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Sicilian Watermelon Pudding (Gelo di Melone)
Sicilian Watermelon Pudding (Gelo di Melone)
Sicilian watermelon pudding is an easy dessert with a silky texture and fresh, fruity flavor. It’s the perfect, just-sweet-enough ending for hearty, heavy meals.
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Love dessert but not into heavy, super sweet ones? This recipe’s for you. This easy Sicilian watermelon pudding is fruity and fresh and the perfect respite from rich, heavy meals. Though the pudding is lean, it has a satisfyingly silky texture, and it is just sweet enough to close a dinner party on a festive note. Sicilian watermelon pudding can also serve as a pre-dessert as part of a more elaborate menu; its bright flavor will act as a palate-cleanser and open your guests’ appetite for an indulgent dessert to follow.
Watermelon pudding (or gelo di melone, in Italian) originates from Palermo, Sicily, where it is considered an elegant way to use the abundant summer watermelon crops. The pudding is traditionally infused with jasmine and garnished with pistachios or shaved chocolate. While watermelon is indeed usually associated with summer, I love that it is also available all year long, which means you can make watermelon pudding 12 months a year! Sure, during the winter, watermelon can be slightly more expensive, but you get so much fruit—and so many servings—for the price you pay. Plus, watermelon is versatile, so you can enjoy any leftover fruit in salads, smoothies, and cocktails—which may or may not be my favorite way of enjoying watermelon.
I actually came up with this watermelon pudding recipe around the holidays, a few years ago: I wanted to make a leaner dessert, and I was looking for a totally different option than what you’ll usually see on holiday tables. I thought back to a watermelon pudding I’d enjoyed in Sicily and was convinced it would be a hit—the gorgeous coral color of this Sicilian watermelon pudding, combined with a cloud of whipped cream, and sprinkled with bright green pistachios—I ask you, what dessert looks more festive than that? Of course, you can serve the pudding sans whipped cream if you want, but adding just a touch adds a wonderful creaminess that complements the deliciously silky texture of the pudding itself.
Sicilian watermelon pudding is very quick and easy to make, so it’s an excellent last-minute dessert option. It’s also the dessert you should make if you feel exhausted but still want to serve something tasty to your guests. Feel free to double or triple the recipe, depending on the number of guests you expect—and your energy levels.
Sicilian Watermelon Pudding (Gelo di Melone)
Ingredients
- 4 cups coarsely chopped, seeded watermelon (rind discarded)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
To serve
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped or ground
Instructions
- Puree the watermelon in a stand mixer until smooth (you can also use a hand mixer to do this in batches). Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup, discarding remaining solids. You should have just about 3 cups (750 ml) watermelon juice.
- Ladle 2 tbsp (30 ml) watermelon juice into a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch, until smooth.
- Pour the remaining watermelon juice into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, then whisk into the watermelon juice. Simmer, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes, then whisk in the lemon juice.
- Pour the pudding through a clean strainer and into a measuring cup, then transfer to small glass jars, glasses, or ramekins. Cover and chill until set, at least 3 hours.
- SERVING: Just before serving, garnish the watermelon puddings with whipped cream and pistachios.
- STORAGE: The Sicilian watermelon puddings will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
Did you make this?
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Disclosure Notice: This post was created in partnership with the National Watermelon Promotion Board as part of their #EatMoreWatermelon campaign. I was offered monetary compensation for developing a delicious recipe using watermelon. As always, companies never dictate what recipes I create or the opinions I express. I only use products I genuinely believe in.
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Author: Marie Asselin
I made this watermelon dessert for 4th of July dessert it did not thicken do you think it might be because I didn’t let it simmer long enough could you reply to my email and give me any suggestions cuz I want to make it again I’d appreciate it
Hi Marlene! The pudding stays pretty soft, but it shouldn’t remain liquid. The recipe recommends using about 4 cups of watermelon cubes, but since this measurement isn’t very precise, the most important thing is to make sure you use exactly 3 cups of watermelon juice. The simmering process isn’t meant to reduce the amount of liquid, but simply to allow the cornstarch to cook through and do its thickening job. Next time you make the pudding, watch over the quantity of liquid you’re using to use the precise amount and everything should go according to plan! 😉 I will edit my recipe to make sure this information is presented in a more obvious and useful way.
I loved the idea, but it never set, so was not really a pudding. Going to save the liquid to pour over ice cream though!
Hi Catherine! This pudding does stays pretty soft, but it shouldn’t remain liquid. The recipe recommends using about 4 cups of watermelon cubes, but since this measurement isn’t very precise, the most important thing is to make sure you use exactly 3 cups of watermelon juice. I will edit my recipe to make sure this information is presented in a more obvious and useful way. Next time you make the pudding, watch over the quantity of liquid you’re using to use the precise amount and everything should go according to plan! 😉
I followed all steps but it stayed liquidity. Not a pudding consistency!
Hi David! This pudding does stays pretty soft, but it shouldn’t remain liquid. I just made the pudding again and the recipe works great for me, as it always has! The recipe recommends using about 4 cups of watermelon cubes, but since this measurement isn’t very precise, the most important thing is to make sure you use exactly 3 cups of watermelon juice. I will edit my recipe to make sure this information is presented in a more obvious and useful way. Next time you make the pudding, watch over the quantity of liquid you’re using to use the precise amount of watermelon juice and everything should go according to plan! 😉
Can this be frozen?
Hello Rosaria, no this Sicilian watermelon pudding can’t be frozen. The freezing and thawing process would release too much water and change the texture of the pudding.
Simply divine!
Happy you loved it Jo!