This easy-to-make watermelon juice is the most refreshing homemade drink! Perfect for a hot summer day when you’re in need of something tasty to drink. Made with only 3 ingredients and without a juicer.

Bright pink watermelon juice in two small textured glass jars, next to a stack of cut up watermelon and some lime wedges.

The best watermelon juice

The first time I made homemade watermelon juice I thought “there’s no WAY it’s that easy”.

But it turns out that it is in fact, that easy.

Like 3 ingredients, no juicer required, ready in less than 10 minutes easy.

And absolutely-insanely-delicious. Plus it’s much cheaper than any store bought option, and fresher, too!

So now it’s a regular thing at our house, especially when the days start to get hotter. Because there’s nothing more refreshing than a tall, cold glass of watermelon juice to quench your thirst!

Perfect to enjoy with breakfast, after a work out, or any time you’re craving something fresh and delicious.

Why you’ll love this juice

It is:

Sweet and refreshing
Made without added sugar
Fast and easy
Made in a blender – no juicer needed
The prettiest shade of pink
So delicious!

A blender container pouring watermelon juice into a cup on a light cream background, surrounded by lime wedges and cut watermelon slices.

Ingredients for watermelon juice on various sized ceramics.

Ingredients and substitutions

The ingredients for this watermelon juice are SO minimal! But there are a couple of substitutions you might want to make that I’ll mention below.

Here’s what you need

Fresh watermelon – Fresh watermelon is really the only ingredient that you *need* for this recipe. For the best tasting watermelon juice aim to buy the sweetest, juiciest watermelon you can find! I share some tips for picking out a good one in the section below.
Lime juice – Lime juice is optional, but it does brighten up the flavor of the watermelon juice. You could use lemon juice instead. Fresh has the best flavor!
Sea salt – Just a pinch of sea salt brings together all of the other flavors! You don’t have to add it but I do recommend if you already have it on hand. You only need the smallest amount – not enough to make the juice actually taste salty.

How to pick a good watermelon

While it can seem hard to tell if your watermelon is ripe and sweet before cutting it open, there are a few things you can look for to help you pick the perfect one!

Look for a watermelon with dull skin. Dull skin means the watermelon is ripe. If it appears shiny it hasn’t had a chance to fully ripen yet.
Extra webbing means extra sweetness. The webbing on the skin of a watermelon is an indication of the pollination process. The more webbing a watermelon has the more pollinated it was, which is a good thing!
Make sure the field spot is orange and not white. The field spot is the lighter colored spot on the watermelon – the longer it sat on the vine the riper it will be. For the ripest watermelon look for an orange or dark yellow field spot.
Look for a dry stem. If the watermelons you’re picking from have stems look for a dry one! If it’s still bright green it means it was picked too early.
Round and uniform is best! Did you know there are male and female watermelons? A male watermelon is bigger and has an elongated shape, while a female watermelon is rounder and more uniform in size. Male watermelons tend to be more watery and female watermelons are generally sweeter!

How to make watermelon juice: Cubed watermelon in a blender container.

Watermelon juice in a cute glass on a light cream colored background, surrounded by cut watermelon wedges and cut limes.

How to make watermelon juice

This juice is so easy to make it’s almost falls into the category of a non-recipe, recipe! Which means you can make it with whatever amount of watermelon you have on hand, but the instructions will remain the same no matter the quantity.

Here’s the step-by-step

Prep watermelon. Cut up or scoop out the flesh of the watermelon and add to blender container along with lime juice and sea salt, if using. If all the watermelon doesn’t fit don’t worry, you can fill the blender about 2/3 of the way full and blend, after which there will be more room and you should be able to add the remaining watermelon and blend again.
Blend the juice. Blend for 30-45 seconds, until smooth. Taste and add a little more lime juice if desired.
Strain if desired. If you prefer a pulp free juice you can strain it with a nut milk bag or through a fine mesh strainer, but we usually enjoy it as is.
Chill and serve! Transfer to a jar or pitcher and move to the refrigerator to chill, or serve over ice if desired. Make sure to give it a good stir or shake before pouring, as it will separate over time. Enjoy!

To strain or not to strain

Whether or not you strain this juice is totally up to you!

We typically don’t mind the pulp (just make sure to give the juice a good stir before pouring), but if you prefer a smoother sip you can strain it either using a nut milk bag or a fine mesh strainer.

The watermelon juice you buy at the store is usually strained before being bottled.

Recipe variations and serving ideas

This easy blender juice can be sipped as is for a refreshing summer drink, or spruced up a bit for something extra *fancy*.

Here’s some ideas

Blended with fresh herbs like mint or basil.
Blended with cucumber for a fresh vegetal layer of flavor. For this option you’ll likely want to strain the juice before serving.
Mixed with sparkling water and an extra squeeze of lemon or lime for a tasty mocktail.
As a base for a watermelon cocktail – it’s delicious mixed with vodka, tequila, white rum, and even gin! Fresh watermelon margaritas, anyone?
Used as a base for homemade popsicles. For a slightly sweeter treat you can blend in a little honey or maple syrup.

Watermelon juice in a cute measuring glass, next to a larger jar also filled with juice. On a white background surrounded by lime wedges.

Overhead view of watermelon juice in a cute measuring glass, next to a larger jar also filled with juice. On a white background surrounded by lime wedges.

Storage and freezing

Watermelon juice should stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Make sure you stir it or shake before pouring as it has a tendency to separate as it sits.

If you have extra it can be frozen in ice cube trays for smoothies or frozen drinks, or poured into popsicle molds for homemade popsicles.

Love this juice? Try these other drink recipes!

Strawberry Hibiscus Slushies
Blended Citrus Juice
Green Juice in a Blender
Citrus Ginger Juice Shots
Carrot Apple Orange Juice with Ginger
How to Make the Best Tropical Green Smoothie
Simple Mango Smoothie

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