Watermelon Ice Cream Juicy Summer (Printable)

Creamy, refreshing frozen dessert made with fresh watermelon puree, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk. A perfect summer treat.

# What You Need:

→ Fruit Base

01 - 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

→ Ice Cream Mixture

04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
06 - ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt

# How-To:

01 - Place cubed watermelon in blender and process until completely smooth. Strain through fine mesh sieve into large bowl to remove pulp if desired.
02 - Stir granulated sugar and lime juice into watermelon puree. Mix thoroughly until sugar fully dissolves.
03 - In separate bowl, whip heavy cream with hand mixer until soft peaks form.
04 - Gently fold condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt into whipped cream until just incorporated.
05 - Pour watermelon puree into cream mixture. Fold gently until fully combined and uniform in color.
06 - Transfer mixture to loaf pan or airtight container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or lid.
07 - Freeze for minimum 4 hours or until firm throughout.
08 - Let ice cream rest at room temperature 5 minutes before scooping and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Tastes like biting into cold watermelon but with the luxurious creaminess of gelato
  • No ice cream maker required, just bowls and a freezer
  • The vibrant pink color makes everyone smile before they even take a bite
02 -
  • Watermelon contains a lot of water, so this ice cream freezes harder than dairy-only versions - that 5 minute room temperature rest is non-negotiable
  • If you skip straining the puree, you'll get icy bits throughout instead of that creamy gelato texture
  • Make sure your condensed milk is at room temperature or it will seize up when it hits the cold whipped cream
03 -
  • Buy an extra watermelon and freeze some puree in ice cube trays - you can blend those cubes into smoothies later
  • If your watermelon isn't perfectly sweet, add an extra tablespoon of sugar - you can't fix bland ice cream after it freezes

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