Hwachae is a popular Korean watermelon punch perfect for hot Summer days!

Featuring seasonal fruits like fresh watermelon and berries, this Korean fruit bowl is as refreshing as it is beautiful.

A punch bowl with a ladle showing a scoop of fruit punch.

It's 3AM, and you wake up severely dehydrated - what's the first thing you reach for? Hwachae! (Just a little TikTok joke for those who are in the know).

If you're not on TikTok, you might not have heard about this popular Korean watermelon punch known as hwachae. It's a refreshing and fruit-packed dessert/beverage that is seriously delicious.

Featuring various fruits, coconut jelly (don't worry - there are alternatives if you can't find it), milk, and a carbonated drink, this Korean fruit bowl is not an exact copy for traditional versions of Korean hwachae, but is a Westernized adaptation of the original.

We just know you're going to love it as much as we have. It's the perfect light and fruity dessert and lasts for days in the fridge!

Why You'll Love It:

Light and refreshing. Whether you need to beat the Summer heat or you just want something lighter, hwachae is a great way to finish off your meal with something sweet.
Great for potlucks. Want to bring something that will have everyone talking? This is definitely a conversation starter!
Easy to customize. You can use whichever fruit you have available to you, and play around with different ingredients.
A fruity dessert. This Korean fruit bowl is packed with fiber and micro-nutrients. It's great any night of the week!

Ingredients

Filled with vibrant fruits and perfectly sweet watermelon, this viral recipe is sure to become a Summer drink favorite.

Watermelon: For a single batch you will need 3 cups of watermelon, equal to about half of a mini or baby watermelon. I like to cube it because it's easier, but you can use a melon baller if you want to!
Fruit: You can use whatever juicy fruits you desire, but I recommend a mix of sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Dragon fruit (optional): I love to add cubed dragon fruit when I can find one. It adds visual interest and makes your hwachae all the more beautiful.
Strawberry milk (or regular milk): Some brands of strawberry milk taste better than others - use one that you like the taste of! If you want to go the extra mile, you can make homemade strawberry milk.
Lemon-lime soda: AKA Sprite, 7-up, or another fizzy beverage. In traditional Korean fruit punch you will find Chilseong cider; Sprite is a decent dupe for the original, but if you're close to an Asian grocery store you may consider picking up a few bottles.
Coconut jelly: The type that I used is made by Nata de Coco and comes in packs of 6 with 3 different flavors. I recommend using one of each flavor. If you can't find them, you can use canned fruit cocktail or homemade jelly instead.
Sweetened condensed milk: This enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit - all you need is ⅓ cup.

How to Make Hwachae

Also known as Korean fruit bowl or Korean watermelon punch, Hwachae is a refreshing and delicious dessert/beverage that is sure to be a hit at Summer parties.

Adding fruit to a large bowl, then pouring in sweetened condensed milk, strawberry milk, and sprite.

Add 3 cups of cubed watermelon to a large bowl.
To the watermelon, add 1 cup of sliced strawberries, ¾ cup of raspberries, ¾ cup of blueberries, ½ cup of blackberries, and 1 cubed (and peeled) dragonfruit.
Cube 3 containers of coconut jelly (or an alternative) and add it to the bowl. Stir gently to combine.
Drizzle on ⅓ cup of sweetened condensed milk.
Pour in approximately 1 ½ cups of strawberry milk (or plain milk). Stir to dissolve the sweetened condensed milk into the liquid.
Finally, add 1 ½ cups of lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-up) or Korean chilsung cider.

Stir and Serve

A large bowl of fruit punch in a milky liquid.

Storing Leftover Hwachae

Leftover hwachae keeps surprisingly well! I've made this recipe many times, and it stores reliably well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The punch will become watered down from the melting ice, but the watermelon stays crisp and the fruit keeps its shape. Most importantly - it still tastes delicious!

That being said, if you're preparing it for guests, it's best to make it fresh.

Can I make it ahead of time?

If you want to make your fruit bowl ahead of time, it's best to prepare it in steps and assemble it at the last minute. Here's what I recommend:

Prepare all of the fruit and place it in a serving bowl. Wrap it tightly and store in the refrigerator.
Chill all of the ingredients (milk, Sprite, sweetened condensed milk, and jelly).
When it's about 10-20 minutes before the desired serving time, add the remaining ingredients to the prepared fruit.
Stir, add ice, serve, and enjoy!

Top tip: The fizziness doesn't last very long. If you like the fizzy element of hwachae, leave the soda out just until you're ready to serve.

A ladle full of berry and watermelon punch.

Substitutions

Different fruits: Feel free to use your favorite fruits, or whatever you can find in season. Grapes, bananas, and other types of melons all work well.
Without coconut jelly: Try using canned fruit (including fruit juices if desired) like peaches, pears, or fruit cocktail. Homemade jelly is a great option if you have the time - try adding some coconut milk to it.
Dairy-free: Swap the strawberry milk for your favorite dairy-free milk (I like canned coconut milk); trade the sweetened condensed milk for sugar OR sweetened condensed coconut milk (you can find this in the natural foods section of your grocery store).

Easy swaps

Sugar-free soda: You can trade the lemon-lime soda for your favorite sugar-free kind - or club soda.
Higher protein: Swap the strawberry milk for your favorite pre-mixed protein shake (we like Fairlife vanilla).

A ladleful of watermelon and berry punch coming from a punch bowl.

Expert Tips

Pre-chill the ingredients. If you have time, be sure to chill the soda, pudding, and even sweetened condensed milk in advance. This helps to raise the initial temperature of your hwachae, which slows the melting of the ice. Chill your cubed fruits for bonus points!
Bite-size pieces. When cubing your watermelon and dragonfruit, try to think "bite-sized" - I like to aim for about ½-3/4" on all sides.
Play around with fruit. Traditional watermelon punch uses only watermelon, while other fruits are added occasionally for flavor. Feel free to try different types of fruits (just don't use kiwi or pineapple - they can react with the milk and taste very bitter).
Garnish - if you want to. I think the mix of fresh fruits is beautiful enough as it is, but if you want to make it extra special try garnishing it with edible flowers, fresh mint, or watermelon flesh cut into cute shapes.

More Viral TikTok recipes:

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Why You'll Love It:

Ingredients