This easy summer melon dessert with coconut sauce, brings the juicy, sweet flavors of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew together with a creamy coconut sauce.
Is there anything better than a refreshing melon on a hot summer day? I don’t think so either! This summer melon ball recipe is perfect if you want to know how to take things to the next level with fresh fruit dessert.
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Make Ahead Coconut Sauce
If you want to know what to pair with coconut, you’ve come to the right place. This easy summer dessert recipe pairs perfectly with my sweet, creamy coconut sauce.
Did I mention the coconut sauce can be made ahead of time? You can store it in your refrigerator for up to two days. To get you started, here is my favorite brand of coconut milk.
Try this easy coconut sauce dessert recipe on ice cream too!
I'll show you how to dress up fresh summer melon! Try this summer melon dessert with coconut sauce.
How to Make the Perfect Melon Balls:
Half the fun of this melon dessert recipe is the presentation. If you’ve ever tried to create melon balls, you might know that it’s hard to make a full ball and sometimes you end up with an odd ½ or ¾ ball shape.
To make a perfect crisp ball, start by cutting your melon in half.
I recommend using a metal melon baller as opposed to a plastic one because the balls tend to come out looking cleaner and prettier.
Place the melon baller tool down into the melon with the entire half circle scoop. Make sure you press down firmly until the melon fills up the entire scoop.
Simply twist a full 360º degrees to get a full round ball.
This is the perfect easy summer dessert recipe. Not only is it sweet, refreshing and unique, but it's low fat! No heavy cream, loads of sugar or cake. Just a bit of unsweetened coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk in the coconut sauce recipe.
This is the best dessert recipe that you need to make this summer! Why? Just a few simple ingredients packs in luscious, juicy flavor everyone will love.
How to Pick the Best Melons:
For a homemade summer melon dessert, you've got to pick the right melons! When it comes to picking honeydew and watermelon, surprisingly enough shiny rinds are not your friend. Here are some tips.
• A good rule of thumb when choosing melons is the weight. It should feel relatively heavy compared to its size. When picking watermelons specifically, look for one with a big creamy, yellow belly which indicates that the melon is fully ripe.
• In addition, when it comes to choosing both honeydew and watermelon, shiny rinds are not your friend. You want to find a dull looking melon as it indicates that it’s ripe and ready.
• When a honeydew is ripe, it will have a pale yellow color and won’t be too green!
• For the cantaloupe: smell the blossom-end of the melon to make sure it smells sweet. In addition, make sure there are no bruises and feel the melon to make sure it’s firm all the way around.
I hope you enjoy one of my favorite melon dessert recipes this summer, complete with a creamy coconut sauce!
Melon Dessert Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to store cut melon in the fridge in an airtight container. Cut melon and melon balls should stay fresh for three to four days in the fridge.
With most melons, you can gently press on the blossom end (the end of the melon that is opposite the stem). When pressed near the blossom end, the melon should give slightly. The melon should also smell sweet and flavorful and have a good amount of weight to it when it is ripe.
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Try some of my other delicious summer party dessert recipe ideas:
No-bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Coconut Key Lime Bars
Pink Lemonade Cake
Mini Ice Cream Pops
Ice Cream Profiteroles
📖 Recipe
Summer Melon Dessert with Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup light, unsweetened coconut milk
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups melon balls from about 8 pounds melon
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thick, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool and add vanilla extract. Sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and chilled.
- Divide melon among bowls; serve with sauce and shredded coconut.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe Tara Teaspoon. Photography Yunhee Kim. Props Deborah Williams. Originally published in LHJ 08/10. Updated May 2023.
Bianca says
One tool I have never thought of investing is in a melon baller. The aesthetics alone in this dessert is enough to persuade me.
Kamree says
Fresh fruit is one of my favorite things about summer! And these perfect melon balls and coconut sauce are literally making my mouth water! it looks fresh and delicious and I will definitely be trying the recipe out sometime this week! xo - Kam
Kelly Anthony says
I have a recipe similar to this with lime and mint, and I ADORE this variation! So summery and perfect. Looks amazing, Tara!
Jeanette says
Such a beautiful fruit dessert. So cute with the round shapes 🙂
Linda says
I have an assortment of melons on my counter... now i know what to do with them!
Mary Bench says
Well, this beautifully says SUMMER!
Chrissy says
Ooooh the coconut sauce just takes the melon to another level! I love this as a refreshing summer dessert.
Heidy says
This looks amazing, I love melons and coconut so your recipe is a must try!!!
Ashley Spang - GrowingSpangs says
You know, I asked for the tool to make these fruit balls for my wedding...five years ago. Still have yet to use it! I'll have to save this recipe, it looks so refreshing for summer, and so fun besides!
Melanie williams says
I love the look of this. I love melon, so well up for this as a dessert. Like that the melon is in cute ball shapes too x
Grace says
I'm not usually a huge melon person but this looks really colorful and yummy!
Brittany Smart says
I love making fruit the heart of all my summer treats! So much lighter and it makes me feel like I'm being healthier without missing any of the sugar haha
Krystle Nozar says
You gave me a reason to use my melon baller. This recipe sounds absolutely amazing and can't wait to get in my kitchen to make this recipe...