Keep calm and eat ice cream

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Fruit ice cream / Melon Ice Cream

    Melon Ice Cream

    Published: Mar 18, 2023 · Modified: Nov 19, 2023 by Sarah Brooks

    181 shares
    • Share11
    • Yummly
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe
    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.

    This easy melon ice cream is made with fresh cantaloupe or rockmelon for sweet and juicy ice cream that's full of fresh fragrant flavor.

    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.
    Melon ice cream.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make melon ice cream
    • How to serve
    • How to store
    • Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
    • Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    This cantaloupe ice cream is the perfect fresh summer dessert. Make it with fresh, fragrant rockmelon for light, almost sherbert like ice cream you'll be making all summer long.

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • A great recipe to use lots of beautifully ripe, juicy cantaloupe.
    • Make it in an ice cream maker or follow my directions for an easy no churn version.
    • Made with fresh milk and cream, not condensed milk.

    Looking for more fabulous fresh fruit dessert recipes? Why not try making my juicy watermelon ice lollies, pineapple ice cream or passion fruit cheesecake. Delicious!

    Or if you're in the mood for more delectable ice cream check out my full collection of Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes (that work well in other brands ice cream makers too!).

    Ingredients

    Ingredients: thickened cream, rock melon, milk, granulated sugar, tapioca starch, lemon, glucose syrup.

    Melon: fresh, really ripe juicy melon works best in this recipe. I used canteloupe (aka rockmelon) but you can use a different type of melon such as green honeydew.

    Lemon juice: a splash of fresh lemon juice helps the melon flavor shine. It's also delicious with fresh lime juice.

    Thickened cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping or whipping cream which is similar.

    Milk: this recipe uses full-fat milk with a fat content of about 3.5%.

    Granulated white sugar: white sugar is best in this recipe. You could use castor sugar if you prefer or experiment with brown sugar to give the ice cream some caramel notes.

    Tapioca starch: is a natural and accessible way of both thickening and stabilizing the ice cream. If you can't get tapioca starch you can use arrowroot powder or cornflour in the same volume.

    Glucose syrup: also called confectioner’s glucose. You can get in from specialty baking shops, online and some supermarkets. A small amount of glucose syrup helps lower the freezer point of ice cream and improves the texture and scoopability of the ice cream.

    You can substitute with the same amount of light corn syrup or powdered dextrose. Measure carefully, preferably using a digital kitchen scale, and don't add too much or your ice cream will melt in a red hot minute!

    How to make melon ice cream

    See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.

    Measure the tapioca starch into a small bowl. Measure out the milk, then add a couple of tablespoons of the milk into the bowl with the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry and get out all the lumps.

    Process shots: adding milk to tapioca starch to make a slurry, adding cream, milk, sugar and glucose syrup to pot on stove for ice cream mix.

    Add the milk, cream, sugar and glucose syrup to a small pot on the stove. When measuring the glucose syrup ideally use a digital kitchen scale, otherwise make sure it's a flat half a tablespoon. Heat on medium and stir well until all the sugar and syrup is fully dissolved.

    Add tapioca starch slurry and stir well for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

    Slice the melon, remove the skins and seeds and cut into chunks. Put into a deep-sided jug you can use an immersion/stick blender in and blend well. Strain the blended melon.

    Process shots: adding tapioca starch slurry, chopping melon, blending melon with an immersion blender, adding ice cream mix to blended, strained melon.

    Add to the dairy mix to the strained blended melon and blend well until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Cover and chill in the ice cream mix fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.

    Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill. If you are using a self-chilling churner turn it on ten mins before to chill. Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft-serve when done. Transfer to the chilled ice cream container, cover and freeze for at least four hours, or until firm.

    How to serve

    Scooping melon ice cream from a tin, with fresh melon in the background.
    Scooping fresh melon aka cantaloupe ice cream

    To serve this sweet melon ice cream remove it from the freezer, scoop and enjoy. Fabulous on its own or with some extra chopped melon sprinkled over the top. Delicious!

    How to store

    You can store rockmelon ice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer for two up to weeks for the best texture. It will still taste good after this but may become icier over time.

    Recipe tips and frequently asked questions

    What kind of melon can I use in this?

    I use cantaloupe melon, also known as sweet melon or rock melon. But you could also use honeydew melon which is similar or regular watermelon. Whatever type of melon you use needs to be fresh and really ripe or the ice cream won't be sweet enough.

    Single scoop of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon on the side.
    Scoop of rock melon ice cream.

    Can I make this without an ice cream maker?

    You sure can. To make this without an ice cream machine make the base as per the recipe until you get to the churning part. Put the ice cream into your chilled container and freeze for one hour. Working quickly remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk it, taking care to scrape the edges which will start to freeze first.

    Return to the freezer for another hour. Remove and whisk again. Repeat for another two to three times or until the ice cream resembles soft-serve ice cream. Then allow it to continue freezing until firm.

    Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream

    Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?

    Why not try making

    • Watermelon Ice Lollies
    • Pineapple Ice Cream
    • Lemon Ice Cream

    Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes.

    Scoop of melon ice cream in a ice cream scoop, with fresh melon and ice cream cones on the side.
    Scoop of fresh melon ice cream.

    📋 Recipe

    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.

    Melon Ice Cream

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    This easy melon ice cream is made with fresh cantaloupe or rockmelon for sweet and juicy ice cream that's full of fresh fragrant flavor.
    5 from 2 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Chilling time 4 hours hrs
    Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 serves (â…” cup each), approx.
    Calories 327 kcal

    Equipment

    • ice cream maker
    • stick/immersion blender or blender

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons (5gms) tapioca starch
    • ½ cup (125 mls) full fat milk
    • 1 & ½ cups (375 mls) thickened cream
    • ½ cup (110gms) granulated white sugar
    • ½ a flat tablespoon (15gms) glucose syrup
    • 2 cups (1 pound/450gms) ripe cantaloupe melon
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    • Measure the tapioca starch into a small bowl. Measure out the milk, then add a couple of tablespoons of the milk into the bowl with the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry and get out all the lumps.
    • Add the milk, cream, sugar and glucose syrup to a small pot on the stove. When measuring the glucose syrup ideally use a digital kitchen scale, otherwise make sure it's a flat half a tablespoon. Heat on medium and stir well until all the sugar and syrup is fully dissolved.
    • Add tapioca starch slurry and stir well for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes
    • Slice the melon, remove the skins and seeds and cut into chunks. Put into a deep sided jug you can use an immersion/stick blender in and blend well. Strain the blended melon.
    • Add to the dairy mix to the strained blended melon and blend well until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Cover and chill in the ice cream mix fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
    • Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill. If you are using a self-chilling churner turn it on ten mins before to chill. Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft-serve when done.
    • Transfer to the chilled ice cream container, cover and freeze for at least four hours, or until firm.

    Notes

    • I used rock melon, also known as sweet melon or cantaloupe.  You could try this with green honeydew melon or regular watermelon.
    • If you don't use glucose syrup your ice cream may freeze a little firm.  Put it in the fridge for about ten minutes to make it soft enough to scoop (this is better than leaving it on the bench because it will soften uniformly). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 49mgPotassium: 211mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 3569IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 0.4mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: Cantaloupe ice cream, Fresh melon ice cream, Rockmelon ice cream, Sweet melon ice cream
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Join the community!

    Like Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream on Facebook for more great recipes

    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.

    Pin it for later!

    Two scoops of melon ice cream in a cone, with fresh melon in the background.
    Two scoops of melon ice cream in a cone.

    More Fruit ice cream

    • Scoops of cranberry ice cream in a bowl garnished with whole cranberries, with cranberry sauce and sugared cranberries on the side.
      Cranberry Ice Cream
    • Close up three scoops of ice cream in a bowl with a spoon and fresh pineapple on the side.
      Pineapple Ice Cream
    • Close up three scoops of ice cream garnished with fresh lemon.
      Lemon Ice Cream
    • Scoop of pear ice cream with spoon, fresh pears and fresh ginger on the side.
      Pear ice cream
    181 shares
    • Share11
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

      Leave a review, star rating or question :) Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Diane Rodriguez says

      August 02, 2024 at 8:22 pm

      Can light corn syrup be substituted for the glucose syrup? Just purchased some Tuscan melon so we can try this.
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        August 03, 2024 at 7:14 am

        Hi Diane, depending on the brand, yes in theory that should work. Tuscan melon sound delicious! Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.
    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream
    Ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

    Hi I’m Sarah and welcome to Keep Calm and Eat Ice-cream.

    I’ll be sharing all the things I love about ice-cream, eating it, making it, reviewing it, bathing it in (kidding) and all the things in between. So sit back, grab a scoop and come on a delicious journey with me.

    More about me →

    My most popular recipes - see what all the fuss is about!

    • Slice of cheesecake on a plate with fresh berries and rest of cake and another slice of cheesecake in the background.
      Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
    • Close up caramelized bananas in caramel sauce.
      Caramelized bananas
    • Group of three sundaes, classic, strawberry and caramel, with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, wafers and cherry, on a plate with spoons, nuts and sprinkles.
      Ice Cream Sundae
    • Close up stewed pears in a bowl, with fresh pears, cinnamon sticks and a vintage serving spoon on the side.
      Stewed pears

    Starting off making ice cream - Start here!

    • Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes collage, vanilla bean, pistachio, Oreo, choc chip cookie dough, strawberry and birthday cake ice cream, with text overlay.
      Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes
    • Close up side view of scoop of strawberry ice cream in a beige ramakin, with strawberries in the background.
      Strawberry ice cream
    • Top down view of a bowl of vanilla ice cream, in a grey bowl, with a spring of mint on the side in the bowl, on a beige tea towel and white wooded floor background.
      Easy vanilla ice cream
    • Very close up of scoop of no churn chocolate ice cream in pan.
      No churn chocolate ice cream

    Cheesecake Lover?, Try these creamy favorites

    • Close up slice of cake o a plate with a fork and matcha dusting.
      Matcha Cheesecake
    • Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.
      Biscoff Cheesecake
    • No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
    • Baileys cheesecake on a plate with cheesecake and Baileys in the background.
      No Bake Baileys Cheesecake

    How about something else?

    • Close up raspberry popsicles with fresh raspberries and leaves.
      Raspberry popsicles
    • Coffee sauce in a bowl with a spoon and coffee beans on the side.
      Coffee Sauce
    • close up of pile of cinnamon sugar pita chips on a while plate.
      Cinnamon sugar pita chips
    • Glass of homemade cola with ice, lime circle garnish and bottle of cola beside it.
      Homemade cola

    Footer

    Three scoops of melon ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon and fresh melon pieces.

    About

    • About
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    Newsletter

    Social Media

    Follow me on your favorite social media and recipe sharing channels

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2024 Sarah Brooks

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.