With an abundance of melons at the market, it’s easy to tell summer has arrived. Their juicy sweetness is perfect for hot days. These colorful fruit kabobs combine different melons and fresh mint for a simple, attractive summer treat. They’re quick to assemble and pair wonderfully with an optional yogurt dip for backyard barbecues or casual gatherings.
Summer Fruit Kabobs
A few weekends ago I catered a baby shower where these mint-and-melon kabobs were a big hit. Scooping the melon into bite-sized balls and threading them onto bamboo picks made an appealing, easy-to-eat finger food—no sticky fingers or juice dripping down faces.
Melon kabobs make a healthy dessert, a colorful appetizer, or a refreshing afternoon snack. They’re also an easy lunchbox treat for kids.
For the dip, I stirred together plain Greek yogurt with lime juice, honey and vanilla. It adds a bright, creamy contrast to the sweet melon, but the dip is entirely optional.
How to Choose Melons
Melons come in many varieties and colors—watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe (and related varieties like Tuscan or Charentais), Casaba, Canary, Persian and muskmelon among others. If you’re unsure what’s best in season, ask your produce person for recommendations. For contrast and flavor I used a mini seedless watermelon (red), a mini honeydew (green) and a small Tuscan melon (orange). At the time the produce team suggested the Tuscan over cantaloupe for flavor, so I followed their advice.
What About Sugar?
Some people avoid melons because they contain natural sugars. While many melons score medium to high on the glycemic index, their glycemic load is often low or moderate—meaning they don’t necessarily cause large blood sugar spikes in typical serving sizes. Melons also provide important nutrients and hydration, so they can still fit into a balanced diet. If you follow a specific meal plan for blood sugar management, consider portion size and consult guidance tailored to your needs.
The Tool for Perfect Melon Balls
A small scooper (also called a disher) makes uniform melon balls quickly. I own a set in several sizes; for these kabobs I used a #60 disher, roughly 1¼” in diameter, which creates neat bite-sized spheres. For skewers I prefer 4″ bamboo picks—long enough to hold a few melon balls and a mint leaf without being cumbersome.
Yield note: Using half of each melon yielded about 10 kabobs, which served five people at two kabobs each. Yield will vary by melon size; using whole melons will produce roughly 20–24 kabobs. Plan for two mint leaves per kabob.
Recipe
Summer Fruit Kabobs
Sally Cameron
Equipment
- 4″ bamboo skewers
Ingredients
Melon Kabobs
- 1 mini seedless watermelon
- 1 mini honeydew melon
- 1 small Tuscan or cantaloupe melon
- 1 package mint leaves
Yogurt Dip (optional)
- 12 ounces plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1–2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Wash and dry the outside of the melons. Cut each melon in half lengthwise and remove any seeds.
- Using a scooper or disher about 1¼” across (#60 size), scoop round balls from each melon. Make as many uniform balls as possible.
- Thread the melon balls and mint leaves onto 4″ bamboo skewers, alternating colors for a pretty presentation. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the yogurt dip: stir the Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla and lime juice together until smooth. Serve alongside the kabobs.
Notes
Using half of each melon produced about 10 kabobs, enough for five people at two kabobs each. If you use whole melons, expect approximately 20–24 kabobs depending on melon size. Adjust quantities and serving sizes to suit your event.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 kabobs • Calories: 45 kcal • Carbohydrates: 7 g • Protein: 4 g • Fat: 1 g • Sugar: 6 g • Fiber: 1 g • Vitamin A: 1500 IU • Vitamin C: 18 mg