Frozen Watermelon Granita Recipe (2024)

By Maike Corbett | Published: May 14, 2019 | Modified: May 15, 2019

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A frozen Watermelon Granita is a real summer treat. It's a refreshing, crunchy frozen dessert with just three simple ingredients. And if you want to make it extra special, top the Granita with fresh mint whipped cream.

What is a Granita?

Granita is a semi-frozen Italian dessert from Italy. It's an effortless dessert that takes very little preparation time. I make this in a shallow pan and freeze it for a few hours.

People often compare this to a sorbet - except that sorbet is passed through an ice-cream maker to produce the texture. Likewise, a granita has a beautiful texture that lingers on the palate as it's enjoyed.

And you won't need any special tools or equipment. I use a food processor (a blender works, too) to make them at our house. When I've made them at a friend's house, I've even used a masher, fork, and spoon (the blender was busy making adult beverages).

So, if you have a favorite sorbet but don't have an ice cream maker (hint, hint -> husband), you can serve the sorbet in a granita. And conversely, you can turn a granita into a sorbet simply by churning it in an ice cream maker.

The texture is the most significant difference between a sorbet and a granita. A granita has a chunkier texture, full of crystalized ice, whereas a sorbet is smoother like ice cream.

Ingredients to Make Watermelon Granita

• watermelon
• lemon (juice + zest)
• granulated sugar
• pinch of salt (optional)

How To Make Watermelon Granita

The good news is that you don't need a fancy ice cream maker to create this refreshing frozen dessert. With just a few minutes of prep time, you can create a frozen dessert full of flavors and textures to surprise and delight families and guests.

1. Begin by roughly chopping about two cups of fresh watermelon into large chunks.
2. Zest, then juice the lemon. This Microplane is excellent for zesting.
3. Puree the watermelon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a food processor.
4. Transfer the watermelon puree mixture into a 9x9 shallow baking pan. I use a glass pan, but you can also use a metal one.
5. Freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and use a regular fork to scrape the frozen watermelon mixture into the pan to form ice crystals.
6. Freeze for an additional 3 hours.

Tips for making Granita

Granitas are all about flavor and texture. Once you've made them a few times, you'll feel how chunky you like them to be. If you want a less chunky version, puree it longer in the food processor. But, again, this is a dessert that encourages experimentation.

I like my Granita to be on the chunkier side because it's what makes them so distinctly different from sorbet, sherbet, or ice cream.

To be on the chunkier side, it's what makes them so distinctly different from sorbet, sherbet, or ice cream.

To add creaminess to this frozen dessert, top it with fresh whipped cream. I love to combine this Granita with fresh mint whipped cream. Also, my husband loves it when I cut in fresh strawberries.

Top your Granita with fresh strawberries to add flavor and visual interest.

Tip: If you like strawberries. Sprinkle a little sugar over some fresh strawberries just before serving. It will draw out the liquid and enhance the natural strawberry flavors.

A pinch of salt is optional, but I think it greatly enhances the natural flavors.

Cut the watermelon in half and replace it with an equal amount of fresh strawberries. Add lemon and granulated sugar and proceed as before.

If you're trying to reduce the tartness, look for Meyer's lemons. Meyer's lemons are a smaller, sweeter type of lemon (a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange) with orange undertones.

Finally, add your watermelon granita to a glass of cold Rosé and enjoy. 😉

More Summer Favorites

• German Cucumber Salad. Another delicious 3-ingredient recipe.
• Kale Banana Smoothie. This green smoothie tastes like dessert.
• Strawberry Whipped Pudding. A childhood favorite revived.
• Lemon Date Balls. Perfect on-the-go snacks.
• Grape Salad. Salad or a dessert? You decide.
• White Chocolate Mousse. Creamy, 3-ingredient dessert!