Walnut Free Cucumber-Basil Watermelon Agua Fresca
Few drinks are as instantly refreshing as a well-made agua fresca, and this one takes the classic formula somewhere genuinely special. Ripe watermelon and cool cucumber get blended together with fragrant fresh basil, bright lime juice, a touch of honey, and a pinch of sea salt — the result is floral, lightly sweet, and perfectly balanced. Straining the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve gives you a silky, restaurant-quality drink without any of the pulpy texture that can make homemade versions feel rough around the edges. The honey lets you dial in the sweetness to your exact preference, and a final squeeze of lime can sharpen everything up if you want a little more zing. Every single ingredient here is straightforward and naturally free of tree nuts, so there's no label-reading stress or ingredient swapping required — just clean, vibrant flavors from start to finish. Serve it over a big glass of ice with a sprig of basil or a few cucumber ribbons on top, and it looks as good as it tastes. It's the kind of drink that disappears fast at a backyard gathering, so you may want to double the batch.
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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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