Watermelon candy is a delicious natural candy recipe with incredible concentrated flavor! Brightly vibrant with surprising flavor, these are the hit of summer!
recipe originally published October 26, 2011
Watermelon Candy
Watermelons always make me think of Grandpa Z. We shared a mutual love of watermelon, and I have many memories of enjoying it with him. I have photos of Grandpa Z sitting on the kitchen floor, holding our dachshund Hansel, with a huge watermelon in front of him.
We called grandpas mom - my great grandma - Watermelon Grandma. We had watermelon eating contests - to see who could "clean" their piece the fastest. We looked for the largest watermelons always, and often used the dachshund as a reference measure.
Dehydrator Recipe
I have been wanting to dehydrate watermelon for years. I tried it in the oven once, it really didn't work. Now that I have my dehydrator, I picked up a watermelon, and I made my first natural candy!
This tastes amazing - natural watermelon flavor intensified! Chewy and pliable like it should be, it is easy to bite and mmm, too easy to eat the entire tray (uh oh - I'm sensing a theme).
Do you share the love of watermelon? What should I dehydrate next (wrings hands)?
Did you make this recipe?
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Watermelon Candy
A delicious natural “candy” with incredible concentrated flavor! Brightly vibrant with surprising flavor, these are the hit of summer!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ fresh watermelon
Instructions
- Carefully cut rind from watermelon.
- Slice watermelon into uniform strips, about 6 inches long, almost 2 inches wide, ½ inch thick.
- Arrange in single layer on dehydrator sheets.
- Set dehydrator to 125 °F.
- Place dehydrator sheets inside dehydrator, close and set timer for 6-8 hours. Check after several hours.
Notes
vegan, gluten free, whole foods, dehydrator recipe
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
5 stripsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 21Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
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chrysta@noshed says
This is so cool!!! I never thought to do this. I have a dehydrator and would love to try this! Has me thinking now...what can't you dehydrate is more the question....hhmm 😉
Kristina Sloggett says
ha, my thoughts exactly Chrysta - when I first had my dehydrator I would look around the kitchen, hmm, will THIS work..? 😉
and these are SO good!
Francine says
these look so good, now I'm wondering if I can still find a watermelon... even an already sliced one?? LOL
spabettie says
hi Francine!! I saw packaged watermelon the other day... like the precut strips? it would make these VERY easy!! 🙂
Allison says
what a good idea! can these be made in an oven, will they come out like a dehydrator?
spabettie says
hi Allison, while I have not tried the oven, I know a friend has (yes, for this recipe), and have heard of many people using the oven as a dehydrator. my friend sets her oven to the lowest setting, and keeps the door open just slightly (not all the way open). I think the time is about the same - I would plan for several hours and keep checking them.
please let me know if you try!
Jana says
I wish watermelan was available here, I would like to make these!
Theresa says
My boyfriend and I have done honeydew and cantalope too. I really like citrus fruit; so pink and white grapefruit, mandarin oranges these all taste great and since they come sliced and canned too you dont have to wait for fresh. Peaches are fantastic and again if they aren't in season you can wait for the canned fruit to go on sale. This is what I munch on when I'm watching tv no mess and I always carry some in my purse for a quick snack.
spabettie says
I love citrus in the dehydrator! I have not tried other melon, cantaloupe would be a lot like watermelon, I bet, in that the flavor is really condensed and sweet!
kara j says
these look so good, NOW I need a hydrator too!!!
Carolina says
can I tell you I LOVE YOU?? is that too much? too soon? 😉 you are a genius with a juicer and a dehydrator!
Pauline says
this looks SO good, you are a genius!!! lol I can't wait to try!
spabettie says
thanks, Pauline! enjoy!
Susan says
Yum! It's summer here now, so I am just eating watermelon by the wedge. I can't stop snacking on it! I don't have a dehydrator, alas! I am intrigued by how this will taste.
spabettie says
Susan, it is almost like candy! the flavors are very concentrated and it's a strong watermelon flavor! we LOVED it - because it's still a natural flavor, you know? this was the one thing I had been thinking of for YEARS - saying as soon as I (finally!) got a dehydrator I would do this! luckily it turned out even better than I had imagined... 😀
Vanessa says
Genius.
spabettie says
thank you, Vanessa, and thanks for sharing! I still think of looking for a recipe of mine you could photograph (if you're still looking...) any type of food you're looking for? 😀