A seed-based plant beverage made from watermelon seeds and water. Published food research exists, but watermelon seed milk remains much less standardized than major plant beverages such as soy, oat, or almond milk.
Watermelon seed milk is a plant-based beverage made by blending watermelon seeds (Citrullus lanatus) with water and straining the resulting liquid. Watermelon seeds have long been consumed in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East — roasted as a snack, ground into flour, or pressed for their oil — and interest in using them as a base for dairy-alternative beverages has grown alongside broader research into underutilised plant food sources.
Watermelon seeds are nutritionally dense. They contain meaningful amounts of protein, fat (including linoleic acid), magnesium, zinc, and iron. When processed into a milk-style beverage, the resulting liquid carries some of these nutrients, though the amounts depend heavily on the ratio of seeds to water and the processing method used.
Watermelon seed milk remains a niche and largely unstandardised product compared to mainstream plant milks such as soy, oat, or almond milk. Commercial production is limited, and most preparation occurs at home or in small-scale settings. Research has explored its use as a partial substitute for cow milk in yogurt formulations, finding that blends of watermelon seed milk and cow milk could produce acceptable fermented products.
The nutritional composition of watermelon seed milk is not standardised and varies considerably depending on the seed-to-water ratio and processing method. Watermelon seeds themselves are a good source of:
Because production methods vary widely and no universal standard exists, precise per-serving nutritional figures for watermelon seed milk are not assigned here. Consumers should refer to the label of any specific commercial product.
Watermelon seed milk can be used similarly to other plant milks — consumed as a drink, added to smoothies, or used as a cooking liquid. Research has explored its use blended with cow milk as a base for fermented yogurt products. In regions where watermelons are abundant, the seeds are often a by-product of watermelon processing and represent a low-waste food source.