Last Updated on May 19, 2019 by Themigonikitchen

The ultimate way to cool down on a hot summer day is with a granita! Granita hails from Sicily and is essentially a fancier shaved ice typically made with fresh fruit. In Sicily, they actually often eat granita for breakfast with a side of brioche, because Italians know how to live. You can make granita with any fruit, but we got a perfect mini watermelon in our CSA box this past week and bunch of fresh basil and this idea was born.

The beauty of a granita is that no fancy equipment or gadgets are needed other than a blender! It does require a bit of monitoring, as you do need to agitate/scrape the ice every few hours to get the right consistency, but it only takes minutes to prep. Simply blend up your watermelon with the juice of one lime, a teaspoon of honey, and a few leaves of fresh basil. Pour into a shallow dish and place into freezer! So easy!

Pre-freezing

It’s the perfect light dessert for summer BBQs and can be made into a refreshing adult treat by adding your choice of liquor (we prefer tequila or rum!). Happy summer!

Watermelon, Basil and Lime Granita

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 4 People

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 3 Cups Watermelon seeds removed and chopped
• 1 Lime
• 6-7 Leaves fresh basil
• 1 Teaspoon honey

Method

 

1. Add watermelon, juice of 1 lime, basil, and honey to blender.
2. Blend on high for until all ingredients are well mixed.
3. Pour into a large pyrex container, cover, and place in freezer.
4. Every 1-2 hours, check on the granita and mix using a fork to create a slush type consistency. Do this 3-4 times or until desired texture is reached.
5. Serve with fresh basil on top.
6. Optional: Can add your liquor of choice before freezing. Tequila, Rum or Gin would go well. I would start with 1-2 ounces and adjust for taste.