High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Cucumber-Basil Watermelon Agua Fresca
This refreshing blended drink is everything a summer beverage should be — bright, cooling, and naturally sweet without a drop of processed syrup in sight. Ripe watermelon and crisp English cucumber do the heavy lifting here, delivering real fruit flavor that no artificially sweetened drink can touch. A handful of fresh basil adds an unexpected herbal note that makes the whole thing feel a little fancy, while fresh lime juice keeps it lively and balanced. Honey steps in as the only sweetener, so you stay completely clear of the corn-derived additives that sneak into so many store-bought juices, lemonades, and flavored waters. Straining the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve gives you a silky, clean pour that looks gorgeous over ice. A quick taste-and-adjust moment at the end means you can dial the sweetness or tartness exactly where you want it — no guessing, no mystery ingredients. It's the kind of drink that disappears fast at a backyard gathering, and nobody will believe how simple it was to make.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about ½ small watermelon)
- 1 medium english cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1–2 tbsp honey, or to taste
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- fresh basil sprigs or thin cucumber slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the watermelon cubes, chopped cucumber, basil leaves, lime juice, honey, salt, and cold water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 45–60 seconds.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer in batches, pressing gently on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
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