It doesn't have to be such a production.
Every summer seems to produce one recipe that suddenly takes over social media. This year, a viral watermelon dessert is making a strong case for the title. For the past few weeks, it’s been almost impossible to scroll Instagram without seeing someone make it. Creator after creator promises the same thing: a creamy, refreshing frozen treat that’s become one of the biggest recipe trends of the summer. The comments are full of people saying they’re running out to find the perfect watermelon, and every video makes the whole process look effortless.
That’s what caught my attention. I wasn’t just curious whether the recipe lived up to the hype—I also couldn’t stop wondering whether there might be a much easier way to get the same result.
What is the viral 2-ingredient watermelon ice cream?
The trend starts with just two ingredients: a watermelon and heavy cream. First, you cut the watermelon in half, scoop out a small bowl-shaped well in the center of one half and freeze it overnight. The next day, you pour the cream into the frozen cavity, then scrape the frozen watermelon into the cream until the mixture transforms into a light pink frozen dessert.
Technically, it’s closer to a sherbet than traditional ice cream since watermelon makes up most of the mixture. But whatever you call it, the appeal is obvious. It’s refreshing, surprisingly creamy and uses just two ingredients.
How to Make 2-Ingredient Watermelon Ice Cream
I sliced my watermelon in half and froze both halves overnight—even though the viral recipe only calls for one half, I figured the second would make a good backup in case I somehow botched the experiment. I also forgot to scoop out the center of the first half before freezing it, which meant eating a few spoonfuls of frozen watermelon before I could continue. I regret nothing.
I poured in the cream and got to work. Before long, I discovered something the viral videos don’t really show: Frozen watermelon is slippery, heavy and awkward to hold while you’re scraping away at it.
I wrapped a dish towel around the base to keep it from rolling around the counter, which also saved my hands from holding onto an ice-cold watermelon for the next 10 minutes. Yes, it really did take about 10 minutes.
The videos make the process look much faster than it actually is. There was a lot of scraping, stirring and mixing before the cream slowly turned pale pink and thickened into something that actually resembled ice cream. I also managed to fling little bits of watermelon onto my counter and myself along the way—a detail that somehow never seems to make the final edit on Instagram. Eventually, though, it all came together.
The finished dessert was light, creamy and incredibly refreshing, with a texture somewhere between soft-serve and watermelon sherbet. The fresh watermelon flavor really came through, and despite my initial doubts, I happily ate every last spoonful.
Then I remembered the backup watermelon half waiting in my freezer.
Is there an easier way?
Curious whether all that scraping was actually necessary, I cut the second half into chunks, added the same amount of heavy cream and tossed everything into my blender.
The result was the same.
Within seconds, I had the exact same creamy, pale pink frozen dessert with the same refreshing watermelon flavor and soft, sherbet-like texture. The only difference was that I skipped 10 minutes of scraping, didn’t turn my countertop into a sticky mess and never had to cradle an ice-cold watermelon in my hands.
The viral version absolutely works, and I’ll admit there’s something satisfying about watching the dessert come together right inside the watermelon itself. But if your goal is simply to eat delicious watermelon “ice cream,” I’d skip the scraping and reach for the blender instead.
