Anyone who’s spoken to me for more than 30 seconds knows that lemonade is my absolute favorite drink of all time! Watermelon also happens to be my favorite summer fruit, so for this recipe, lemonade and watermelon come together in one, delicious, stupid-easy slushie. The lemon concentrate is so simple to make; just lemon juice, sugar, and water. The melon is even simpler, since it just gets cubed up before it’s popped in the freezer. Once everything is frozen, you throw each one in a blender, layer it in a glass, and you have an exceptional, summery drink to beat the heat!
The lemonade concentrate is super tangy and bright and the melon is juicy and sweet, so when both flavors combine, the flavor is in perfect balance. One of my Culinary Producers, Rachel Dolfi (@rachelanndolfi), used to tend bar, and she recommends adding rum to your glass if you’re over 21 and would like to turn this into a frozen cocktail!
1. Fresh Lemon Juice!
I would say the hardest part of this recipe, besides waiting for everything to freeze, is juicing the lemons. I think you MUST use fresh juice, so to make the process a little easier, use a juice press and remember to roll your lemons very well on the counter before you cut them in half. It really helps bring out the juices and makes them easier to squeeze!
2. Beautiful Layers
These layers look fancy, but it takes almost no skill to build this slushie. Just take a large spoon and dollop each mixture in, alternating every couple of spoonfuls, and you’ll have a beautiful result.
3. For those 21+
For anyone over 21, my Culinary Producer, Rachel Dolfi (@rachelanndolfi), recommends adding rum to turn these if you’d like to turn it into a delicious cocktail. Tequila or vodka would be great, too!
Watermelon Lemonade Slushie
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups cubed watermelon
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
- Pour mixture into ice cube tray, or a plastic wrap lined loaf pan. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Place watermelon cubes on a racked baking sheet (or parchment lined if no rack) and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Once both are frozen, remove lemonade cubes from freezer and add to a high powered blender. Blend on high until a slushie consistency is achieved. Transfer from blender to a resealable container.
- Add watermelon to blender and blend on high until a slushie consistency is achieved.
- For serving, layer the slushie in a tall, wide mouthed glass. Fill each glass ⅓ of the way with the watermelon mixture. Then top with lemonade slushie, ⅔ of the way up the glass and finally, finish with additional watermelon. Serve immediately.
