5 Ways To Use Chamoy Sauce

I had to make a separate blog post on this sauce because there are just too many ways to use this crack sauce “aka” chamoy sauce.

You can go straight to the mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce post for the recipe, or you can grab it here:

CHAMOY SAUCE

• ½ cup fresh lime juice (5-7 limes)

• 1-3 dried ancho chilies 

• 1 - 10 oz jar organic apricot jam

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

To make the chamoy sauce

1. Tear the stem off and deseed the ancho chilies. Submerse dried chilies in boiling water for a few minutes until the chilies are soft. 

2. In a high speed blender, place the soft ancho chilies along with the entire jar of apricot jam, lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and a ladle or two of the water that the ancho chilies were in. 

3. Blend on high speed until extremely smooth. Taste sauce and adjust flavors if need to (i.e. I typically add an additional ½ tsp cayenne pepper because I like it super spicy!) as well as sauce consistency. This should make about 2 cups worth. If you are unsure about the sauce consistency, look at the pictures above for reference. 

4. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. 

Now that you have the beloved sauce recipe, let’s get into 5 ways to use chamoy sauce!

To get a visual: check out IG reels below!

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A post shared by Candace Dorsey| From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

1| Mango Melon Sorbet

You can grab the recipe here

2| watermelon slices

3| Mangonada

• 1 cup mango chunks, fresh or frozen

• 1/2 cup coconut milk, coconut water, or water

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Tajin or chili lime seasoning, for the rim

• chamoy sauce

• Tamarind stick, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Rim a glass with a lime wedge and tajin seasoning. Squeeze chamoy sauce inside the glass using a swirling motion.

2. In a blender, add mango, liquid, lime juice, and a handful of ice and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour the mango smoothie into the prepared glass about halfway, then layer the smoothie with chamoy sauce, repeat with more smoothie picture and top with chamoy sauce, tajin seasoning, fresh mango, and tamarind stick if desired. Enjoy!

You can also use this chili lime smoothie recipe as well!

4| Mango Slices

5| Fresh watermelon juice / Watermelon margaritas

Here are some quick recipes:

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas

Strawberry Watermelon Mint Agua Frescas

Watermelon Lime Refresher

Watermelon Ice Cubes

Mango Melon Sorbet with Chamoy Sauce

Mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce - A popular Mexican condiment that is salty, sour, spicy, and sweet. Paired with the two most favorite summer fruits and sprinkled with chili lime seasoning - it’s the ultimate refreshing summer dessert! Naturally sweetened, dairy free, and bursting with flavor! 

It is sad to say that my taste buds have not been in contact with chamoy sauce until two weeks ago! It’s actually embarrassing, just writing it out. I thought, maybe because I just wasn’t exposed to it being that I have live in the South and Midwest my entire life but it’s not that because out of all the places in the world, I had my first chamoy experience in this small Mexican sorbet shop in Oklahoma! 

That day forever changed my taste buds for the good! Literally, if you had chamoy sauce, your mouth is probably drooling at this point - because that is what it does to you! 

Chamoy = Salt + Sour + Spicy + Sweet

Meaning, chamoy has a unique flavor profile that hits your tongue to where you instantly want more. Traditional ingredients include flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers), lime juice, dried apricots, sugar, prunes, ancho chilies, and cayenne powder. 

To make this super easy, while deriving sugar from fruit only, and using ingredients that most consumers can find at a grocery store, we are using just 5 ingredients: organic apricot jam, dried ancho chilies, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. 

So what do you put chamoy sauce on? Personally, I just add the chamoy sauce into a squeeze bottle and squeeze it straight into my mouth but that might be a little TMI…

You could put chamoy sauce on fresh mangos as a refreshing healthy snack, make mango chamoy fruit roll ups, or  use it as a swirl to mango or fruit paletas, mangonadas, chili lime mango smoothies, or agua frescas. 

But my new favorite way of using this drool worthy sauce is pouring it over sorbet. For this recipe, I used my two favorite summer flavors: mango and watermelon to create a sorbet swirl. Layering chamoy and tajin or TJ’s chili lime seasoning in between sorbet is the ultimate refreshing summer treat! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce - A popular Mexican condiment that is salty, sour, spicy, and sweet. Paired with the two most favorite summer fruits and sprinkled with chili lime seasoning - it’s the ultimate refreshing summer dessert! Naturally sweetened, dairy free, and bursting with flavor! 

Ingredients

Watermelon sorbet 

• 2 cups seedless watermelon cubes

• Juice and zest of one lime

• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Mango sorbet

• 2 cups mango chunks (fresh or frozen)

• Juice and zest of one lime

• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Chamoy Sauce

• ½ cup fresh lime juice (5-7 limes)

• 1-3 dried ancho chilies 

• 1 - 10 oz jar organic apricot jam

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. To make the sorbet 

   1. cut up fresh watermelon until you have about 2 cups worth. Place watermelon chunks on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer to freeze. (up to 4 hours or overnight)

   2. If you are using fresh mangos, follow the same procedure (a) 

   3. Place frozen watermelon chunks into a blender or processor with juice and zest of lime and sweetener. You may need to add Tbsp increments of water to help the blending process. Once smooth in texture, transfer to a freezer safe pan like a bread pan and place in the freezer until firm, about 4 hours. 

   4. Follow the same procedure with mangos. You can either mix the frozen fruit chunks together or make them separate. 

   5. To serve, let the sorbets rest on the counter a few minutes before scooping. 

2. To make the chamoy sauce

   1. While the sorbets are freezing, prepare the chamoy sauce by preparing the ancho chilies. 

   2. Tear the stem off and deseed the ancho chilies. Submerse dried chilies in boiling water for a few minutes until the chilies are soft. 

   3. In a high speed blender, place the soft ancho chilies along with the entire jar of apricot jam, lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and a ladle or two of the water that the ancho chilies were in. 

   4. Blend on high speed until extremely smooth. Taste sauce and adjust flavors if need to (i.e. I typically add an additional ½ tsp cayenne pepper because I like it super spicy!) as well as sauce consistency. This should make about 2 cups worth. If you are unsure about the sauce consistency, look at the pictures above for reference. 

   5. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.  

3. To assemble! 

   1. Swirl chamoy sauce in a clear glass to coat the bottom and sides of the glass. One scoop each of mango and watermelon sorbet and layer with more chamoy sauce and tajin or TJ’s chili lime seasoning. Continue with another layer of one scoop each mango and watermelon sorbet and top with more chamoy sauce and seasoning. Enjoy!

Watermelon Ice Cubes

Watermelon Ice Cubes - Refreshing way to use leftover watermelon chunks! Add to your water, coconut water, cocktail, mocktail, smoothie, the sky’s the limit! 

If you haven’t figured it by now, I am absolutely obsessed with watermelon. If I’m not posting about watermelon on my Instagram, I’m posting watermelon recipes on the blog. There is nothing that stands in the way between me and watermelon...nothing. 

With that said, I thought it would be fun to post about the many ways you can use leftover watermelon. Do you find yourself cutting a large watermelon and basically having an entire half watermelon leftover? What do I do with the rest of it? 

Well, I am here to solve your problems! To start off, we will get into this quick and simple recipe! Using half of a large watermelon, cut your melon into large chunks and add to a blender. You can blend as is or boost the watermelon flavor with citrus like fresh lemon or lime juice! Sometimes I get a little wild and add fresh mint or jalapeno slices when I want to make frozen spicy watermelon margaritas. 

You can either strain the liquid using a milk bag or cheesecloth or freeze as is. Tip* If juicing, skim the foam off of the watermelon juice. When frozen, add a few cubes to a glass of water, coconut water, smoothie, or make into a mocktail/cocktail. The sky's the limit with these cubes! 

Now that you know of one amazing versatile trick using leftover watermelon chunks, here are a few more ideas! 

• Slice watermelon into triangles and make watermelon popsicles by inserting a popsicle stick into the rind. Freeze them, grill them, or eat as is! 

• Slice watermelon into small chunks and toss into a summer salad (picture above)

• Add fresh mint, feta, lime, and balsamic glaze for a quick watermelon salad picnic!

• Make watermelon margaritas, frescas, or granita! 

• Use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes for a party or for the kids! 

How would you use watermelon cubes or leftover watermelon? Share below, I love hearing your ideas!

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Ingredients

• ½ large watermelon

• Juice from two limes

• ½ cup filtered water or coconut water

Optional add-ins

• Fresh mint

• Jalapenos (to make spicy margaritas)

Directions

1. Cut the rinds off the watermelon and slice into large chunks.

2. Add watermelon chunks to a blender and add lime juice, water, and optional add-ins. Blend until smooth.

3. Either strain the juice using a milk bag or cheesecloth or pour mixture directly into ice cube trays. *Skim the foam off the liquid for smoother texture. 

4. Freeze and enjoy in filtered water, coconut water, alcohol, smoothie, kombucha..sky’s the limit!

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas - That is naturally sweetened with fresh watermelon juice. So easy to make with the perfect amount of sweet and spicy! 

When I think about the summer, I think about watermelon - lots of it! During the summer, I usually have a watermelon on the kitchen counter, watermelon cubes in the freezer (recipe coming soon), or fresh watermelon juice in the fridge. Can’t get enough of this sweet melon!

So what are ways that you can use watermelon cubes or fresh watermelon juice? Make margaritas, of course! I mean, why wouldn’t you! All you have to do is salt a rim, juice a lime, ice in a glass, and add optional jalapeno slices for the spice factor! How easy is that?

There are two ways that you can add jalapenos to your margarita mix. You can either blend one jalapeno (de-seeded and stemmed) to your watermelon cubes and lime juice, pour juice mixture over a fine-mesh strainer, and serve into a glass or you can add sliced jalapenos to your cocktail shaker or pitcher, with the rest of the ingredients. Shake and serve into a glass.  

If you want to make a spicy or classic watermelon margarita during the offseason when watermelons aren’t readily available, my favorite thing is to use watermelon kombucha! Not only are you still enjoying a summer treat during the winter, but your gut is getting some love! This is my favorite watermelon kombucha drink, hands down!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Spicy Watermelon Margaritas - That is naturally sweetened with fresh watermelon juice. So easy to make with the perfect amount of sweet and spicy! 

Ingredients

Watermelon juice

• 1 small seedless watermelon, or half of a larger watermelon

• Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients per margarita

• 2 ounces fresh watermelon juice

• 1 ½ oz 100% agave silver or blanco tequila

• Juice of ½ lime

• ½ tsp honey (optional)

• 1-4 jalapeno slices (based on preference) 

Salt rim

• 1 part pink Himalayan sea salt

• 1 part tajun or chili lime seasoning

• Lime zest

• Lime wedges

Garnish

• tiny watermelon wedges, jalapeno slices, lime slices

Directions

To make fresh watermelon juice:

1. Simply blend watermelon cubes and lime juice in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour juice over a fine mesh strainer. Measure out what you need for the margaritas. 

2. To make fresh watermelon juice with jalapeno, add one jalapeno (de-stemmed and de-seeded) to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Taste test mixture before straining to achieve the desired spice level. 

To prepare your margarita glasses: 

1. On a small, rimmed plate, mix together equal parts salt, seasoning, and lime zest. Run a lime wedge around the top of each glass. Dip the top of the glass into the salt blend and roll it from side to side to catch the salt. Add ice cubes to your glass and set it aside. 

2. To make margaritas from a cocktail shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, optional sweetener and jalapeno slices. 

3. Secure the lid to the shaker and shake for 10-30 seconds. Taste and add additional sweetener/acid/spice if necessary. Strain the liquid into your prepared glass(es) and garnish. Enjoy!

To make a pitcher:

1. For 8 drinks you will need: 2 cups tequila, ½ cup lime juice, 2 cups watermelon juice, 1-2 jalapenos (sliced), and 2-3 Tbsp sweetener (optional). Pour mixture in a large pitcher with ice. Stir well with a wooden spoon until well combined. Taste and add additional sweetener/acid/spice if necessary and enjoy! 

Notes

• Don’t have watermelon on hand or not in season? That’s okay! I love using watermelon kombucha instead! Just omit the sweetener part and it should taste the same, if not better!

Strawberry Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca

Strawberry watermelon mint agua frescas are a refreshing seasonal drink that’s great on a warm, summer day!

Sadly, summer is coming to an end, which means my favorite fruit, watermelon, will no longer be in season. Well, instead of being sad about it, I’ve decided I am just going to make strawberry watermelon mint agua frescas until I can’t anymore!

Agua frescas are refreshing fruit drinks that are made simply with blended fruit, lime juice, and sometimes sweetener. It is best to use seasonal fruit so that it’s fresh and naturally more sweetened, making it unnecessary to add sugar.

What I love about agua frescas is that the juice can be unfiltered, which means more fiber and more nutrients! You do not need to add any extra sweetener unless you absolutely want to, especially if you have picked a perfectly ripe and sweet fruit! So, not only are you avoiding extra sugar, you are also getting in your vitamins with this refreshing drink!

I’ve raved about the benefits of watermelon in other blog posts (check out my watermelon salad and watermelon lime refresher recipes)! However, you can make agua frescas with just about any type of fruit like cantaloupe, cucumber, pineapple, strawberries, melon, mango or watermelon. This recipe is crazy simple and easy to follow, so feel free to mix things up depending on what you have on hand that’s ripe and in season.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Strawberry watermelon mint agua frescas are a refreshing seasonal drink that’s great on a warm, summer day!

INGREDIENTS

• Half of small seedless watermelon

• 1 cup fresh strawberries

• 2 large mint leaves

• Juice of two limes

• 1-2 Tbsp sweetener (if you are using a perfectly ripe and sweetened fruit, then this is optional)

• 1/2 cup filtered water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more lime or sweetener if necessary.

2. Serve immediately, over ice.