17 Quirky Watermelon Recipes

With summer in full swing, people are seeking creative watermelon recipes to beat the heat in new ways. As a refreshing melon that's commonly featured in drinks and desserts, a renewed interest in watermelon is being created with unusual recipes that turn the fruit into a major feature of salads, pizzas and baked goods.

Although applying heat to watermelon seems counterproductive to cooling off, grilling and deep frying the fruit is becoming a popular way to make it pair well with beloved barbecue flavors.

In baking, bagels and cupcakes reflect the use of watermelon as a prominent ingredient with bright pink hues and chocolate chips to mimic dark seeds. Taking inspiration from the indulgence of a classic cake recipe, Mike Warren created a cooling no-bake watermelon cake that is topped with fruit and icing.