The last few weeks of summer are always bittersweet. There’s the excitement for all the festive fall things to come, from sweaters and changing leaves, to hearty stew recipes and pumpkin EVERYTHING. But of course, it’s never easy to say goodbye to those warm sunny days of summer, weekends spent by the water, frozen cocktails, backyard grilling…

Luckily, the season’s not over just yet. And right now I’m loving treating myself to fresh, simple, homemade Watermelon Lime Sorbet as I soak up the last of these warm summer evenings.

This sorbet is everything you love about summer. It’s bright, it’s fresh. Packed with ripe watermelon chunks, mixed with the tang of freshly grated lime zest and juice. Hands down one of my favorite summertime flavor combos. Just add raw honey, blend it all to smooth perfection, and freeze. The result? The perfect sweet treat. So good literally any time of day.

I’m a big fan of ice cream, especially in the summer time. Often I can’t even be bothered to scoop it into a bowl. It’s so much more convenient to just dive right in with a spoon. That said, I am also a big fan of balance. And I do know that helping myself to some rocky road every night is not a way to live. So I also love this watermelon lime sorbet as a healthy (not to mention, dairy and gluten free) dessert alternative.

A lot of sorbets use a ton of sugar to add sweetness. Fruit tends to lose some of its sweetness when it’s frozen. So it’s definitely a good idea to add something when you’re making a sorbet. But I’ve found that raw honey works just as well, plus it’s way healthier for you than white Refi sugar.

It couldn’t be easier to indulge…

Sorbet is also like one of the easiest treats to whip up ever. All you need is some frozen fruit chunks, whatever added flavors you’re throwing into the mix (citrus is always a good idea) and your sweetening agent.

PRO TIP: I started with fresh cut seedless watermelon for this recipe. I highly recommend using seedless if you can find it. It will make your life so much easier. You won’t have to spend time picking out the seeds, or risk having a weird texture to your sorbet if the seeds get into the food processor.

I cut the fruit up into about 1 or 2-inch chunks and laid them out across a baking sheet to begin the prepping process. The fruit needs to be frozen already before blending. Cutting it up ahead of time will help it freeze more thoroughly. It will also blend up better in the food processor.

After letting the fruit freeze for at least an hour, then it’s time for the next step. I took the tray out of the oven and let the pieces begin to thaw just slightly. You want to be able to dig your fingernail into them. Meanwhile, I grated all the fresh zest off a big lime. The zest will bring this sorbet to life with strong citrus essence.

Blending your way to summertime bliss…

Next, I dumped the watermelon and lime zest right in the food processor. I added in all the juice from the lime I zested for an extra punch, along with the raw honey for a silky sweet flavor. Then, it’s time to pulse, pulse, pulse, until the mixture is blended smooth.

PRO TIP: If you’re having issues blending up your frozen fruit, try adding some warm water to the food processor to break things up. Start out just adding a teaspoon or two at a time so you don’t totally melt the mixture. You might also have to pause once or twice while you’re blending, and use a rubber spatula to wipe the sides of the bowl and make sure there aren’t any chunks getting stuck.

Once the sorbet is all blended, it’s time for these second round of freezing. It’s important to pick out some kind of shallow metal dish. It will conduct freezing throughout better than a dish made of glass, ceramic or plastic. I went with a loaf pan and it was the perfect size. Pour the mixture in, use your rubber spatula to smooth out the top, and pop it right back in the freezer.

Leave it for another 2-3 hours at least (if you can). Then grab your spoon and go to town on this sweet, citrusy, summer concoction.

Let me know if you give this watermelon lime sorbet a try! I love to hear from you in the comments, or tag me on instagram @eat.think.live and let me see your creation! Plus, you can check out the rest of my recipes HERE.