So I’m not really sure what to call this watermelon dessert creation. I don’t think it’s a watermelon sorbet, since it contains coconut milk. It’s not as creamy as most of my coconut milk ice creams, so it doesn’t seem quite right to call it watermelon ice cream. So I’m going with watermelon sherbet.
Regardless of what you call it, though, this recipe is delicious. It’s a slightly fancy way to enjoy in-season watermelon–but like all of my ice cream recipes, it’s super simple to pull together.
What if I Don’t Have an Ice Cream Maker?
I get this question from time to time. Honestly my first response is: get an ice cream maker! 🙂 Seriously. If you like ice cream and think you’ll make it regularly, an ice cream maker is 100% a worthwhile investment. We got this model for our wedding in 2008, and it probably made a few hundred batches of ice cream before it finally gave out in 2016.
I replaced it with this newer model, which I’ve been very happy with. My family LOVES ice cream, and since Jesse can’t eat any sweeteners other than honey, homemade ice cream is our only option. (Plus, have you seen the cost of coconut ice cream in the store? That stuff is expensive.)
Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream MakerConair Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker (White)
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If I haven’t convinced you, though, here’s a post from The Kitchn on how to make ice cream without a machine. Give some of their ideas a try and see what you think. I haven’t tried any of these methods myself, so I can’t comment on how well they’d work for this particular recipe.
Equipment You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups diced watermelon
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A couple dashes of salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Remove any black seeds from your diced watermelon.
- Blend watermelon, coconut milk, honey, vanilla, and salt in your blender until smooth. Since watermelon sweetness varies wildly, I recommend tasting the mixture at this point to make sure it's to your liking. If necessary, add more honey and/or salt.
- Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and process until the sherbet reaches your preferred consistency. Enjoy right away, or put in the freezer for a few hours to allow the sherbet to firm up.
- Store any leftovers in a wide, shallow container to simplify future defrosting. By the next day, your watermelon sherbet will have become very hard in the freezer. Just be sure to plan ahead when you want to eat it—depending on the temperature of your home and your freezer, it will probably need approximately 15 minutes or more to thaw on the counter before it can be easily served.
Looking for More Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes?
Be sure to check out my other dairy-free ice cream recipes:
- Cinnamon coconut ice cream
- Mint chocolate chip coconut ice cream
- Chocolate orange ice cream
- Strawberry chocolate chip coconut ice cream
- Chocolate chip and raspberry coconut ice cream
- Chocolate peanut butter coconut ice cream
- Chocolate mint coconut ice cream
- Cinnamon cashew ice cream
- Chocolate cashew ice cream.
You might also enjoy reading my ultimate guide on how to make coconut ice cream, in which I share all of my best tips and tricks so you can develop your own coconut ice cream recipe, if you so desire. 🙂
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