Watermelon Agua Fresca with Mint (No Sugar)

Watermelon Agua Fresca with mint and no sugar using only 5 ingredients. This “agua de sandia” recipe is a healthy, non-alcoholic Mexican watermelon drink that’s refreshing, 80 calories per serving with only 1 gram of fat. Takes minutes to prepare. The perfect melon water to enjoy by the pool on a hot summer day!

Jump to:

• 🍹 What is Agua Fresca?
• 🌟 Why This Recipe Works
• 🍉 Ingredients
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🍍 Substitutions
• 🍓 Variations
• 💭 FAQs
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 🍔 What Goes Good With This Recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Do you feel it? Summer is a comin’ and it’s about time to unpack that grill and dust off those barbecue recipes (like my Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger and my Carrot Dogs 4-Ways!) And, depending upon what part of the country you’re in, it’s also time for hotter weather that makes staying hydrated extremely important.

Never, fear, though, as I have something to wet your whistle that’s thirst-quenching, healthy and delicious, a triple winner doozy of a drink: my watermelon agua fresca with fresh mint and lime juice made with NO SUGAR, just the natural sweetness of agave nectar!

🍹 What is Agua Fresca?

Agua frescas, or translated to “fresh waters“, are a tradition in Mexico and are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. They are typically a combination of fruits, cereals, flowers or seeds blended with water and sugar to make a light, refreshing non-alcoholic beverage.

🌟 Why This Recipe Works

Easy and quick – made in minutes in a standard blender using only 5 ingredients and filtered water. Can’t get any easier than that!

Diet-friendly – at 80 calories per serving and 1 gram of fat, this Mexican agua fresca is suitable for most diets, including vegan, vegetarian, low sodium (omit salt around the rim), low carbohydrate, low fat and low calorie.

Healthy – forget about vitamin waters that are loaded with sugar. This watermelon mint agua fresca has no added sugar and, because watermelon is 92% water, it helps you stay hydrated. In addition, it’s packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin A and lycopene, an antioxidant linked to a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, and age-related eye disorders. TIP: Read more from the Mayo Clinic about The Wonders of Watermelon.

Versatile – no watermelon? No problem. This recipe is so versatile, you can swap the watermelon for a host of other fruits, such as cantaloupe, mango or passionfruit. The recipe also pairs well with Mexican recipes like my Vegan Tinga Tacos, my Easy Enchilada Casserole and my Cilantro Lime Rice.

Budget-friendly – costs less than $10 to make so it’s great for folks on a budget (and who isn’t these days!)

🍉 Ingredients

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Agave nectar – use in place of refined sugar to make agua fresca recipe healthier.
• Fresh mint – choose mint leaves that are dark green and vibrant for best results. If you don’t care for mint, you may omit this ingredient all together or minimize how many leaves you use in the recipe.
• Watermelon – I use seedless which still has some small white seeds. These do not need to be removed, as they blend easily in the blender during the process of preparing the drink.
• Fresh lime juice – if you don’t have fresh, you may substitute with bottled lime juice or use lemon instead.
• Sea salt – sea salt enhances the natural flavors of the drink. If you’re on a low sodium or salt-free diet, please omit.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender.

Step 2: Blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until mint is no longer visible.

To garnish: Pour some sea salt on a small plate. Take a lime wedge and rub it around the rim of your glass. Dip the rim in the salt, moving it back and forth until you get the desired amount of salt on the rim. Add ice. Pour watermelon water over ice. Garnish with fresh mint, a squirt of lime and a watermelon wedge.

🍍 Substitutions

• Sweetener – you may use any other sweetener if you don’t have agave nectar, such as Florida Crystals, Sugar in the Raw, or plain white sugar (although this is far less healthy)
• Mint – omit if you don’t care for mint and substitute with other herbs, such as rosemary or thyme.
• Lime juice – if you don’t have fresh lime, you can use bottled. Alternatively, you can use lemon instead of lime if you have that on hand.
• Watermelon – if seedless watermelon is unavailable in your area, just get a watermelon with seeds and strain the juice before pouring it into a glass or container.
• Sea salt – you can absolutely use regular salt in this recipe, or, you can omit it completely if you’re following a low sodium, or no added salt diet.

🍓 Variations

You can find many an agua fresca flavor in Mexico and varying your recipe with what you have on hand works in most cases. Here are some of Mexico’s most popular flavors:

• Cantaloupe
• Guava
• Papaya
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Passion fruit
• Cucumber
• Chia Seed

💭 FAQs

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Before adding the watermelon to a blender, chop it in half, then scoop out large sections with a spoon to dice into smaller chunks. As you’re doing this, you’ll likely see an abundance of water inside your watermelon half. Don’t waste this fresh watermelon water; alternatively, add it to the blender for a more flavorful beverage
• For best results, serve this Mexican watermelon drink chilled, either from the refrigerator, or over ice.
• If drink is too sweet, add a bit more lime juice.
• Watermelon Agua Fresca naturally separates when it sits for a while, either on the dinner table or in the refrigerator. Be sure to stir thoroughly before serving.

🍔 What Goes Good With This Recipe?

Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!

📖 Recipe