Extra Hydrating Watermelon Mocktail

Quench your thirst in the summer heat in a delicious way with this extra-hydrating watermelon mocktail! This frosty blended mocktail has easy steps and features fresh fruit and coconut water at its base.

As someone who thought she could hang with the best of them in the summertime, it took moving to the southern U.S. and experiencing a summer to realize that is not the case. The sustained humidity and 90°F+ heat for weeks on end sure puts a damper on BBQs and outdoor parties.

This blended watermelon mocktail, with flavors of lime and mint, hits the spot on scorching days when you're outside and active.

Reasons to Love This Recipe

• It's extra hydrating. It's non-alcoholic (alcohol is a diuretic and can increase dehydration) and features two intentionally hydrating ingredients: fresh watermelon and coconut water.
• It's easy. Just blend, muddle some mint, pour, and stir. No laborious steps like straining or preparing a simple syrup.
• It's great to serve a crowd as the ingredients are simple to scale up.

Recipe Ingredients

• Watermelon: This is considered one of the most hydrating fruits with a water content around 90%. Buying a seedless watermelon is recommended to avoid the black seeds. I try and remove as many undeveloped white 'seeds' as I can, though if a few slip through they're easy enough to remove once blended.
• Coconut water: A natural source of electrolytes, coconut water is similar to sports drinks but features less sugar, calories, and carbohydrates (source: Cleveland Clinic). I'm not a huge fan of the flavor of drinking it on its own as it's a bit salty, but used as an ingredient in a beverage? It blends right in.
• Agave syrup: Just one teaspoon, split between two drinks, boosts the sweetness a teeny bit to make this beverage seem more mocktail than fruit drink. I tested this recipe with honey and strongly preferred using agave nectar as it does not have a noticeable flavor.
• Lime juice: Freshly-squeezed is recommended for drinks for the best flavor!
• Mint: This is the usual supermarket fresh mint, which is of the spearmint variety.

And if you *really* like the bite fresh ginger brings to a drink, then you might consider grating in the tiniest amount before blending. But be careful not to add too much because it can completely overwhelm!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Add cubed watermelon, coconut water, and agave syrup to a blender.
2. Blend well until liquefied. Drizzle in a little extra coconut water if it needs a little help breaking down fully.

3. Add lime juice and mint leaves to each of two tall glasses (reminiscent of my favorite mojito mocktail) and briefly muddle. Divide the blended watermelon mixture between the two glasses and stir well to mix up all the flavors. Add more lime juice, mint, agave, etc. to taste.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Freezing the watermelon before blending cuts down on how much ice you'll need to add to your watermelon mocktail, preventing the flavor from diluting. Cut the watermelon into cubes and then place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan or plate that can fit in your freezer. Leave a little space between cubes so they don't stick together and freeze until solid.
• If you strongly prefer a thin and smooth beverage you can strain the watermelon mixture after it has been blended, but I didn't find the bit of texture to be an issue at all, especially in a frosty fruit mocktail like this.

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