This watermelon granita is an icy, refreshing treat that is at once light and satiating. It’s sweet without being cloyingly so, and has a fresh, bright, lightly acidic taste. A watermelon granita is the perfect ending to a barbecue or cookout meal, makes for an excellent mid-afternoon chilled treat, and even works as a frozen cocktail base. It’s kid friendly, but also sophisticated enough to serve for a dinner party.
What is a Granita?
Think of a granita as in the family of sorbet and popsicles, but a little more icy. It’s a frozen dessert made with puréed or juiced fruit, with a fluffy texture created by scraping the mixture with a fork as it freezes. The hourly scraping creates both volume and texture.
What’s in a Watermelon Granita
This granita is made with freshly puréed watermelon, lemon juice, and honey. The honey is used instead of sugar because honey doesn’t freeze. That means this granita will freeze less rock-hard than a standard granita. The honey sweetens it to dessert status, while the lemon juice balances it all out with a touch of tartness.
Tips and Tricks for Making Watermelon Granita
This watermelon granita is fairly forgiving, but for best results you’ll want to follow the below guidelines.
It’s ok to scrape the granita more than once an hour.You don’t need to strain the purée; little bits of watermelon will provide texture.Choose a light, golden honey so that the honey flavor doesn’t overwhelm the watermelon.
Watermelon Granita Swaps and Subs
Want to try something different? This granita recipe works equally well with honeydew, cantaloupe or another melon. Simply follow the same instructions for puréeing and freezing. If you’d prefer to use stone fruit or berries, you’ll need to use equal parts of fruit and fruit juice, since they have a lower water content than melons do. If you prefer sugar to honey, use that instead; the leftovers will just firm up more, and you might need to let it thaw before eating. Lime juice works equally as well as lemon. If you’re using a less sweet fruit, such as peaches, you can choose a less tart citrus like orange or grapefruit. If you don’t have an 11x7 pan, you can use an 8x8 square; add up to one hour to freezing time to account for less surface area for the granita to freeze on.
Watermelon Granita Serving Suggestions
This granita works well when served:
In a festive glass, such as a martini or wine glassIn a bowl, topped with fresh fruit piecesLayered with fruit and whipped cream in a large bowlAs a cocktail base: just pour one serving of your spirit of choice over it in a glass and stir
Watermelon Granita Storage
While most granitas need to be eaten as soon as they’re ready or they’ll over freeze, this granita offers you the luxury of leftovers because I used honey, which doesn’t freeze the same way granulated sugar does. Store any unused portion in your freezer in a tightly sealed container. When ready to eat it again, use a fork to fluff it back up. It will keep in the freezer for about a month before developing more ice crystals than desirable.
More Refreshing Chilled Treats
Meyer Lemon Sorbet Cherry Yogurt Popsicles Rhubarb Sorbet Plum Sorbet
