My watermelon crush mocktail is the only drink you'll need to quench your thirst this summer! With sweet, fruity, tropical flavor and electrolytes, it's a delicious yet simple way to hydrate and cool off from the heat--plus I've included pitcher instructions so you can make it for the whole crew.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my watermelon punch and refreshing coconut water mocktail, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - You can create this watermelon coconut mocktail at home in just five minutes with a few simple ingredients. And you won't even need bar tools--check out the substitutions I have listed for you below.
Tastes Like Summertime - This watermelon-based mocktail recipe yields a perfectly balanced drink: sweet, fruity, zesty, and tropical with a touch of tanginess set off by the salty rim. Plus, the cooling herbal notes of basil give it a lil complexity and a hit of aroma with every sip.
👉🏾 If you didn't know, I'm kind of like the mocktail queen around these parts. So I have more tantalizing non-alcoholic drinks for you to try next, like my margarita mocktail--blended or on the rocks, pineapple lychee mocktail, frozen piña colada mocktail, hibiscus mocktail, and grapefruit mint mocktail, too!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Fresh Watermelon, of course. You can make this mocktail using yellow, orange, or pink watermelon interchangeably, just make sure it's fresh! Read my tips for picking the perfect watermelon to make sure you get a ripe one.
Coconut Water adds natural electrolytes, aka essential minerals, including potassium, sodium, and magnesium, to make this drink extra hydrating. Use unflavored, young/tender coconut water or whichever you have available.
Basil is abundant in my summer garden, and I particularly like to pick sweet Genovese basil for this drink because the flavor plays well. I don't recommend using a spicy basil variety here.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Salt Rim - If you are limiting sodium or just don't like a salty rim, you can do a sugar rim, make a watermelon tajín mocktail instead, or simply skip that step in the recipe.
Sweetener - You can use agave or ginger honey syrup, maple syrup, simple syrup, or even plain sugar or the zero-sugar sweetener of your choosing.
Herbs - Try fresh mint, thyme, lavender, or sage in place of basil.
Citrus - You can use lemon or sour orange, or even grapefruit in this recipe if you don't have lime available or just want to try something different.
Sparkling - Add a splash of sparkling water, mineral water, tonic, or soda to make an effervescent watermelon fizz mocktail.
How to Make a Watermelon Smash Mocktail
- Step 1: Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, then dip it in salt.
- Step 2: Muddle the watermelon, basil, lime, and sweetener.
Pro Tip #1
A muddler is uniquely designed to draw out the flavor and liquid from the crushed watermelon, basil, etc. However, you can use the blunt end of a kitchen spoon with similar results if you don't have one. And if you don't have a jigger to measure out the sweetener, just fill a shot glass halfway.
- Step 3: Pack with ice and pour in coconut water.
- Step 4: Stir, then garnish with a sprig of basil.
Pro Tip #2
Stir the drink gently to avoid splashing the liquid everywhere, but thoroughly for consistent tasting sips from start to finish. I like to use a bar spoon or a butter knife for this as they easily slide in between all the ice, and kind of flick the spoon back and forth to really incorporate the watermelon all the way to the top.
Watch Me Make it on YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
Add four cups of fresh watermelon, 16 basil leaves, three ounces of agave nectar, and two limes (cut into wedges) to a pitcher and press with a muddler until the watermelon is nearly liquified and the mixture is fragrant. Fill the pitcher halfway with ice, then top up with two cups of coconut water. Stir well and serve. Serves four.
More Favorite Summer Drink Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this refreshing watermelon basil mocktail soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Watermelon Crush Mocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lime
- coarse salt
- 1 cup watermelon
- 4 basil leaves plus more for garnish
- ¾ ounce agave nectar
- ice
- ½ cup coconut water
Instructions
- Cut lime into four wedges and run one wedge around the rim of a glass to coat it in juice. Dip the rim in salt to cover the lime juice.1 lime, coarse salt
- Add watermelon, two wedges of lime, basil, and agave to glass, then use muddler to crush and press the ingredients until the watermelon is liquified and the mixture is fragrant.1 cup watermelon, 4 basil leaves, ¾ ounce agave nectar
- Pack glass with ice then pour in coconut water.ice, ½ cup coconut water
- Stir gently to fully mix the muddled ingredients with the coconut water, garnish with more basil, and serve cold.
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