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Melon Smoothies

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Serves 4 (Makes 4 1/2 cups)

Melon Smoothies

Ingredients

1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces3 ½ cups watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew 1- to 2-inch cubes⅓ cup whole milk ⅓ cup white cranberry juice or apple juicePinch table salt 1 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as desired1 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as desired3 ice cubes (about 1 ½ ounces total)

Before You Begin

Make sure the melon is absolutely ripe, if not overripe. Underripe melon yields bland smoothies that taste, if anything, like cardboard. Vary the amounts of sugar and lemon juice depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

Instructions

  1. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; arrange banana and melon in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze fruit until very cold, but not frozen, about 10 minutes. In blender, puree cold fruit, milk, juice, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ice until uniformly smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Taste for sugar and lemon; if desired, add more sugar or lemon and blend until combined, about 2 seconds longer. Serve immediately.
Melon Smoothies

Melon Smoothies

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4 (Makes 4 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces
3 ½ cups watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew 1- to 2-inch cubes
⅓ cup whole milk
⅓ cup white cranberry juice or apple juice
Pinch table salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as desired
1 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as desired
3 ice cubes (about 1 ½ ounces total)

Ingredients

1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces
3 ½ cups watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew 1- to 2-inch cubes
⅓ cup whole milk
⅓ cup white cranberry juice or apple juice
Pinch table salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as desired
1 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as desired
3 ice cubes (about 1 ½ ounces total)

Ingredients

1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces
3 ½ cups watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew 1- to 2-inch cubes
⅓ cup whole milk
⅓ cup white cranberry juice or apple juice
Pinch table salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus more as desired
1 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more as desired
3 ice cubes (about 1 ½ ounces total)

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted the ideal smoothie recipe, for an icy, fruity, slightly sweet shake that would be lightly creamy and thick but straw-friendly. We simply filled the blender with plenty of fruit and added just a touch of whole milk for a drink that was chock full of fruity goodness. A few spoonfuls of sugar and a squeeze of lemon balanced out the flavor. Three ice cubes were enough to make a cold but not overly icy drink.

Before You Begin

Make sure the melon is absolutely ripe, if not overripe. Underripe melon yields bland smoothies that taste, if anything, like cardboard. Vary the amounts of sugar and lemon juice depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

Instructions

  1. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; arrange banana and melon in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze fruit until very cold, but not frozen, about 10 minutes. In blender, puree cold fruit, milk, juice, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ice until uniformly smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Taste for sugar and lemon; if desired, add more sugar or lemon and blend until combined, about 2 seconds longer. Serve immediately.

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