Watermelon Shaved Ice (Viral)
on Aug 15, 2023, Updated Jun 13, 2024
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This is the summer of fruit ☀️🍉, and my Viral Watermelon Shaved Ice is a brilliant way to transform watermelon into a healthy frozen dessert that everyone will love. This is an easy dessert that comes together in seconds.
The first time I made my own version of the viral shaved fruit ice, was in the form of Frozen Peaches and Cream. While it was delicious and a total success, I learned that grating frozen fruit by hand on a zester makes for very cold fingers 🥶. Now I use a rotary grater to spare myself from numb fingers and produce snow-cone-like results in seconds 🍧.
Why You’ll Love Watermelon Shaved Ice
If snow cones were a part of your childhood, you will love this healthy take, that happens to be vegan, with no natural dyes 🍧. Sweet and juicy watermelon is the perfect candidate for frozen shaved ice 🍉. It has a high moisture content, and it’s also packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins. It’s a terrific fruit for hydration 💦, which is a welcome bonus on these hot summer days 🥵. Lastly, this easy dessert is so customizable; check out dairy- and nut-free alternatives below and experiment with different sweeteners and fruits.
How to Prepare Watermelon Shaved Ice
🔪 Cut the watermelon into pieces or purchase it pre-cut for ease. Make sure the watermelon is cut into pieces small enough to fit into the rotary grater.
🥶 Then, place onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
🥥 In a serving bowl, mix the coconut cream with the honey, if using.
🍉 Lastly, put the frozen watermelon into the opening of the rotary grater and grate it on top of the coconut cream. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
🥥 You can purchase canned coconut cream, or you can open a can of full-fat coconut milk and use the solid cream that forms at the top of the can.
Watermelon Shaved Ice Variations and Substitutions
- The coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk, or yogurt is totally optional. Ice cream is also a delicious accompaniment instead 🍨.
- Dairy or nut-free? No problem! Try a dairy-free yogurt of your choice. Instead of coconut cream, try thinning out tahini with a bit of water and drizzle it over the shaved watermelon.
- Try other frozen fruit, such as peaches 🍑, strawberries 🍓, or mangoes 🥭 in place of or in addition to watermelon.
- Pick your sweetener of choice: honey 🍯, agave, or maple syrup work. Also, you can let the fruit shine and opt for no additional sweetener.
Similar Recipes
Peaches and Cream Dessert
8 hrs 5 mins
Watermelon Slushie
2 hrs 5 mins
Watermelon Carpaccio
10 mins
Strawberry Watermelon Drink
10 mins
Watermelon Popsicles
3 hrs 10 mins
Best Served With
- This summer 😎 dessert perfectly complements a grilled spread of Chicken Souvlaki 🍗 and Grilled Zucchini. Make dinner on the grill, then enjoy this frozen treat to cool down.
- If you’re serving this shaved ice at a bbq and the grill is still hot, also offer some Brazilian Grilled Pineapple as another dessert option.
- Ice cream brings this shaved ice over the top. You can also try making my Healthy Ice Cream 🍨.
- I like to garnish this with a little bit of fresh, chopped mint 🌿.
Common Questions
Yes, you can! Let it flash freeze first, transfer it into a ziplock bag, and it’s good to stay in the freezer for about 3 months.
Yes, you can certainly use fruit like peaches, strawberries, mangoes, or any of your choice. I would not recommend bananas as you wouldn’t get the same consistency.
You can use any dairy-free alternative that you love.
A rotary grater is a hand-held kitchen tool that uses a small metal drum with holes to grate or puree small amounts of food. Also, you can use a zester (aka microplane) or the smallest holes of a cheese grater.
Watermelon Shaved Ice
Ingredients
- 2 cups watermelon, (about 1/4 of a whole watermelon)
- ⅓ cup coconut cream, or sweetened condensed milk or yogurt (optional)
- 2 teaspoons honey, or any sweetener (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon into pieces or purchase it pre-cut for ease. Make sure the watermelon is cut into pieces small enough to fit into the rotary grater. Place onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- In a serving bowl, mix the coconut cream with the honey, if using.
- Put the frozen watermelon into the opening of the rotary grater and grate it on top of the coconut cream. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
