• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Feels Like Home™ logo

  • Shop
    • Christianity Downloads
    • Family Downloads
    • Food & Cooking Downloads
    • Hobbies & Crafts Downloads
    • Learning Downloads
  • Blog
  • Family
    • Parenting
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Kids activities
      • Kids Crafts
      • Christmas Crafts for Toddlers & Preschoolers
      • Christmas Crafts for Kids
      • Christmas Crafts for Tweens & Teens
    • Learning
      • Reading & Writing
      • STEM
  • Faith
    • Bible Study
    • Encouragement
  • Recipes
    • Comfort Food
    • Eating after Bariatric Surgery
    • Gluten-Free
    • Recipes for Foodie Kids
    • Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals
  • Health
    • Mental Health
      • Hobbies & Crafts
      • Self-Care
    • Physical Health
      • Bariatric Surgery
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • SHOP
  • RECIPES
  • FAMILY
  • FAITH
  • HEALTH
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    See More:   Desserts Gluten-Free Raising Foodie Kids Recipes for Beginners Vegetarian

    Last Modified: Aug 9, 2022 by Tara Ziegmont Leave a Comment

    Watermelon Frosting Recipe

    24FacebookMessenger11PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    35
    SHARES
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This homemade watermelon frosting is soft, sweet, tangy, and creamy! Fluffy yet dense, the light buttercream is perfect to pipe onto cupcakes or to decorate a cake.

    Pin

    When I was a little girl, my mom got me Hubba Bubba watermelon gum all the time. I remember that fake watermelon flavor with such fondness that I am a sucker for anything watermelon today.

    When I came up with watermelon cupcakes, I knew they had to be topped with watermelon frosting.

    Buttercream is my favorite type of frosting, so that was my logical choice for the watermelon version. To make buttercream, you simply cream together butter and powdered sugar (which is also known as icing sugar in most countries around the world), thinning with milk or cream as needed to get the right consistency. In my watermelon-flavored version, you're also going to add half of a packed of watermelon Jello for a subtle burst of fruity bliss. (Is subtle burst an oxymoron? It is a burst of flavor, but it's not overwhelming or in your face.)

    If you want your watermelon cupcakes to look like mine in the photo, you'll need a white cake mix, some green food coloring and green cupcake liners, as well as dark pink and red gel food coloring.

    a tray of watermelon cupcakes with watermelon frostingPin

    What you'll need to make watermelon frosting

    Equipment

    You will need a mixer to make buttercream frosting. I prefer my electric hand mixer because it's easy to use and always out on my counter or table. A stand mixer is easier and more hands-off because you can just turn it on and let it run. The only reason I don't use my stand mixer is that it's sort of buried on the back of my counter, and it's a pain to dig it out. The hand mixer is just more convenient.

    You'll also need some piping bags with fancy piping tips if you want your frosting to look like mine in the photos. If you don't need that fancy look, you could just spread it on the watermelon cupcakes with a knife.

    Ingredients

    See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for the ingredient measurements.

    • Unsalted butter - It is buttercream after all. You can't make it without butter. The butter should be room temperature. It needs to be pretty soft, but it cannot be even a little bit melty. Melty will ruin your frosting.
    • Clear vanilla - I suppose that you could probably use regular old dark vanilla, but it's going to tint the frosting. If you want it to be bright pink (as mine is here), clear vanilla is the way to go.
    • Watermelon flavored gelatin - I used Watermelon Jello which is pretty easy to find, but any brand will work. I've also seen people use watermelon Kool Aid mix, but I haven't personally tried that.
    • Powdered sugar - You will need the full 4 cups specified in the recipe, but you will add it a little at a time to avoid it from poofing out all over your kitchen.
    • Milk - You can use half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk. I suppose you could even use low fat milk if you had to. You won't necessarily need the full amount here. You need just enough to make the frosting spreadable.
    • Gel food color - To get the color in my photos, you'll need a dark pink or a hot pink and the tiniest dab of red food coloring. I used green gel food coloring for the cupcakes as well as pink and red gel food coloring because gel food coloring is more potent and requires you to use less than liquid food coloring. Additionally, the liquid food coloring will dilute your frosting and could leave you with an unpleasant texture.
    • White sanding sugar - You will just mix this in and sprinkle it over the pink frosting at the end for a pretty almost glittery look. However, it does give the frosting a little bit of a gritty crunch. If you prefer your frosting to be completely smooth, leave this out.
    • Mini chocolate chips - You don't technically need these for the frosting recipe, but if you want something that looks like watermelon seeds on top of your frosting, mini chocolate chips are your best bet.

    How to make watermelon frosting

    I used this frosting to top watermelon cupcakes. (That's where I used the other half of the watermelon Jello, in the cupcake batter.) So step zero is to bake the cupcakes in the oven and cool them in the muffin pan. Then remove them from the pan to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

    1. Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
      cream the butterPin
    2. Continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon clear vanilla, ½ of a packet of watermelon gelatin powder and ¼ cup sanding sugar. Beat until well incorporated.
      add vanilla and sanding sugar to the butterPin
    3. Slowly mix the powdered sugar into the frosting, 1 cup at a time, while adding a splash of milk in between each cup.  Mix for at least one minute between cups or until the frosting is creamy.
      add powdered sugar and milkPin
    4. When the frosting has reached your desired consistency, fold in the pink food coloring. Add a few drops of red if you want a deeper pink color.
      add food coloringPin

    Variations of watermelon frosting

    If you aren't a buttercream fan, you could add a half packet of watermelon Jello to the frosting of your choice. Add the food coloring and whip it to incorporate and distribute

    How to use your watermelon frosting

    You can use this watermelon flavored buttercream on any basic cake such as a white cake or a yellow cake, but my favorite way to use it is on these easy watermelon cupcakes. You can make them standard cupcake pans, but they're just as good as mini cupcakes or jumbo cupcakes (just use different sized pans).

    watermelon cupcakes with watermelon frosting and a forkPin

    More fruity goodness

    • How to Make Watermelon Jam
    • A Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Watermelon Drink
    • Watermelon cupcakes
    • Fruity Pebbles Cake
    • Fruity Pebbles Pancakes
    • Red, White, and Blue Fruit Tart
    • Red, White, & Blue Fruit Salad
    • Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks Recipe
    watermelon cupcake with watermelon frosting on a white cake plate

    Watermelon Frosting

    This homemade watermelon frosting is soft, sweet, tangy, and creamy! Fluffy yet dense, the light buttercream is perfect to pipe onto cupcakes or to decorate a cake.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 cupcakes
    Calories 185 kcal

    Equipment

    • Electric mixer
    • Stand mixer
    • Piping bags

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 sticks butter unsalted
    • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
    • ½ package watermelon flavored gelatin
    • 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • gel food color dark pink or red
    • 1 cups white sanding sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon clear vanilla, ½ of a packet of watermelon gelatin and ¼ cup sanding sugar. Beat until well incorporated.
    • Slowly mix the powdered sugar into the frosting, 1 cup at a time, while adding a splash of milk in between each cup.  Mix for at least one minute between cups or until the frosting is creamy.
    • When the frosting has reached your desired consistency, add the pink food coloring. Add a few drops of red if you want a deeper pink color.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 5mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.02mg
    Keyword buttercream, frosting, watermelon
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Follow @FeelsLikeHome or tag #FeelsLikeHomeBlog!
    24FacebookMessenger11PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    35
    SHARES

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tara.

    Harrisburg PA mom blogger Tara Ziegmont
    I'm passionate about helping women to care for themselves and their families by offering a combination of easy & delicious recipes, family fun ideas, and Christian inspiration. If you're tired of feeling so weary and uninspired, you're in good company.

    If you don’t like cooking or don’t think you can cook, you're in the right place. Feels Like Home is all about simple recipes, and I promise you, ANYONE can make them! No one will ever question your cooking ability again.

    I'm so glad you're here!

    Read more about me...

    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram LinkedIn email me subscribe

    Recent posts:

    cream cheese garlic dip on a crostini

    Cream Cheese Garlic Dip

    An ice cream cone containing homemade rocky road ice cream with marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chips

    No Churn Rocky Road Ice Cream

    Chuck roast topped with homemade beef gravy with carrots and potatoes on a white platter

    Instant Pot Chuck Roast Recipe

    Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats with blue cheese crumbles, diced celery, and homemade ranch dressing

    Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

    AS SEEN ON

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Popular Recipes


    OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE


    WORLD'S BEST CHILI WITH BACON


    COULDN'T BE EASIER CHERRY PIE


    BLT SALAD WITH LEMON MAYO DRESSING


    CHEESEBURGER SOUP FROM TASTE OF HOME

    Food with an Instant Pot in the background

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    As seen on

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Contact Tara


    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy.

    Copyright © 2022 Feels Like Home Blog

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT