Watermelon Granita

This recipe for Watermelon Granita with Mint Lime Sugar is an easy-to-make, healthy, refreshing dessert. 

What is a Granita?

A granita is a semi-frozen dessert that is typically made with water, sugars, and flavorings of some sort. The mixture is frozen until partially solid and then scraped with a fork to form flavored ice crystals that melt in your mouth.

Talk about that perfect summer dessert!

Not only are granitas light, and refreshing, but they are also dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan-friendly--making granitas a perfect allergy-friendly treat.

Watermelon Granita

This recipe is for my favorite granita flavor--watermelon! Instead of using water, I love to make my granita with fresh watermelon juice. The sweet watermelon juice adds incredible flavor to the granita and is so refreshing in flavor.

The watermelon granita alone is a perfect light frozen dessert, but when finished with mint lime sugar, this easy granita recipe turns into something spectacular.

Notes on Ingredients

• Fresh Watermelon: You want to be sure your watermelon is REALLY ripe so that your granita is super sweet. In fact, Watermelon Granitas are a perfect time to use watermelon that has been sitting in your fridge for a couple of days.
• Fresh Limes: The zest and fresh juice of the lime will really make the flavors pop in this simple dessert.
• Honey: The sweetness of your watermelon will determine how much sweetener you will need to add to the watermelon puree. I love using honey, but maple syrup can be used to keep this dessert vegan-friendly.
• Mint Sugar: Made with lime zest, fresh mint, and granulated sugar, this optional topping really makes this dessert memorable.

How to Make Watermelon Granita

• Place watermelon chunks, lime juice, and honey into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Give the mixture a quick taste test to see if additional sweetener needs to be added.
• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a shallow freezer-safe dish and pour the blended watermelon through the mesh sieve. This will remove any seeds or chunks and keeps the granita super smooth.

• Cover the dish with plastic wrap or an airtight lid and place the mixture into the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
• After 2-3 hours, remove the granita from the freezer and use a fork to scrape the top frozen layer of the granita. Once you get to the less frozen parts, stop scraping and return to the freezer for at least 2 more hours.
• Repeat the process up to three times, or until the granita is fully frozen.

Mint Lime Sugar

While these Watermelon Granitas have a fabulous flavor that stands alone, I love topping the granita with sugar that has been flavored with fresh mint and lime zest. It really adds an element of WOW and freshness and couldn't be easier to pull together.

• Mix together fresh lime zest, freshly minced mint, sugar, and a dash of salt together in a small mixing bowl.
• Scoop up the watermelon granita into serving bowls and sprinkle with the mint lime sugar right before serving.

Storing Granitas

Once the granita has been fully scraped, it will keep in its beautiful icy consistency for up to 2 months, if stored in the freezer in an airtight container.

More Frozen Treats

• Homemade Fudgesicles
• Drumstick Ice Cream Cones
• No-Churn Ice Cream
• Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

If you make and enjoy this Watermelon Granita, I would love for you to leave a comment and your five-star rating below – I love hearing from you!