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Watermelon-Mint Ice Cups

Name: Watermelon-Mint Ice Cups
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4 small icy cups
Ingredients: 3 cups ready-cut seedless watermelon; 1 tbsp bottled lime juice; 1 tbsp sugar; 4 washed mint leaves

Suggested ages 9–12 Independent prep, with an adult nearby

4 small icy cupsActive 15 minTotal 2 hr 45 min

A fork and some freezer time turn juicy watermelon into a spoonable ice dessert. Scraping it a few times stops it becoming one solid block. A few tiny mint pieces add flavor without needing a blender.

Start with the grown-up check

A single clear dessert cup of loose pink watermelon ice crystals with green mint flecks, against a navy worktop. — AI-generated gouache-style food illustration. Follow the written ingredients and method.

Before you begin · grown-up check

The adult checks ready-cut seedless melon and freezer-safe containers and stays nearby.

A grown-up checks ingredient labels, the workspace and the young cook’s readiness before starting. No heat is needed; the grown-up stays nearby.
Adult checks melon pieces for rind or hard seeds and clears a level freezer shelf.

Ages are a starting guide. A grown-up checks your readiness and stays nearby. Follow the actor label on every step.

Let’s make it

Tick off steps as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser.

Young cookWash hands with soap and water, clear the work area and read all the steps before measuring.
Young cookMash watermelon with a fork in the shallow container until mostly juicy with small soft pieces.
Young cookTear mint very finely, add it with lime juice and sugar, then stir until sugar dissolves.
Young cookFreeze for 45 minutes, scrape icy edges into the middle with the fork, then repeat twice at 45-minute intervals.
Young cookSpoon into four bowls when loose ice crystals have formed; if too hard, let soften in the refrigerator before scraping.

The skill you’re learning

Scraping breaks growing ice into smaller crystals. A shallow layer freezes more evenly than a deep cup of juice.

Try one change

Leave out mint and use 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice instead of lime for a simpler version.

Serving & storing

Cover and freeze at 0°F for up to 1 month for best quality. Serve scraped portions immediately; keep the rest frozen.

Cook with a grown-up

Read the young-cook and grown-up guide for help labels, clean preparation and ingredient checks.

Keep your recipe card

The card includes the exact ingredients, grown-up setup and actor-labeled steps.

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Printable ingredients, age and actor-labeled steps for Watermelon-Mint Ice Cups