Sweet, ripe, red watermelon is the quintessential flavor of summer. From Watermelon Lemonade and Watermelon Margaritas, to summery snow cones and even Watermelon Shortcake, there are so many delicious summer treats you can whip up with my easy watermelon syrup.
There’s more than one way to make a syrup from juicy fruits like melon. This is the method I use because I prefer the beautifully clear and silky smooth texture it produces.
Other watermelon syrup methods, such as blending and straining, produce an ok syrup, but they’re cloudy, grainy and more watery-tasting. This method lets the sugar do all the work, extracting the sweetest juices from the fruit.
Because there is no water added, the syrup has a concentrated watermelon flavor. Also, the lack of silty watermelon solids in the finished syrup help it to stay fresher-tasting for much longer than a blended syrup.
Watermelon syrup ingredients
If you’re here from my viral watermelon syrup video on Instagram or Tiktok, or you already know the basics, I’ll list the ingredients out below. If you want to learn more about macerated syrups, why I choose this method with melon, and how to use the syrup, read on for all the details.
- 2 cups watermelon (400 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Lime zest or other add-ins (optional)
Macerated syrup vs. simple syrup
Maceration in this context refers to the process of breaking down and softening fruit with sugar. Sugar is hygroscopic, so it attracts water. The sugar draws the juices out of the fruit, producing a mixture of softened, sweet fruit and a rich syrup from the fruits juices. In short, the sugar extracts the juices, and then the juices dissolve the sugar. Instant syrup!
Simple syrup, on the other hand, is the combination of equal parts sugar and water, which are typically heated to aid in the dissolving of the sugar. Some fruit syrups work best by cooking the fruit in a mix of sugar and water.
Strawberry syrup, for example, can be made by either cooking with simple syrup or maceration. Watermelon, however, doesn’t tolerate heat very well, so cold-process syrup methods are the way to go.
How to make this watermelon syrup
To make the syrup, you’ll need a few basic items from around the kitchen. Here’s the equipment list:
- Large kitchen knife and cutting board
- Large glass bowl
- Large spoon
- Measuring cups (or a kitchen scale if you prefer precise measurements)
- Fine mesh strainer
- Glass bottle or jar for storing the syrup
Prepare your ingredients
To begin, select a good watermelon! The flavor of the syrup depends greatly on the flavor of your melon. You want a fully ripe, not overly-ripe watermelon that’s deep red in color.
Cut the melon into manageable chunks (about 1″) and measure out your two cups from only the sweetest, center-most pieces of fruit. The closer you get to the rind, the firmer and less sweet the melon will be. Reserve those chunks for snacking. The rind can be juiced, pickled, or composted.
How to pick the perfect watermelon
When picking a watermelon, the first thing to look for is a dull skin. Shiny melons aren’t yet ripe. Next, pick one with darker green skin that appears spherical and symmetrical and feels heavy for its size. A round watermelon will be sweeter and less watery than an oval melon.
Next, give the melon a little slap. Does it sound hollow? That’s the sound of a good watermelon. Last, look for a yellow or orange “field spot,” which is the part of the melon sat against the ground in the field. A melon without much of a field spot may have been harvested before it ripened fully. If you can find a melon that meets all of the above criteria, it should be a good one!
Note: If your melon’s rind feels soft or appears dented, it’s likely overripe and not suitable for this recipe. Overripe melon can have a pretty off-putting flavor.
Here’s the perfect melon checklist:
- Dull, darker green skin
- Round, feels heavy for its size
- Yellow or orange field spot
- Sounds hollow when gently tapped
Combine the watermelon and the sugar
Now that you have your perfect melon cut into chunks, combine two cups of melon in a large bowl and cover it with two cups of sugar.
Note that these measurements are just what have produced a nice quantity of syrup for me in the past, but they don’t actually matter. As long as you mix roughly equal parts melon and sugar, you’ll make a syrup. The yield can vary dramatically depending on the amount of moisture in the fruit.
Keep in mind that the sweetness level of a syrup made through this method will be greater than a fruit simple syrup (one made with water), so you’ll use less syrup in your drink recipes.
Optional add-ins
If you want to add a little flair to your syrup, add a few strips of lime or orange peel, some slices of jalapeño, or a sliced vanilla bean. You could also add another fruit like strawberries for added flavor.
Stir, cover, wait
Gently stir your mixture of fruit and sugar to ensure that every chunk is fully coated. I try to handle the melon lightly so that it doesn’t break apart – this will help prevent a cloudy finished syrup.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it on the counter (out of direct sun) for at least an hour or up to overnight. If letting the mixture macerate overnight, place it in the fridge before you go to bed. You’ll know the syrup is ready when nearly all of the sugar has dissolved and the melon is sitting in a large pool of liquid.
Gently remove the solids with a slotted spoon (I just use my fine mesh strainer) and then strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer.
After you’ve strained the syrup, stir in a pinch of salt, and it’s ready to use. I like to store mine in small glass bottles in the fridge. The syrup can also be frozen to lengthen its shelf life. Because of the high percentage of sugar in this syrup, it will likely stay liquid, even when stored in the freezer.
Don’t toss the solids
This is a zero waste recipe, if you want it to be. Reserve the sugary melon chunks as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, or sorbet, or serve it on shortcake or poundcake with freshly whipped cream for Watermelon Shortcake!
You can also freeze the melon chunks for a few hours and then blend them with tequila and lime juice for insanely delicious frozen Watermelon Margaritas, or with fresh lemon juice and a splash of water for Frozen Watermelon Lemonade.
Blender and juicer methods
If you’re short on time, you can put equal parts watermelon and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth, then strain a couple of times to remove the solids and as much of the silty pulp as you can. You could strain through a cheesecloth or even a damp coffee filter to try to get a less cloudy syrup.
Another method is to juice the watermelon, then combine equal parts watermelon juice and sugar. This is my second favorite method but you need a quality juicer to get the best result.
How long will it stay fresh?
This syrup will keep for at least one month in the fridge. It has enough sugar that it tends to stay fresher for longer than simple syrups. You can store this syrup in the freezer and it will keep almost indefinitely.
Where to buy cute glass syrup bottles
After “why so much sugar?” where I get my syrup bottles is the second most popular question on my syrup videos. I buy most of my bottles on Amazon and you can shop all of my Amazon Favorites.
Ways to use the syrup
Now to make cocktails, mocktails and desserts! This watermelon syrup has the delicious flavor of fresh, ripe, watermelon. You can drizzle it over ice cream, use it in layer cakes, on the summeriest pancakes ever, or add it to drinks. Here are some of my favorite ways to use this syrup.
Watermelon Margaritas
Who doesn’t love a gorgeous pink, summery Watermelon Margarita? This recipe is just three ingredients and can be served on the rocks or up in a cocktail glass.
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 oz lime juice
- ½-3/4 oz watermelon syrup (depending on the syrup’s sweetness)
- Pinch of salt or salted rim
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled margarita glass or a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with watermelon.
Watermelon Lemonade
My all-time favorite summer drink, this is the perfect mix of sweet, sour, and bubbly!
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz watermelon syrup
- 4-6 oz club soda
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the lemon juice and syrup and top with chilled club soda. Garnish with watermelon or lemon wheels and a fresh summer herb like basil or mint.
More syrup recipes to make:
More wonderful watermelon recipes from around the web:
Watermelon Syrup Recipe (2 Ingredients)
This is the very best watermelon syrup, made with just melon and sugar. With minimal effort and a little bit of patience, you can create a silky, clear pink-red syrup that tastes just like fresh, ripe watermelon. This syrup is perfect for watermelon cocktails, mocktails and desserts.
- 2 cups watermelon, cut into chunks
- 2 cups sugar
- Pinch salt
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Combine the watermelon chunks and sugar in a large bowl. Gently stir to coat the fruit fully with sugar.
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Cover and let the bowl sit on the counter for at least one hour or up to overnight. If macerating overnight, place the bowl in the fridge before bed to keep it as fresh-tasting as possible.
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Once all of the sugar has dissolved, remove the solids and strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
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Stir in a pinch of salt (optional) and store the syrup in glass bottles or jars in the refrigerator.
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Syrup will keep at least one month in the fridge, or nearly indefinitely if stored in the freezer.
