Photo: tiny banquet committee

I bought a watermelon when I was visiting my sister out in Montauk last week but was so busy with new-baby activities (yes, everything turned out great and he’s absolutely gorgeous!) that we never got around to eating it.

Not wanting to waste what may be one of my last watermelons of the summer, I scoured some cookbooks looking for an alternative to watermelon lemonade or watermelon arugula salad and found a recipe for watermelon pudding that I adapted ever so slightly. I can’t believe I’ve gone 41 years without knowing the pleasure of this light and refreshing dessert!


Watermelon Pudding

(for kids 10+ mos)

5 lb organic watermelon, juiced to obtain about 1.5 quarts watermelon juice

1/4 cup organic cane sugar or agave nectar

2/3 cup corn starch

ground organic cinnamon

1/4 cup organic pistachios, ground


1. Puree watermelon flesh in food processor or blender. Pass through a fine sieve and collect juice in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add sugar/agave and cornstarch and mix until completely diluted and blended.

3. Pour into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly and then boil for 2 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and divide among 8 ramekins. Refrigerate.

5. Serve cold sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon and pistachios, if you choose.*

*Note: There is a lot of disagreement about when it’s safest to introduce tree nuts. Some pediatricians (and we) believe that it is safe to introduce nuts to children without other food allergies or family history of food allergies at 12 months. Others encourage parents to wait until 24 or 36 months. Speak to your pediatrician about what’s best for your child.