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This small batch watermelon strawberry sorbet blends fresh fruit and honey into a smooth, dairy-free dessert. Use frozen fruit and it’s ready to scoop in minutes, no ice cream maker needed.
Featured Comment
“This is so delicious and refreshing! Perfect for summertime!”
– Carly
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Freeze Time: 4 hours (skip if you use frozen fruit)
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes, or about 10 minutes with frozen fruit
- Equipment: Blender, 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Blend and freeze, no cooking
- Servings: 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Juicy watermelon and sweet, ripe strawberry, with a soft, slushy texture.
This watermelon strawberry sorbet has a clean, fruit-forward flavor, with just enough honey to balance the tartness of the strawberries.
Why I Love This Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
My mom cooked healthy before healthy cooking was cool, and I learned to treat fruit as dessert from her. I’m a mom of five myself, and when my youngest was the last one still at home, I’d make this sorbet for her after school. It’s about as simple as it gets, just ripe fruit, naturally sweetened, with no refined sugar, which made it the healthy, dessert-style treat I wanted for her.
The sorbet is fresh and fruit-forward. The watermelon brings a juicy, mellow sweetness and the strawberries add a deeper berry flavor.
I make it two ways, depending on how patient I’m feeling. When there’s time, we blend fresh watermelon, strawberries, and honey, pour it into a small dish, and freeze it until firm. When I want it right away, I use frozen fruit and blend it straight into a soft, scoopable sorbet, no waiting and no ice cream maker. Freezing mutes the fruit’s natural sweetness, so the honey brings it back.
The first cold spoonful on a hot day is what keeps me coming back. It’s light and refreshing, and it tastes like summer fruit at its peak.
If you like easy frozen desserts made for one, try our mango sorbet for one, our no-churn vanilla ice cream for one, or a strawberry milkshake.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this fruit sorbet and why each ingredient matters. If you end up with extra fruit, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will point you to other single serving recipes.
Watermelon: Watermelon is the base, and its high water content is what gives the sorbet its juicy, slushy body and clean, light sweetness. Use seedless watermelon if you can, or pick out the seeds before blending.
Strawberries: Strawberries add a deeper berry flavor and natural color, and they give the sorbet more body than watermelon alone, which is mostly water. Fresh or frozen both work, and leftover berries are good in a single serving single serving strawberry crisp.
Honey: Honey sweetens, but it also keeps the texture soft. Sugars lower the freezing point, so a little honey stops the sorbet from freezing rock hard and helps it stay scoopable. Maple syrup or agave work the same way if you’d rather use them.
Water (optional): A splash of water helps a standard blender get things moving. Add it a tablespoon at a time, since too much will make the sorbet icier.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few easy ways to change up this watermelon sorbet.
Add citrus: A squeeze of fresh lime or lemon brightens the fruit and helps everything blend smoothly.
Make it creamy: Blend in a frozen banana for a creamier, ice-cream-like texture. The banana smooths out the icy edges and makes it easier to scoop.
Make popsicles: Pour the blended mixture into molds and freeze it as frozen pops.
Add fresh herbs: A few leaves of mint or basil, blended in, give the sorbet a fresh, summery note.
Swap the berries: Trade the strawberries for peaches or raspberries. I’ve made it with peaches and love it.
How To Make Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
There are two ways to make this, depending on whether you want to freeze it ahead or eat it right away.
Freeze-ahead method:
- Blend the fruit. Add the watermelon, strawberries, and honey to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, with no fruit chunks left.
- Pour. Pour the mixture into a shallow freezer-safe dish, like a 5×5-inch baking dish, so it freezes evenly.
- Freeze. Freeze for at least 4 hours, until it’s firm enough to scoop. If it sets too hard, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften before serving.
Instant method:
- Use frozen fruit. Add frozen watermelon, frozen strawberries, and honey to the blender.
- Blend until thick. Blend until thick and smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Add a tablespoon of water only if the blender struggles.
- Serve right away, while it’s soft and easy to scoop.
How To Freeze Watermelon And Strawberries
Freezing the fruit ahead is what lets you blend this sorbet and eat it right away, with no four-hour wait. Both freeze well, so you can keep a stash ready for whenever you want something cold.
To freeze watermelon: Cut seedless watermelon into bite-sized cubes and spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then move them to a freezer-safe bag. Frozen watermelon keeps for up to 10 to 12 months.
To freeze strawberries: Hull and slice the strawberries first so they blend more easily later. Spread them on a parchment-lined sheet, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. They hold their best quality for about 6 months.
Expert Tips
Start with ripe, sweet fruit. This sorbet only tastes as good as the fruit you blend, so use the ripest you can find. For watermelon, pick one that feels heavy for its size with a creamy yellow patch where it sat in the field.
Taste before you freeze. Adjust the honey while the mixture is still liquid. It’s much harder to fix the sweetness once the sorbet is frozen solid.
Use a shallow dish. A shallow freezer-safe dish like a 5×5-inch baking dish freezes faster and more evenly than a deep bowl, which gives you a smoother, more scoopable sorbet.
Match the water to your blender. A high-powered blender like a Vitamix usually needs no extra liquid. With a standard blender, add water a tablespoon at a time so you don’t thin it out.
Troubleshooting
If your watermelon strawberry sorbet isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like sorbet that freezes too hard, an icy or grainy texture, or a batch that won’t firm up.
Why is my sorbet rock hard and difficult to scoop?
Sorbet made from pure fruit freezes harder than ice cream, so it sets up very firm. Let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping. If it freezes too hard every time, stir a little more honey into the next batch, since the added sugar keeps it softer.
Why is my sorbet icy or grainy instead of firm?
An icy, grainy texture usually means too much water was added or the fruit wasn’t blended all the way smooth. Blend the mixture longer until no chunks remain, and add water only a tablespoon at a time. A high-powered blender gives the smoothest result.
Why won’t my sorbet freeze firm?
A sorbet that stays slushy almost always has too much liquid in it. Cut back on any added water and freeze it for at least 4 hours, longer if your freezer runs warm. The blended mixture should be thick enough to scoop, not pourable.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t need an ice cream maker. Blend the fruit with honey and freeze it in a shallow dish, or blend frozen fruit for an instant sorbet you can eat right away.
Yes, frozen fruit works and makes the sorbet ready right away. Blend frozen watermelon and strawberries straight into a soft, scoopable sorbet with no freezing time. Add a splash of water only if your blender needs help.
It keeps for about a week at its best. Store it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. After that it stays safe to eat but turns icier and loses its fresh flavor.
Yes, you can make it without a blender. Use a food processor, or mash the fruit well with a fork or potato masher for a chunkier texture. A few tablespoons of water help it come together.
Yes, it’s a light dessert made from real fruit with no refined sugar. Watermelon and strawberries add vitamins A and C, and the only sweetener is a little honey. Each serving has about 195 calories.
Yes, any high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Ninja works well. These blend the fruit smooth with no extra liquid. With a standard blender, add water a tablespoon at a time.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you make this watermelon strawberry sorbet, or any easy summer dessert from One Dish Kitchen, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and if you take a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) so we can see it.
Small Batch Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped watermelon
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup honey
- 3-4 tablespoons water (optional)
Instructions
Freeze-ahead method
- Add the watermelon, strawberries, and honey to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into a shallow freezer-safe dish, such as a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, until the sorbet is firm enough to scoop.
Notes
- Add frozen watermelon, frozen strawberries, and honey to a blender.
- Blend until thick and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Serve right away, while the sorbet is soft and scoopable.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If you freeze the berries and watermelon first, you can eat it right away.
Do you know how difficult it was to allow this to freeze into a sorbet? I managed and it was delicious. We are going to double the recipe next time so we can have one serving each :o)
Hi Harry,
I know what you mean! The “juice” tastes so good, I could drink it.
The recipe definitely doubles well so making more won’t be a problem.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie
Could you sub other berries in this recipe? I just love sorbets . Thanks
Yes you can, Amae. I’ve also used peaches too and love it.
I love the flavor combo! I never would have guessed how easy it is to make a sorbet, but I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try soon!
I could eat watermelon every single day!! I love this watermelon strawberry combination!! I’m so ready for summer.
YUM! This looks delicious! A perfect summer treat!
This is so delicious and refreshing! Perfect for summertime!