TikTok is an almost never-ending source of inspiration. A new viral ice cream recipe proves that sometimes, two ingredients are enough to make a refreshingly simple dessert, perfect to enjoy on a hot summer’s day.
The summer of 2026 has been long, hot, and dry for many. And still, it isn’t over yet. As the temperatures continue to rise, TikTok creators from around the globe have been coming up with all kinds of recipes, hacks, and other useful tricks to stay cool.
One of this year’s most viral trends includes the two-ingredient home made ice cream. Although it is unclear who exactly was at the start of the trend, videos of the delightfully simple yet very refreshing recipe have been popping up everywhere. Whereas many ice cream recipes involve a long list of ingredients and kitchen gear, the Watermelon Ice Cream, as the viral dish is often called, proves that sometimes less is more.
@sameenmaali The perfect 2-ingredient dessert for this heat wave: watermelon ice cream 🍉 Recipe: • 1 watermelon • Milk (you could sub with condensed milk or heavy cream if you want it creamier) 1. Cut watermelon in half and scoop a hole into the center 2. Freeze 1-2 days so the whole watermelon freezes through 3. Pour milk into the hole 4. Scrape watermelon and mix! #easyrecipe #healthyrecipe #desserttiktok #summerrecipes #asmr ♬ original sound – Sameen
All you need to make the ice cream at home are a little (vegan) cream and a watermelon. If watermelon is not to your liking, any other kind of reasonably big fruit will do: melon, grapefruit, papaya, pineapple, tomato… The idea is to cut the piece of fruit in half, to scoop out a small bowl-sized hole in the middle, and to put it in the freezer until it is frozen solid.
Once frozen, remove the carved-out piece of fruit from the freezer and let it defrost for a little while. How long exactly will depend on the room temperature of your home but the idea is to be able to remove little slivers of the fruit using just a spoon.
@eitan Two Ingredient Melon Ice Cream is exactly as delicious as it looks on the internet. Coconut milk is the way to go and topping it with lime juice and tajin is a perfect final touch…although that makes it four ingredients! #recipe #watermelonicecream #easydessert #icecream ♬ Ivory Check-in – ma-su
When your piece of fruit is sufficiently defrosted, pour some (vegan) cream in the carved-out bowl. Now, grab a spoon and start scraping the sides of the hole in order to scrape off small fruit pieces. Mix these in with the cream until you obtain an ice cream-like substance and enjoy your home made heat wave-proof dessert. Those who prefer a hearty kind of dessert can switch out the cream for olive oil, combined it with a big frozen tomato, for example.
As the number of videos proves, people are clearly enjoying the Watermelon Ice Cream recipe. However, before trying it at home, curious-minded cooks should know that the dish requires quite a bit of a work-out, as it is not necessarily easy to scrape the frozen fruit. Moreover, don’t hesitate to use a pair of gloves or a kitchen towel to protect your hands against the cold.
@superfoodsguy Shaved Frozen Grapefruit #healthyrecipes ♬ kendrick x radiohead – dwells
Those who are looking for yet another kind of fruity home made ice cream will have no hard time finding inspiration on TikTok. Past years, for example, videos showed people shaving frozen pieces of fruit, eating it as is or adding it to their yoghurt for a fresh, vitamin-rich take on their usual breakfast – a recipe that sounds pretty tempting, especially during a heatwave.
