Dehydrated Watermelon is one of the best dried fruits. It is sweet and a little chewywith the texture of watermelon jerky and the taste of watermelon candy.

Dried watermelon is a great snack because it tastes like jolly rancher candy but is still fruit! It is an easy snack to bring hiking, camping, fishing, or to send in a school lunch. I love to make a mix of broken pieces of dried watermelon and dried strawberries to serve along with homemade granola or to toss into a side salad with dried cherry tomatoes.

This dried watermelon is a little thicker than the watermelon jerky that you can get at Trader Joe’s, but the taste is the same because it is just watermelon – it has no added sugars!

Watermelon is one of our favorite fruits, but in the summer months, we sometimes grow too many of them and have excess fruits. We hate food waste, so I love to dehydrate some slices to save for snacking. We love to have watermelon taffy for trips, and small watermelon chips are a great addition to homemade trail mix.

A white bowl of dehydrated watermelon with a dish towel and a pink flower on a wooden background.

❓ What Does Watermelon Jerky Taste Like?

Dehydrated watermelon is a very polarizing treat. Some people love it, and some people hate it. To me, it tastes like a Jolly Rancher candy. Just talking about it makes my taste buds pucker up in anticipation. It is very sweet and a little chewy, like taffy. If you like it, you will love it, and dehydrated watermelon jerky is an addicting snack.

🍊 Is Watermelon Jerky Healthy?

Yes! Watermelon jerky tastes just like a healthy candy – but it is still fruit. A single serving of dehydrated watermelon has almost a full day’s worth of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

🥘 Ingredients Needed

Here you go – watermelon jerky is made from one ingredient only – fresh watermelon. Seedless watermelon is easier to use as you don’t have to pick out the black seeds 😉

A whole watermelon on a white cutting board.

🍉 How to Pick a Watermelon

Try to choose a perfectly ripe watermelon with a yellow or light brown circle on the end – that is a sign that it was allowed to ripen on the vine and should be nice and sweet. It should also feel heavy for its size.

🍽 Equipment Needed

  • Food Dehydrator – I like to use my big Excalibur Dehydrator or my smaller, cheaper dehydrator. (You can also make this in the oven.)
  • Cutting Board and a Sharp Knife.

🥣 How to Dehydrate Watermelon

Dehydrating a perfect summer watermelon and making it into sweet, yummy dehydrated watermelon slices is so easy.

You can cut the watermelon up however you find to be the easiest – I like to cut it in half and then from there into quarters. (I like to put a layer of dish towels under my cutting board because watermelon juice makes a huge, sticky mess.) (Picture 1 – 2)

After slicing the watermelon into quarters, slice the skin and rind off in chunks, trying to get as much of it as possible. (Picture 3) I like to then save the rind to make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind preserves, pickled watermelon rind, or fermented watermelon rind pickles. Remove any watermelon seeds.

Now, slice the watermelon into half-inch slices, then in half again. (Pictures 4 – 5)

A collage of images showing the process of making dehydrated watermelon, steps 1 - 5.

I then like to cut the quarter-inch slices in half across the middle so that the pieces are not too big – about 2-inch slices. (Picture 6)

Now, line the trays of your dehydrator with the watermelon chunks. (Picture 7) Cover the dehydrator and then let it do all the work. It has a lot of water in it (water-melon…), so it will take time to dry out. (Pictures 9 – 10)

On a dehydrator without a temperature setting, it will take 8-12 hours.

If you can set the temperature of your dehydrator, set it to 135°F for 18 – 24 hours. It will take longer, but the watermelon tastes sweeter and has a better flavor if it dries slower.

A collage of images showing the process of making dehydrated watermelon, steps 6 - 10.

If you check on the watermelon throughout the dehydration process, there will be three main stages: still normal watermelon, dried out and a little puffy, and then ready to eat – chewy but snaps if you bend it. Flip the watermelon slices over halfway through the dehydrating process to prevent sticking to the dehydrator trays.

Three images showing the progression of watermelon as it is dehydrating.

♨️ How to Dehydrate Watermelon in the Oven

First, slice the watermelon as directed above.

Next, place the slices on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper wire over a cookie sheet with edges. For easier cleanup, you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. The wire rack helps with airflow under the fruit and keeps the watermelon from cooking on the bottom instead of drying out.

Dry/bake the watermelon at 170° (or the lowest temperature your oven has) for 4-6 hrs, checking every hour or so as needed to make sure they don’t burn. Keep an eye out to make sure the watermelon doesn’t burn.

Flip the slices over halfway through the drying process to keep them from sticking.

🛍️ Condition the Dried Watermelon Slices

Before putting the dehydrated watermelon in long-term storage, condition it for 5-7 days. This means transferring it to an airtight container and observing it, then checking it for moisture every day. If there are signs of moisture, all of the watermelon slices should go back into the dehydrator.

Once it is fully dried out, the watermelon jerky can be stored.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

What can you do with watermelon rind?

You can make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind pickles, and watermelon rind preserves. You can also make watermelon rind tzatziki!

How do you know if a watermelon is ripe?

When a watermelon is ripe, it will have a yellow patch on the bottom. It will also seem pretty heavy for its size (full of water!) but also sound like a drum if you tap on it. (You want a hollow thunk sound instead of a shallow tap/knock.)

Button linking to the Pinterest page for Southern Bytes.

🍲 Serving Size

You can eat a lot of dried watermelon really easily and not realize it and end up with a pretty upset stomach – so just be cautious!

A clear bowl of dehydrated watermelon with a dish towel and a pink flower.

🫙 How to Store Dried Watermelon

Store the thin slices of dried watermelon in a glass mason jar or airtight container, ideally with a desiccant packet. The packet will absorb extra moisture so that the watermelon jerky stays perfectly fresh.

What is a Desiccant Pack/Packet?

Desiccant packets are those little silica gel packets you find in your new shoes that say “DO NOT EAT!!” all over them. The idea is that they should actively absorb any moisture in the container that they are stored in so that whatever they are stored with does not; so dehydrated foods, leather goods, etc. Be sure that you use a food-safe brand and that you use the right size for your storage. (You don’t need a 50 gram pack in a small mason jar!)

I like to use Wisedry 5 gram Packs for most of my food storage. They are small enough for a jar, and the beads change color to a dark green when saturated with moisture so you know to change out the pack. (Once you take out a pack, you can “recharge it” by drying it back out and reusing it, which is also really cool.)

a bag of desiccant packs

⏲️ How Long Does Dried Watermelon Last?

Dried watermelon lasts a pretty long time. It will last at least 6 months, but you will probably finish it a lot sooner.

✏️ Helpful Tips

  • Watermelon jerky is also really good with a sprinkle of Tajin Seasoning on top (Chili Lime Watermelon Jerky, similar to what you can get from Trader Joe’s!) Add the Tajin after a few hours of cooking so that it stays near the outside of the watermelon as it dries, and you can really taste it.
  • Add a little lime juice to the watermelon slices before drying them.
  • I recommend storing dried fruit in glass containers as opposed to plastic so that it does not absorb the taste of the plastic.
  • Watermelon is pretty sticky – you can cover your dehydrator trays with parchment paper if desired. Cut a few slits in the paper to allow air to circulate through it.

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A zoomed in image of a white bowl of dehydrate watermelon.

Dehydrated Watermelon Jerky (Dried Watermelon)

4.67 from 3 votes
Dehydrated Watermelon is one of the best dried fruits. It is sweet and a little chewy, with the texture of watermelon jerky and the taste of watermelon candy.
Author: Kari
Servings: 24 handfuls
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 ripe watermelon seedless recommended

Optional

Instructions 

  • You can cut the watermelon up however you find to be the easiest – I like to cut it in half and then from there into quarters. (I like to put a layer of dish towels under my cutting board because watermelon juice makes a huge, sticky mess.)
    1 ripe watermelon
    A watermelon cut in half on a white cutting board.
  • After slicing the watermelon into quarters, slice the skin and rind off in chunks.
    A quarter of a watermelon with the skin being cut off.
  • Try to get as much of the rind off as possible.
    A quarter of a watermelon on a white cutting board without the skin.
  • Now, slice the watermelon into ¼ – ½ inch thick slices.
    Thick slices of watermelon on a white cutting board.
  • Then slice those slices in half.
    Large cut up slices of watermelon on a white cutting board.
  • And then cut them in half one last time.
    Cut up slices of watermelon on a white cutting board.
  • Line the trays of your dehydrator with the watermelon chunks.
    A dehydrator with slices of watermelon in it before dehydrating.
  • Cover the dehydrator and let it do all the work. It has a lot of water in it (water-melon…) so it will take time to dry out.
    On a dehydrator without a temperature setting, it will take 8 – 12 hours. If you can set the temperature of your dehydrator, set it to 135°F for 18 – 24 hours. (It will take longer but the watermelon tastes sweeter and has a better flavor if it dries slower.)
    A dehydrator with watermelon drying in it and the cover on.
  • If you check on the watermelon throughout the dehydration process, there will be three main stages: still normal watermelon, then dried out and a little puffy…
    A dehydrator with slices of partially dried watermelon in it.
  • And finally, ready to eat – its chewy but snaps if you bend it. 
    A dehydrator with slices of dried watermelon in it.

How to Dehydrate Watermelon in the Oven

  • First, slice the watermelon as directed above.
  • Next, place the slices on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper wire over a cookie sheet with edges. For easier cleanup, you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. The wire rack helps with airflow under the fruit and keeps the watermelon from cooking on the bottom instead of drying out.
  • Dry/bake the watermelon at 170° (or the lowest temperature your oven has) for 4-6 hrs, checking every hour or so as needed to make sure they don't burn. Keep an eye out to make sure the watermelon doesn't burn.
  • Flip the slices over halfway through the drying process to keep them from sticking.

Condition the Dried Watermelon Slices

  • Before putting the dehydrated watermelon in long-term storage, condition it for 5-7 days. This means transferring it to an airtight container and observing it, then checking it for moisture every day. If there are signs of moisture, all of the watermelon slices should go back into the dehydrator.
  • Once it is fully dried out, the watermelon jerky can be stored

Notes

Serving Size

You can eat a lot of dried watermelon really easily and not realize it and end up with a pretty upset stomach – so just be cautious!

How to Store Dried Watermelon

Store dried watermelon in a glass mason jar, ideally with a desiccant packet. The packet will absorb extra moisture so that the watermelon jerky stays perfectly fresh.
Tips
  • Watermelon jerky is also really good with a sprinkle of Tajin Seasoning on top (Chili Lime Watermelon Jerky!) Add the Tajin after a few hours of cooking so that it stays near the outside of the watermelon as it dries, and you can really taste it.
  • I recommend storing dried fruit in glass containers as opposed to plastic so that it does not absorb the taste of the plastic.

What can you make with watermelon rind?

You can make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind pickles, watermelon rind preserves, or tzatziki!

How do you know if a watermelon is ripe?

When a watermelon is ripe, it will have a yellow patch on the bottom. It will also seem pretty heavy for its size (full of water!) but also sound like a drum if you tap on it. (You want a hollow thunk sound instead of a shallow tap/knock.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1067IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: dehydrated watermelon, dried watermelon, watermelon jerky
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Hi, I'm Kari!

I am a newlywed, food blogger, health coach, and mama to a hot mess of a border collie. I love to put a new spin on old family recipes and I try to make as many meals as possible with an Instant Pot.

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