Pink Power Watermelon Smoothie Juice

This post was originally published in August 2016. It has been updated with new photos and improvements to the text and recipe as of August 2020.

Is it a juice or a smoothie? It’s sort of in between, because you just need a blender, but it’s not thick or creamy like smoothies often are. Watermelon is the star, so it is powerfully pink, whatever you want to call it.

Watermelon smoothies sum up summer to me. It’s bright pink, and bright tasting, but not super sweet – and ultra refreshing. It’s is a great option for a watermelon that’s sweet but not really crisp. I love watermelon but don’t grow it myself – it’s tricky without a greenhouse – and my luck is about 50/50 with buying good ones.

Watermelon is about 92% water, but boasts a whole host of beneficial nutrients inside that green shell. It’s high in vitamins A, B6, and C (awesome for healthy skin and hair), lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids.

This little melon has some of the highest lycopene levels of any fresh produce. Lycopene is linked to a healthy heart and bones, and can help prevent some types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Just keep in mind that if you eat a whole watermelon in a day, your body might overload on lycopene and make you sick. I know I’ve done it.

Scroll to the bottom of the post or click “skip to recipe” above to see the recipe card with full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

• Watermelon
• Frozen raspberries
• Frozen strawberries
• Lemon or lime juice
• Maple syrup or honey (optional – honey if not fully vegan)

Method

Just add all of the ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth. You may need to add extra citrus or sweetener before serving, so it’s a good idea to taste it first.

If you just have an immersion blender, like me, you may have a bit of a time getting the strawberries to blend fully. If I’m having difficulty with this, I let the strawberries mostly thaw but make sure the watermelon is chilled before starting.

This keeps surprisingly well for a day or two in the refrigerator.

Tips and Notes

If the juice warms up after sitting out for a little while – if you’ve served it in a pitcher, for example – don’t be tempted to add ice. It won’t taste good. Either add frozen berries or watermelon squares, or refrigerate it again until chilled.

As I mention above, this is a good way to use a slightly soft or less sweet melon that you may not love on its own. A bad melon will mean a bad drink, but a just not-quite-right melon will be perfectly good with berries and a bit of honey in the mix.

It’s been harder for me to get frozen strawberries lately, so for the smoothie pictured I used mostly frozen raspberries and then some strawberries from my garden. You can use any variation on the ratio of strawberries to raspberries you like here.

Substitutions

Go for more strawberries or raspberries as you prefer, changing up the ratio to what you have on hand or your preference. As usual, I use honey and maple syrup interchangeably, but if you’re not vegan, I recommend honey for the flavour here.

Lemons or limes are equally good, though lime is maybe a bit more familiar in flavour. I can’t get limes as easily as lemons where I live, so I usually go with lemons now.

Want to make this into a cocktail? I recommend tequila or white rum. Add a couple of shots to the mix while blending and it turns into a watermelon margarita or daiquiri.

More Hot Weather Drinks

Strawberry Slush
Vegan Mango Lassi
Elderflower Lemonade
Vegan Strawberry Milk
Strawberry Lemonade Sangria

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