Today I’m excited that I get to shoe you how to make a simple, three ingredient watermelon popsicle recipe. These watermelon popsicles are not only gluten and dairy free, but they’re vegan, top 14 free, truly corn free, and compliant for almost every special diet type out there.
After I show you how to make these tasty watermelon popsicles, we’ll chat about the different watermelon options available to you. Just swapping your watermelon variety is an easy way to change up the flavor profile.
Brands That Sell Watermelon Popsicles
The inspiration for this recipe came from seeing watermelon popsicles in the grocery store, made on shared equipment with major allergens. It was something I was hoping to purchase for my kids, but my kiddo with food allergies falls into the 30% group that can’t tolerate shared equipment.
In case shared equipment isn’t an issue for you, here are some fantastic watermelon popsicles you can purchase (all dairy free and allergy friendly).
No matter what, always get in touch with a brand for their current allergen information.
GoodpPop Watermelon Popsicles
The GoodPop Watermelon Ice Pops are 100% fruit juice, and have claims of no added sugar, dyes, or added flavours.
Ingredients: Watermelon, Filtered Water, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Organic Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Vegetable Juice (color).
JonnyPops Watermelon Popsicles
The JonnyPops Watermelon Water Pop is organic, but does contain cane sugar.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Watermelon Juice, Natural Flavors, Organic Fruit And Vegetable Juice For Color, Organic Stabilizer (Organic Guar Gum, Organic Gum Acacia), Organic Spirulina Extract For Color.
Outshine Watermelon Popsicles
The Outshine Watermelon Fruit Bars aren’t the best based on ingredient assessment, but they do cost less than the other two brands.
Ingredients: Watermelon Puree, Water, Cane Sugar, Beet Juice Color, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Carob Bean Gum.
Best Brand to Purchase
Honestly, if I were forced to choose, I’d purchase GoodPop, however, I’m not a fan of the natural flavors found in all three options. I also know how easy it is to make a batch of popsicles at home for a LOT less money.
Ounce for ounce, you’re going to pay 0.40 – 0.67 cents per ounce in the grocery store. At home, it will be closer to 0.18 – 0.25 cents per ounce. At home, you also get to have full control over the ingredients.
Check out more easy snacks! These snacks are all gluten, dairy, and egg free, as well as vegan and very allergy friendly.
Allergy Status (for the watermelon popsicle recipe)
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Coconut, Cooking Oil/Added Fats, Cruciferous, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: AIP Paleo, EOE, FPIES, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan
Compatible With: Corn Free, GAPs, SCD
- Corn Free: Source safe ingredients. You need to use a corn free maple syrup, ensure your limes aren’t waxed, and source corn free watermelons from a local farmer.
- GAPs & SCD: Use a legal, liquid sweetener of your choice.
Watermelon Popsicle Ingredients
What I love about this easy watermelon popsicle recipe: there aren’t many ingredients.
Starting Watermelon
- 925g Organic Watermelon Flesh (33 ounces)
Additional Liquid Ingredients
- 785mL Watermelon Juice (about 28 ounces, made from the flesh above)
- 112mL Organic Maple Syrup (4 ounces)
- 1/2 Organic Lime, juiced
No time to make juice? You can purchase this watermelon juice in some grocery stores.
Watermelon Popsicle Directions
Cutting the Watermelon
To make your refreshing watermelon popsicles, you’ll first make the watermelon mixture. You’ll essentially be making a watermelon puree.
Place your watermelon on your cutting board, hold it to stabilize, and cut the ends off. Now, stand the watermelon up on one end, and you have a stable fruit to cut.
Use your knife to cut the watermelon rind off. Start at the top of the watermelon and slice in a downwards motion. Since the top and bottom were removed, it’s easy to see where the rind ends, so you don’t remove more than what’s needed.
You can toss the rind, or use it for a different recipe (there are loads, just look up watermelon rind recipe online).
Tip: Use a super sharp chef’s knife, or a serrated knife when cutting your watermelon.
Blending the Watermelon
Now that you’ve got the rind removed, place your empty blender container on your kitchen scale. Tare to zero. Cut your watermelon into large chunks and add watermelon pieces into the container until you get to 925g. It’s OK if you’re anywhere between 900 – 950g.
Blend on high until smooth. This will only take you a few moments since watermelon is mostly water.
Straining the Watermelon: Place a large sieve over a large mixing bowl (with a pour spout). Pour the contents of your blender into the sieve to strain out any tiny pieces of watermelon or seeds that are in your mix.
Technically, this step is somewhat optional, however, you’ll enjoy your frozen treat more if you don’t skip this step.
Making the Watermelon Mixture
If you won’t be straining your watermelon, remove enough from the blender container so your final weight is 785mL. It’s OK to be anywhere from 760 – 800mL.
You can put the extra blended watermelon in a cup and make a refreshing summer drink later.
If you’ve strained the watermelon, place your empty blender container on your kitchen scale, tare to zero, and pour in juice until you get to 785mL. It’s OK to be anywhere from 760 – 800mL.
Now that we’ve got your juice in place, tare the scale to zero and add the maple syrup. Finally, cut a lemon in half and squeeze into your blender.
Blend on high for 20 – 30 seconds, and your watermelon mixture is ready.
Making Watermelon Popsicles the Traditional Way (popsicle sticks, overnight mold, etc.)
With your watermelon mixture ready, carefully pour it into molds of your choice. If needed, don’t forget to insert a popsicle stick. A small funnel can be helpful in popsicle making as you transfer the liquid.
I like this brand for popsicle molds since most of the options are silicone. It’s much easier to eject a popsicle from a silicone mold.
You can also purchase super cute popsicle baggies and it’s like eating an Otter Pop. Here’s a fun idea: host a summer backyard BBQ and hand out these watermelon popsicles in place of appetizers.
Traditional non-silicone popsicle molds work as well. Also, if you haven’t seen those ring pop molds…. you need them in your life.
How to Make This Watermelon Popsicles Recipe with an Instant Popsicle Maker
If you haven’t already done so, read the instructions that came with your instant popsicle maker. I’m going to detail how I made them with mine, but always read the instructions before you use something new for the first time.
First, you’ll need to chill the watermelon mixture. I do this by putting the lid on the blender and putting the whole blender container in the fridge overnight. You’ll also need to chill your instant popsicle maker according to the instructions.
The next day, carefully pour your mixture into your instant popsicle maker, insert the reusable popsicle sticks it came with, and wait the allotted amount of time. Once your liquid has set, remove the popsicles and enjoy.
Using an instant popsicle maker is SOOOOOO much fun for little kids. With my kids, we would often experiment with different flavour combinations.
One thing you can do is pour in the liquid, let it set for about 25 seconds, then use a glass straw to suck out the middle liquid.
Then, you pour a different liquid into the hole you’ve created and allow the popsicle to fully set. The end result is a dual flavoured popsicle, and you can also make it have contrasting colours.
Just know that instant popsicle makers are a lot of fun, and they present a chance to unleash your creativity, with instant results. Well, kind of instant. You still have to chill the liquid.
How to Make a Watermelon Smoothie/Ice Cream Instead
Rather than use a popsicle mold, you’ll start with an ice cube mold (like this one). Fill your ice cube trays, then freeze overnight.
The next day, place watermelon ice cubes into your blender, and add just enough milk of choice to blend, along with a little vanilla extract and a little more sweetener (if you want it to read like a dessert rather than a healthy snack).
Blend on high, and the end result will be a watermelon treat with a creamy texture. I’ve been making this kind of alternative for years and everyone loves it.
Delicious Dairy Free + Egg Free Ice Cream Recipes
If you’re a homemade ice cream fan like everyone around here is, here are vegan, allergy friendly ice cream recipes you may enjoy. These are also refined sugar free treats, making them a great option for the whole family.
- Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
- Homemade Watermelon Ice Cream Recipe
- Peach & Blackberry Ice Cream Recipe
- Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (contains cashews)
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More About The Zoku Popsicle Maker
I thought long and hard about getting the Zoku instant popsicle maker, and waited a very, very long time before making the purchase. I read a lot of negative reviews on Amazon, and saw some pretty gnarly photos that gave Zoku a bad rep (a well deserved bad rep).
When a local grocery store had one on sale, I finally decided it was worth trying. Plus, by purchasing the smallest unit, I wasn’t out too much money if it didn’t work out. This is the one that I got, but there is a newer version, though, the reviews haven’t improved too much.
Low and behold… It worked!! When I first used it, it was all sunshine, rainbows, and instant popsicles. I opted to store the unit in the freezer fulltime, and after about 18 months, it absolutely did the blue gel leak thing that people had complained about.
The thing is, I still think it’s a great little popsicle maker. Sure, the first freeze takes up to 24 hours, but over the course of a year or two, you’ll have popsicles in minutes. It’s just so fun, and has so much potential.
If you do go this route, do NOT spend a tonne of money, and go in knowing that you’ll have to toss it in a couple of years. Whilst I normally don’t encourage purchasing products I know will break sooner than they should, this is an exception.
How to Change Up Your Watermelon Popsicles
Since this is a pretty simple recipe, it comes with the additional benefit of wiggle room for creativity (something I personally love). Here are a few ways you can change up this cool recipe.
Add Peaches, blackberries, or raspberries to your base mixture before the straining step. You can also experiment with adding a combination of these fruits.
Swap 1/3 of the watermelon juice for pineapple juice.
Create a blend of watermelon, mango, and pineapples for a tropical treat.
Add mint leaves to the popsicle base after straining. Watermelon and mint are a classic, refreshing pairing. Basil leaves are another great pairing option.
Add a touch of chocolate.
Drizzle melted chocolate or white chocolate over your frozen popsicles for a delicious dessert (I’ve done this with frozen watermelon slices and my kids go wild).
Make creamy popsicles.
For a creamy twist, add a little full fat coconut milk or cashew pieces to the blender when you add the maple and lime. You’ll end up with a creamy popsicle base that you can work with. Think: orange creamsicle, but with watermelon instead.
Get strawberries involved.
Make strawberry watermelon popsicles by adding hulled fresh strawberries. You’ll want to start with at least 225g (8 ounces) of washed strawberries, blend, and taste. Once the taste is where you want it, strain the watermelon mixture.
Swap the maple syrup for honey.
You can make this delicious treat with any kind of honey (local, raw, organic, etc.) instead of the maple syrup. Other liquid sweeteners will work as well, but I don’t suggest agave (unless it’s the only safe option you have).
How To Pick a Good Watermelon
Here’s an awesome infographic from Eagle Eye Produce that shares tips on how to spot a good watermelon. If you’re making use of delivery services for your groceries, you won’t have any control over picking your melon. Spoiler alert: I’ve been burned quite a few times over the years.
If you have a robust farmer’s market in your area, see if they offer different watermelon varieties for you to explore.
What To Do With Watermelon Rind
Watermelon rind usually has a sour taste, but also contains great nutrition. If you compost, watermelon rind can be the gift that keeps on giving. You can also juice watermelon rind if you have a juicer and add it to your loved cold juice recipes.
I’ve also seen some people add a little watermelon rind to their salad. Watermelon rind is a good source of fiber and citrulline, and it can also be pickled. Some people enjoy adding pickled watermelon rind to a range of dinner recipes, and this may be something worth trying.
Seedless vs Seeded Watermelon
If you’d like to take a deeper dive on watermelons and watermelon seeds, The Kitchin has a fun (and short) article that’s worth a read.
Some people feel that due to how seedless watermelons are created, they’d rather stick with a traditional seeded watermelon. Interestingly, seedless watermelons are sold at a higher volume than their traditional counterpart… Personally, I purchase both types, and one of my kids has recently started saving the seeds in hopes to grow some in the backyard.
Different Watermelon Varieties
Depending on where you live, you’ll have access to specialty varieties. In my area, I’ve seen at least 8 different options, and each variety brings something a bit different to the table. Here’s what I’ve explored:
- Traditional Organic Baby Seedless Watermelon
- Organic Orchid Yellow Watermelon (these have a lot of watermelon seeds)
- Organic Black Seedless Watermelon
- Golden Crown Organic Watermelon
- Organic Sunshine Watermelon (yellow flesh)
- Traditional Organic Seedless Watermelon (of varying sizes and sweetness levels)
- Tiger Striped Organic Watermelon (these are very sweet)
- Organic Daybreak Seedless Watermelon (orange flesh)
Warning: Some of these options cost considerably more than a traditional watermelon your family may be used to eating. However, the experience of trying different seasonal fruits can be really enjoyable. I usually purchase a mix of new and exciting along with traditional and cost effective.
Answering Your Watermelon Popsicle Recipe Questions
Can I use lemon juice in place of the lime?
I’ve not personally tested this recipe with lemon juice, but in theory, it should work. Lemon is going to be a more forward flavour when compared to lime, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
If you love lemon, give it a try. If you only kind of like lemon, I’d stick to the lime juice.
Could I use a different melon for this popsicle recipe?
That’s going to be a hard maybe. Part of the reason this popsicle recipe works is because of the high water content of watermelons. Other melon variations have a lot more body (but they’re still juicy), and you’ll have a proper puree rather than fruit juice as your base.
Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It means you should manage your expectations. I imagine the end results will be a bit more dense like a fudge pop.
Should you opt for this route, I suggest making a half batch rather than the full recipe. That way, if it’s not something you end up loving, you haven’t wated a tonne of your melon.
How could I create a custom shape popsicle?
In theory, it’s entirely possible to create a really cool organic shape with your popsicle liquid. Here’s how I would do it:
- Shape foil into the shape that I’d like to make.
- Place the foil shape on something stable, and surround it with something else so it doesn’t lose said shape.
- Place parchment paper inside the foil.
- Gently pour the watermelon mixture over the parchment. The weight should, in theory, get the parchment paper to mostly adhere to the foil and mimic the foil’s shape. The parchment paper is important because if you freeze your mix on foil, it will stick when you take it out of the freezer.
- Carefully place the filled foil mold creation into the freezer and hope magic happens.
- Freeze overnight.
- The next day, flip it over and the foil and parchment paper should come right off.
- Dance because it was genius, or be a little sad that it didn’t work. Not sure which way this one will go, but at least we tried.
If you’re a 3D printer kind of person, you can make custom molds in your 3D printer, then use food grade silicone to create a custom popsicle mold. I’ve seen some chefs and bakers do this and whilst the process is pretty involved, the end results are stunning.
