I am a big fan of smoothies. Recently I have been feeling adventurous stocking my freezer with frozen fruits and making all sorts of smoothies after workouts.

It sometimes takes me a bit to tweak the recipes but I have never been as off as this time.

I am trying to replicate a popsicle I ran into while traveling in El Salvador called the watermelon green apple popsicle.

https://preview.redd.it/vg90wmodru4d1.png?width=1138&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a84f2c3b93d8a953183ad8933f564e2aaf337a9

Its flavor was sour with a nostalgic watermelon flavor to it. It really had such a refreshing zing to it.

I made my first attempt with

• 178g 0% greek yogurt
• 34g whey protein
• 30g watermelon powder
• 34g lemon juice
• 97g frozen pineapple
• 61g water
• 101g grapefruit
• 91g banana
• 23g honey

And it was DISGUSTING. I suppose I could have known that ahead of time as I sampled the watermelon powder and it definitely tasted more like dog food than watermelon. I should've known from the reviews!

Anyway, I am curious for any tips on how to maybe get closer to this tart nostalgic watermelon flavor. I am open to using some amount of artificial flavors but the goal of this shake is to be a healthier version. It can be high-ish in sugar but it must come with nutrients and fiber as well.

I am curious mostly about how to impart watermelon flavor. I am guessing the reason the powder was so awful was that they dont freeze dry well since they are so juicy. How do you like to get watermelon flavor into your smoothies?