet.

Simply add frozen watermelon, strawberries, and banana to a high-speed blender (or food processor) along with a little bit of almond milk, coconut milk, or coconut water. There’s no ice cream maker required here!

Then blend it up, using the tamper to help if the mixture gets stuck or has trouble blending. More liquid can also be added to help it along, but it’s important to avoid adding too much or the sorbet can get too liquidy.

If it’s still having trouble blending, you can try letting the fruit thaw slightly in the blender before resuming.

Making watermelon sorbet in a blender

We hope you LOVE this strawberry watermelon sorbet! It’s:

Fruity
Creamy
Naturally sweet
Berry-infused
Delicious
& Tastes like cotton candy!

It makes the perfect refreshing summer snack or healthier dessert! Enjoy right away, or freeze for more of an ice cream effect. Swoon!

More Ice Cream & Sorbet Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Spoon in a bowl of Watermelon Sorbet topped with fresh strawberries and watermelon chunks

Strawberry Watermelon Sorbet (5 Minutes)

5-minute watermelon sorbet made in a blender with nothing but ripe summer fruit and a splash of almond milk. This unbelievably refreshing sorbet tastes like cotton candy.
Author Minimalist Baker
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Using a spoon to create texture on a bowl of Strawberry Watermelon Sorbet
4.55 from 11 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 (Servings)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly Best when fresh
Does it keep? No

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cubed frozen watermelon (ripe // seeds removed)
  • 1 cup sliced frozen strawberries (ripe, organic when possible)
  • 1 cup sliced frozen bananas (ripe and spotty)
  • 1/4-1/2 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or coconut water (each provides a unique flavor and texture)

Instructions

  • If you haven’t already frozen your fruit, ensure it’s nice and ripe and juicy (the sweeter, the better) then slice and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze overnight or for at least 4-6 hours or until firm like ice. (Note: Prep time does not include this step.)
  • To a high-speed blender (or food processor) add frozen watermelon, frozen strawberries, and frozen banana. Top with the lesser amount of dairy-free milk of choice or coconut water.
  • Blend on low, then on high, using the tamper to blend the ingredients together if using a high-speed blender. If using a food processor, blend in 30-second increments, then remove lid and scrape down sides as needed.
  • If it has trouble blending, add more dairy-free milk or coconut water a little at a time. Be sure not to add too much or the sorbet can get too liquidy. Alternatively, you can try letting the fruit thaw slightly in the blender before resuming. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more fruit of choice if you want more of its flavor to come through (we go heavy on watermelon and it doesn’t disappoint).
  • Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy immediately (recommended!), plain or topped with sliced fruit of choice. Or, transfer to a parchment-lined loaf pan, cover with more parchment paper, and freeze until firm, then scoop and serve in a bowl or on a cone.
  • Leftovers will keep in the freezer up to 2 weeks. If not freezing in a loaf pan, this sorbet freezes well in popsicles or ice cube molds (blend again later with more dairy-free milk or coconut water to achieve sorbet consistency).

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of homemade almond milk.
*Prep time does not include slicing and freezing fruit.

Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 107 Carbohydrates: 25.1 g Protein: 1.9 g Fat: 1.2 g Saturated Fat: 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.37 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.51 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 3 mg Potassium: 417 mg Fiber: 3.4 g Sugar: 16.1 g Vitamin A: 602 IU Vitamin C: 57.05 mg Calcium: 25.21 mg Iron: 0.73 mg

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My Rating:




  1. Jen says

    This is just….a fruit smoothie. That’s it. A good fruit smoothie, but this is not sorbet. Not nearly sweet enough, and changes texture when stored in the freezer. Wish I would have known that before by comparing it to other recipes first because I made this ahead of time for a party. I would have picked an actual sorbet recipe instead of just a simple fruit smoothie that someone called a sorbet to get more clicks or something.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jen, sorry for any confusion and that it wasn’t what you were hoping for! It sounds like you were looking for a more classic sorbet recipe. This is our fruit-sweetened, wholesome take! It should be thicker than a smoothie and it is best when freshly made. We’ll take a look and see if we can improve clarity on that!

  2. Carissa Renard says

    This recipe was really good but unless you have a vitamix you really need to do this in batches; my Blendtec got stuck multiple times and I had to use a cocktail muddled to push the frozen fruit chunks in more. I ended up taking some out and adding more liquid to it and it eventually got all blended up.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry it gave you trouble, Carissa! A blender that has a tamper definitely is helpful with this one. Glad you were able to get it to work and enjoyed the flavor!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rosemary, we aren’t sure if it will be powerful enough and think a high-speed blender like a Vitamix might be essential for this one. Let us know if you try it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      You can add more strawberries + watermelon. It won’t be quite as creamy, but still very tasty!

  3. Sally says

    We LOVE this recipe! Anytime we buy a large watermelon, I freeze some and make this recipe. It’s so refreshing and a great way to celebrate summer fruit. Thank you for this creative combination!

  4. Christina says

    I made this in a food processor and it is simply incredible. This simple and perfect recipe is seriously replacing all popsicles and ice cream in the freezer from now on.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ooo amazing! Thanks for the lovely review, Christina! We’re so glad you enjoyed!

  5. Adri says

    I just made this and added some lime juice and boy is it delicious! What is the best way to keep this sorbet in tact for a few hours for when someone gets home from work :-)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, an important question! We’d suggest putting leftover sorbet in an airtight container and storing in the freezer, but removing it at least 10 minutes before serving. It won’t be quite the same texture, but hopefully still delicious! Thanks for the kind review, Adri!

  6. Emily says

    I just made this following all the instructions to pre-freeze the chunks of fruit then blend… it is tasty but difficult to scoop out of the loaf pan because it seemed to freeze into an icy block. Any recommendations for how to get more of a soft consistency? Or just let it melt a bit? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emily, this one is best when fresh! But if saving for later, we’d suggest letting it melt a bit and/or using a warm ice cream scoop.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jenna, we’re sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. Is it possible your frozen fruit had freezer burn or the fruits didn’t mix well? We only ask because so many others have enjoyed it!

    • Patrice says

      Can I make this and then freeze it? E.g., what will happen if I haven’t frozen the watermelon, bananas or strawberries? I just don’t have room in my freezer to freeze it all first!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Patrice, we wouldn’t recommend that as it will turn icy and be difficult to scoop. We’d suggest buying pre-frozen strawberries and seeing if you have room to freeze just the watermelon?

  7. meredith says

    This was soooo yummy! Looks like strawberry ice cream, and tastes light and sweet. I did add a little stevia, and I had to use evaporated milk (1/4 cup?). Totally different consistency as far as nice cream goes. Loved it!

  8. Kelly says

    Hi! This recipe sounds amazing. My husband and I have had to go dairy free, so we’ve been trying sorbet a lot lately. However, my husband doesn’t like bananas. Do you think it would impact it to simply remove it? Would there be something ideal to substitute?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      This doesn’t taste much like bananas! I’d say give it a try, or sub frozen coconut or almond milk ice cubes for the banana!

  9. Bella says

    So good! Made this today and let my twin boys try it and they loved it! One of them can’t have dairy, so this is a great option for us. I used plain canned coconut milk (organic) and I used all frozen strawberrys and watermelon. I had to add some stevia because I didn’t have the sweetest watermelon, but other than that delicious! Thank you!

  10. Kandee says

    SO DELICIOUS!! Thank you for this recipe, what a treat!
    And perfect timing, I had a huge watermelon (30lbs!!!) from the farmers market that I was trying to get creative with.

    I followed the instructions exactly except for the strawberries, I used half fresh and half frozen. I think this helped me blend it a bit easier.

    I used plain canned coconut milk (organic coconut meat and water), just a little over 1/4 cup. So freaking good. Can’t wait to make this again, and (maybe) next time with another milk or different ratio on the fruits. Will be a new staple in my house!

  11. Allison says

    Oh this looks GOOD! I make Nice Cream with bananas often, but the addition of strawbs and watermelon looks great! I’ll be trying this weekend – I’m always looking for ways to cut out ice cream in the evenings and this is a great alternative!