Cool off in the summer heat with this frozen watermelon basil cocktail that takes only five minutes to prepare. Fresh lime juice and chunks of frozen watermelon infuse the alcohol with a sweet, refreshing flavor. Serve this drink with a lime wedge, basil sprig or watermelon slice for an extra summery touch.
If you're looking for the perfect cocktail for summer, this is it! It has the flavor combination of my watermelon basil salad. Fresh, juicy watermelon is the star of the cocktail, providing a natural sweetness and vibrant pink color.
Fresh basil leaves add a unique herbal note that complements the watermelon’s sweetness. Crushed ice gives the cocktail its frozen, slushy texture. Although optional, you can also enhance the flavor with a cocktail simple syrup.
It will also be a tropical treat for rum connoisseurs. Plus, who doesn't love a nice and easy blender cocktail?!
These chilled cocktails will also help cool you and your guests down: slushy margaritas, passion fruit mojitos and mango ginger cocktail.
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🍉 Ingredients
- white rum - White rum typically has a clean, light, and somewhat sweet flavor. The taste can vary slightly depending on the brand you use.
- Grand Marnier - Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored cognac (brandy) liqueur. It offers a complex orange and toffee flavor with hints of oak and vanilla. You can substitute with triple sec if you are looking for a cheaper option.
- lime juice - Freshly squeezed!
- simple syrup - A mixture of equal parts water and sugar heated together until the sugar is dissolved.
- fresh basil leaves - Basil complements the drink with a slight sweetness and earthiness. Regular sweet basil is perfect. I add just enough so that you can taste the basil but it's not overpowering. You can start with a few large leaves and add more to taste.
- frozen watermelon chunks - You can either freeze your own cubed watermelon or buy pre-frozen chunks.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
📖 Recipe Tweaks
This recipe features white rum. You can try out coconut-flavored white rum which has a subtly sweet flavor and hints of coconut and vanilla, or even watermelon flavored white rum if you can find it.
Aged white rum has additional tropical fruit notes that vary.
You can sweeten the drink to your taste with simple syrup, which is essentially liquid sugar, or leave it out entirely if you prefer. You can follow my tutorial for how to make simple syrup.
🍹 How to Make a Frozen Watermelon Basil Cocktail
Blend the ingredients. Blend everything but the basil first, then add the basil leaves and pulse until it's chopped into the drink.
Serve the frozen watermelon basil cocktail. Pour into a glass and serve with a lime wedge, mini watermelon triangle and/or basil sprig garnish!
✅ Joss' Tips
- Freeze your own watermelon cubes. If you have a fresh watermelon in the fridge, slice the watermelon into cubes, lay them on a sheet tray and throw them in the freezer. Frozen watermelon makes your drink extra cold and blendable and creates a slushy-like texture that's perfect for hot, humid days.
- Choose vibrant, red cubes. If you freeze your own watermelon, you can pick and choose the best looking pieces. When you buy a bag from the grocery store, sometimes you're left with dull, low-flavor chunks. Try to use the most red-colored watermelon chunks so that your drink has a nice, vibrant color to it and more flavor.
- Pick the sweetest pieces. The best tasting pieces of the watermelon are in the center. This is where you will find the sweetest, juiciest flavor.
- Do not over blend the basil. The color combination of green and red will turn the drink brown! I learned this the hard way so that you don't have to.
- If it's too thick, add water. Frozen watermelon blends very easily because it's so full of water. However, if you are finding it too thick for whatever reason, add a splash of water to the blender.
🔆 More Cool & Delicious Summer Drinks
If you tried this herbaceous and fruity 🍉 Frozen Watermelon Basil Cocktail Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Watermelon Basil Frozen Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces white rum - or 4 tablespoons
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier - or 2 tablespoons
- 1 ounce lime juice - freshly squeezed--or 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
- 1 ½ cups frozen watermelon chunks
- 4 ice cubes - or about ½ cup
- 8 basil leaves - or to taste--small to medium size
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except for the basil leaves) to a high-speed blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth.
- Add the basil leaves and pulse just until they are chopped and mixed into the drink. Don't over-blend the basil.
- Pour into a glass and serve with a lime wedge, mini watermelon triangle or basil sprig garnish!
Equipment
Notes
- For the watermelon chunks, you can either freeze your own cubed watermelon or buy pre-frozen chunks.
- If you're freezing your own watermelon, check out how to cube watermelon here, then place the pieces apart on a sheet pan and into the freezer. Freeze until they are solid.
- Try to use the most red-colored chunks so that your drink has a nice, vibrant color to it.
- The best tasting pieces of the watermelon are in the center. This is where you will find the sweetest, juiciest flavor.
- Frozen watermelon blends very easily because it's so full of water. However, if you are finding it too thick, add a splash of water to the blender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
So tasty and summery! Love it.