Watermelon Granita
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An easy, 3-ingredient watermelon granita recipe made with lime juice and fresh summer melon.
Why Make This Watermelon Granita Recipe?
“Watermelon granita” sounds fancy, but it’s really just a grown-up, slightly more natural version of a classic snow cone, or Sonic’s Watermelon Slush. And, like my lemon, peach, and cherry cola versions, it comes together with very little effort.
Just blend cubes of fresh summer watermelon with granulated sugar and a squeeze of lime juice, pour the mixture into a shallow dish, and place it in the freezer. As it starts to freeze, scrape the sides of the dish periodically to break up the ice and create the crunchy crystals. After a couple of hours (and a whole lot of scraping!!) you’ll produce a refreshing summer dessert without ever needing to heat up the oven.
Ths watermelon granita can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer, so it’s a great choice for summer gatherings, picnics, or relaxed dinner parties when you’d rather spend time with guests than be stuck in the kitchen assembling a fancy dessert.
Watermelon Granita Ingredients
To make this watermelon granita recipe, you’ll need just three ingredients:
- Granulated Sugar – Watermelon is naturally sweet, so I’ve only added 50 grams (1/4 cup) of sugar. Feel free to adjust the sweetener to suit your taste preferences.
- Watermelon – You’ll need 1 kg (35 ounces, or about 7 US cups) of cubed watermelon. To avoid waste I purchase with pre-sliced watermelon from the prepared foods aisle at the supermarket; you can also start with a whole melon and use the rest of the fruit to make fruit skewers or a feta and watermelon salad.
- Lime – Freshly squeezed lime juice balances the sweetness of the sugar and melon.
How to Make Watermelon Granita
To make homemade watermelon granita, start by blitzing cubed melon, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor until thin and liquidy, with no chunks of fruit remaining:
Then, pour everything into a flat, shallow container. Freeze the mixture, and periodically scrape the ice crystals with a fork:
A few hours of scraping and freezing later, and that’s it! A light and refreshing watermelon dessert reminiscent of a snow cone or shaved ice.
For ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions, and process photos, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Choosing the Right Container for Watermelon Granita
For best results, choose a shallow square or rectangular container. (If you use a small, deep container or a round bowl, the granita mixture will take a much longer time to freeze.) My favorite container for making granitas is a lidded rectangular plastic food storage container measuring about 5 1/2 x 9 inches. Any similarly-sized plastic food storage container will work.
Some granita recipes recommend an 8×8 or 9×13 metal cake tin because metal freezes faster than plastic. Metal will definitely work (and it’s a good option if you want to speed things along) but I prefer plastic because the repetitive fork-scraping can scratch and damage a metal tin.
Notes on Blending
Depending on the capacity of your blender or food processor, you might need to purée the watermelon in multiple smaller batches, transferring each batch of purée to a bowl before adding more cubed melon to the food processor.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Plan ahead. The entire freezing process can take anywhere from 6-10 hours, depending on the size and shape of your container, your freezer temperature, and whether the freezer is empty or full.
Other granita recipes you might enjoy:
Lemon Granita
Vanilla Peach Granita
Cherry Cola Granita
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Watermelon Granita
- Total Time6-10 hours
- Yield1 kilogram (about seven 1-cup servings) 1x
An easy, 3-ingredient watermelon granita recipe made with lime juice and fresh summer melon.
Ingredients
50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
1 kilogram seedless watermelon, cubed (35 ounces; about 7 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
In the bowl of a food processor, purée half of the watermelon until liquified, about 10 seconds.
Add remaining melon, granulated sugar, and lime juice and blitz until smooth, about 5 seconds more.
Pour purée into a flat, shallow plastic container or baking dish. Freeze 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until edges begin to freeze.
With a rubber spatula, scrape outer edges of container, stirring the partially frozen pieces back into the liquid.
Freeze 1 hour more. Stir again.
Continue stirring every hour, breaking pieces apart with a spatula or dinner fork, until the mixture resembles finely crushed ice. (The entire process will take anywhere from 6-10 stirs, depending on your chosen container, freezer temperature, and whether you prefer a “slushie” or “snowball” consistency.)
Scoop into glasses. Garnish with lime zest, watermelon wedges, or slices of lime. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Freezing Time: 8-10 hours
- Category: Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts
- Method: Freezer
