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Granita: The Icy Italian Dessert You Need This Summer!

Cool down like an Italian with this icy frozen treat! You can use any seasonal fruit you'd like, or take a grown-up approach with freshly brewed coffee. Just be sure to adjust the sweetener to your taste—some fresh, ripe fruits are very sweet on their own, and may not require as much sweetener.

Prep Time
10 mins
Freezing time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 974 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For a Fruit Granita
  • 4 cups finely chopped fruit of your choice (like watermelon, peaches, strawberries, mixed berries, or oranges)
  • 1 cup water (or combination of water and juice, see note)
  • 1/3 cup cane sugar
  • Sliced fruit, for garnish (optional)
For a Coffee Granita
  • 2 cups brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • Coffee beans, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Blend and freeze. To make a fruit granita, combine the fruit, water, and sugar into a blender or food processor and blend 30 seconds until smooth. For a coffee granita, mix the brewed coffee with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Pour the mixture into a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish that’s at least 8X12–inches. Place in the freezer for one hour.
  2. Scrape. After an hour, use a metal fork like a rake, scraping through the mixture to break up the ice. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour.
  3. Repeat. Continue scraping with a fork through the mixture every 30 minutes to an hour until it is fully frozen and the granita has a fluffy granulated texture. This should take about 2 hours in total if you have a large sheet tray, or longer if you’re using a smaller baking dish.
  4. Serve or store. Scrape into a pile and scoop into chilled serving glasses to serve immediately, or scrape into an airtight container and return to the freezer until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

  • to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including
  • olive oils
  • ,
  • honey
  • ,
  • jams
  • , and
  • spices
  • .
  • For an extra tart fruit granita: Replace half of the water with freshly squeezed lemon juice. 
  • Make it boozy: Adding a splash of liquor (like Grand Marnier for an orange granita, or coffee liqueur for a coffee granita). 
  • To speed up the freezing process:
  • Place your sheet pans or baking pans in the freezer for 30 minutes before you get started.
  • Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
  • For an extra tart fruit granita: Replace half of the water with freshly squeezed lemon juice. 
  • Make it boozy: Adding a splash of liquor (like Grand Marnier for an orange granita, or coffee liqueur for a coffee granita). 
  • To speed up the freezing process: Place your sheet pans or baking pans in the freezer for 30 minutes before you get started.
  • Nutrition facts are calculated based on one serving of a coffee granita.

Nutrition Information

Calories 97.4kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 24.9g (8%) Protein 0.1g (0%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.003g (0%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g Sodium 2.6mg (0%) Potassium 58.6mg (2%) Sugar 24.9g (50%) Calcium 2.6mg (0%) Iron 0.03mg (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 974

% Daily Value*

Calories 97.4kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 24.9g 8%
Protein 0.1g 0%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.003g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g 0%
Sodium 2.6mg 0%
Potassium 58.6mg 1%
Sugar 24.9g 50%
Calcium 2.6mg 0%
Iron 0.03mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.