Watermelon Paletas

These amazing watermelon paletas, also known as paletas de sandia, are the best low-calorie frozen treat to enjoy this summer!

Our recipe for watermelon popsicles has no artificial dyes in it, just fresh fruit to make that pretty red color. They make for a delicious summertime treat that you can feel good about. 

They are very easy to make at home, so don’t forget to check out our step-by-step video too!

Why You Should Make This Recipe

• Everyone loves them. Kids and grown-ups enjoy this frozen treat in the summertime.
• Easy. They are really easy to make, you just need to cut the watermelon, blend it, transfer it to a mold, and freeze it!
• Healthy. These frozen treats are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. And if you’re like me (always craving sweet stuff), paletas de sandía are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
• Budget-friendly. Watermelon is so cheap in the summer season, that you should really take full advantage of it and make this easy recipe.

Related: The Health Benefits of Watermelon – By bbcgoodfood.com

What are Paletas?

Paletas are Mexican ice popsicles very popular all around the country. In other Spanish-speaking countries, they are found with other names such as polo, helado de agua, pico de agua, or picolé, just to name a few.

In Mexico, you will notice there is a paletas shop almost at every corner of the street, those shops are called paleterías and you’ll find an overwhelming amount of ice popsicle flavors.

There are also the paleteros, who are the people who go down the streets with some sort of freezer on wheels selling these delicious ice treats. It is very common to hear them shouting in the streets: Paleeeeeetas! de limón, coco, piña, fresa, sandía, paletaaaas! …

There are two types of ice pops in Mexico, those made with a fruit and water base, and the other made with cream or milk.

The ones made with fruit depend on which type of local fruit is available at the moment, but the most common flavors are lemon, pineapple, watermelon (paletas de sandia), mango, strawberry, and melon.

While vanilla, coconut, strawberries and cream, rompope, and chocolate, are usually the popular flavors for the creamy version.

As you can see, they are pretty much a wonderful frozen treat that you can even serve as dessert for your family dinners. Now, let’s see how to make the recipe…

Watermelon Paletas Recipe

Cut your watermelon into cubes removing all seeds from the flesh.

Place watermelon cubes in a blender. Add the sweetener you prefer (I am using Stevia), lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

Add half a cup of water and blend for 1-2 minutes or until your desired texture. Some people like the mixture to be smoother, others to have little bits of fruit.

Fill your ice pop molds with the watermelon mixture, insert the sticks and place the mold in the freezer until the ice pops are nicely firm (about 4 hours).

Recipe Variations

• Sweetener. You can add any type of sweetener you prefer, regular sugar, brown sugar, honey, monk fruit, etc.
• Herbs. Blend a few mint leaves with the watermelon to add a fresh touch.
• Spicy. Add a pinch of chili powder to the bottom of your ice pops mold.
• Combine. I like to make paletas de sandía combining other fruits and even vegetables, such as cucumbers or melons. Just cut them into chunks and blend them with the watermelon.

Useful Notes And Tips

• I don’t recommend straining the watermelon mixture as it will become too watery and get too hard after being frozen. The fruit pulp adds texture and is also full of healthy benefits!
• If you don’t have ice pop molds you still can make those paletas de sandia. Just use small plastic or paper cups.
• Muffin tins or sturdy freezer-proof glasses are also perfect to make ice pops. Cover with parchment paper and make a small hole to hold the sticks in place.
• The salt adds a delicious touch to these watermelon paletas. Mexicans love to eat sandía with a little bit of salt, which together with the sweetness of the fruits creates a nice contrasting flavor.
• With the ingredients listed in the recipe card, you’ll make about 10 watermelon popsicles. But this depends on the molds you will use too, if you use smaller molds, you will end up with more pieces.
• To remove the ice pops from the mold, fill a large container with warm water and dip the mold in it for 15-20 seconds. Gripping the wooden stick, pull gently upward to remove each piece. If it feels like a struggle to unmold, leave the ice pops in the warm water a little longer.

How To Store Paletas de Sandía

Those Mexican fruit paletas can last up to 1 month in the freezer. After that, they start to lose their flavor and become too icy.

This is how you should store them:

• Cut some sheets of parchment paper.
• Remove each piece from the mold (read our tips above to unmold ice pops).
• In a freezer container, make layers with your ice pops and parchment pepper so they won’t stick to each other.
• Close the container and place it in the coldest spot of your freezer.
• Alternatively, wrap each piece with cling film and place it in a zip bag.

Similar Recipes

Loved this watermelon paletas recipe? Make sure you check out our other Mexican popsicle recipes below.

• Paletas de Mango. Tropical, refreshing, and so easy to make!
• Paletas de Fresa. Can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries.
• Strawberry Ice Pops With Yogurt. Creamy, healthy, and with a chewy texture thanks to the chia seeds.

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