When the temperatures soar, nothing beats the heat like a refreshing frozen treat! It can be hard to find safe ice cream, popsicles, and other frozen treats for kids with food allergies. But they are easy to make at home!

Fruit sorbets are a great option for turning fresh fruits into icy goodness! You can make this watermelon sorbet in an ice cream maker. Don’t have an ice cream maker? Make it as granita using a glass baking dish, a fork, and your freezer! Or pour the mixture straight into popsicle molds!

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 8 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup simple syrup (see below)
• 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

Directions:

Puree watermelon in batches in a food processor or blender. Measure out 4 cups of puree and place in a bowl.

Add simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Finished Watermelon Sorbet in the ice cream maker bowl

Serve immediately! Transfer leftovers, if there are any, to a storage container and place in the freezer. The mixture will likely freeze hard. When you are ready to eat the leftovers, set the container on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. Scrape with a large fork or scrape it with an ice cream server.

Tips and Substitutions:

Make the watermelon mixture ahead and chill overnight for faster freezing.
Lemon juice can be replaced with any souring agent, such as amchoor (green mango) powder or ground pomegranate seeds.

Simple Syrup:

Combine 1 cup sugar to 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear. Allow to cool completely and store in refrigerator. Yield: 2 1/2 cups.

Steep mint leaves in your simple syrup to add a delicious flavor to your sorbet. Add a handful of fresh mint leaves when you remove the syrup from the heat. Allow to steep while the mixture cools. Strain and refrigerate. Use the rest of the simple syrup to sweeten sun tea!

Freeze as Granita

Equipment:

• Large, shallow glass baking dish – the depth of the mixture in your baking dish will impact how quickly it freezes
• Fork – just a regular metal fork
• Room in your freezer for your baking dish to sit level
• A timer

Directions:

Make room for your baking dish in the freezer. It will need to sit level to produce an even layer. You can use a metal baking pan, but be careful when scraping with the fork. A plastic container will freeze things more slowly as it doesn’t transfer heat as well as glass or metal. You can put the baking dish in the freezer overnight to pre-chill while you chill the watermelon mixture in the fridge.

Pour the watermelon mixture into the baking dish. Put it in the freezer and set your timer for 30 minutes. When the timer expires, check on your granita. Using the fork, scrape and mix around the slush that is forming. Set your timer for another 30 minutes. Each time the timer expires, scrape your granita with the fork. You can also use a 45-minute interval. The more often you scrape, the finer the ice grains will be in the finished granita.

Scrape the granita mixture with a fork as it freezes

The granita is ready to serve when everything is frozen and there is no more liquid when you scrape. This can take 2 to 3 hours depending on the depth of the mixture in your pan and other factors. Serve immediately!

If you are not serving immediately, cover, and return to the freezer. The mixture will likely freeze hard. Set the container on the counter for about 10 to 20 minutes before serving. Scrape with the fork to fluff again or scrape with an ice cream server.

Enjoy!

Watermelon granita served in a chilled glass