Watermelon is made up of over 90 per cent water. That sounds like a limitation, but it is exactly why these ice lollies turn out so well: the Thermomix® blends the flesh at speed 10 in 20 seconds into a thin liquid mixture that freezes directly in moulds without any ice cream machine. Two ingredients, one machine, done.
Watermelon Ice Lollies with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 2 ✓
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 700 g watermelon flesh
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 seconds / speed 10.
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2
Blend the ingredients.
Cut the watermelon into pieces, remove the seeds, add to the mixing bowl and blend for 20 seconds / speed 10.
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3
Freeze.
Fill the mixture into ice lolly bags or ice lolly moulds, seal well and freeze.
Tip: Add a teaspoon of rosewater to the ice mixture.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why watermelon needs very little sugar
Watermelon naturally has a high fructose content, which tastes sweeter when frozen than at room temperature. We therefore use only 2 tsp of vanilla sugar for 700 g of flesh. More would mask the fresh, slightly grassy aroma that makes good watermelon what it is. If you have a very ripe, sweet melon, you can leave the sugar out altogether.
One important point when blending: remove the seeds beforehand. Watermelon seeds are not fully broken down at speed 10 and leave pieces in the ice mixture. Take a moment to check the flesh before adding it to the mixing bowl.
Moulds or bags: what actually works
Watermelon mixture is very runny, noticeably more liquid than strawberry or raspberry puree. Rigid plastic moulds are therefore harder to fill and the lolly can stick when you try to remove it. We prefer silicone ice lolly moulds because you can simply press the frozen lolly out. If you prefer the classic lolly feel, use zip-seal ice lolly bags: just fill, seal and freeze flat. The advantage of bags is that you can pour the mixture straight from the mixing bowl without needing a spoon or funnel.
Not the same as watermelon granita
Ice lollies and granita look similar but work differently. These lollies are poured into moulds as a liquid and freeze as a solid block. Our cherry ice lollies follow the same principle. Granita, by contrast, is partially frozen and then scraped into crystals with a fork, so a different texture and a different process. If you are looking for the granita recipe, this is not the right one. If you want the solid frozen lolly, you are in the right place.
A tip from the recipe notes: a teaspoon of rosewater in the mixture gives the lollies a floral note that suits watermelon well. Do not overdo it, one tsp for the whole batch is enough.
If you like to keep a few different fruit lolly varieties in the freezer: strawberry ice lollies with the Thermomix® follow the same basic principle but are slightly thicker because strawberries contain less water. Both go very well together on the same summer afternoon.
What other recipes do differently
Many Thermomix® watermelon recipes add a layer of yoghurt on top or mix in raspberries for a creamier result, but that comes at the cost of the clean fruit flavour. Other sources swear by 1 tbsp of lime juice because the acidity lifts the aroma and keeps the lolly tasting fruity rather than watery for longer. Some recipes deliberately leave the seeds in and market the dark flecks as a natural chocolate-chip effect. We keep ours pure and seed-free, because the watermelon is the star here. If you prefer a sweeter version, swap the 2 tsp of vanilla sugar for 1 tsp of honey.
