Name: Watermelon Agua Fresca
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2-3 cups cubed watermelon; 4 cups water; 1 lime; sweetener of choice (optional) (honey, maple syrup, sugar)

A healthy and refreshing Watermelon Agua Fresca to kill your thirst during a hot summer day! No added sugar needed, it’s delicious without as long as you choose the right watermelon.

watermelon agua fresca in a glass with lime slice at edge and blue glass straw

How To Choose The Right Watermelon

The sweetest watermelons are the small round ones. The bigger the watermelon the more watery, the smaller the more fleshy if that’s a word.

Make sure the watermelon has a yellow spot on it and if it looks like a cat scratched the yellow spot even better.

Lastly, knock on the watermelon to listen if it sounds hollow. If it sounds hollow it means it’s ripe.

Watermelons have to be picked ripe. They don’t ripen any further once they were picked. That means you have to find a good one at the store. It won’t get any better on the kitchen counter.

Cantaloupes still ripen like avocados, watermelons don’t.

What Ingredients do I need

You technically just need two ingredients. Water and watermelon!

However, to make it more delicious and authentic you’re going to also want to add some lime juice. Not too much, just a little. And then depending on how sweet your watermelon is you may want to add a little sweetener.

The authentic and original watermelon agua fresca I know from Mexico has refined sugar in it. You can also add honey or maple syrup though. I prefer to just choose a sweet watermelon and skip the sweetening.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “agua fresca” mean?

It simply means “fresh water”. It consists of water with fruit. The most popular fruit aguas frescas are: watermelon, clementine, limón con chia (lemon with chia), pineapple, and cucumber I would say.

How long does agua fresca last?

Technically 3-4 days. In reality, I would say a maximum of two days.

If you drink it within 4 days you’ll be perfectly fine but on days 3 and 4 the flavor does change and unfortunately not for the better.

It’s best freshly made and if you drink it the next day make sure to stir or shake it up well to combine again. If you need a delicious Mexican drink that lasts better in the fridge, try this Agua de Jamaica instead.

Does Mexican Agua Fresca have sugar?

The original authentic recipe I know from Mexico does have refined sugar but you can sweeten it with other sweeteners of your choice or skip sweetening all together if you prefer.

For watermelon agua fresca I like using honey if necessary but for drinks like Agua de Horchata my favorite is maple syrup. It all depends on the “agua” (water).