Italian cherry granita with mint is a refreshing summer dessert that you can make ahead of time and enjoy outdoors or at your next gathering. This granita recipe uses cherries but you could easily substitute strawberries, lemon or any other fruit you like.
If you are not familiar with Italian granitas, they are basically a light Italian that is made by scraping frozen sweetened fruit puree. By scraping the fruit puree, it is creating smaller and smaller ice crystals to form and the final result is a light and fluffy iced dessert.
Now I like keeping things very simple when I cook and this recipe is simple in that it is a few minutes of work preparing the ingredients before it goes intot he blender and then into the freezer. The only not simple part is that you need to scrape the mixture in the freezer every 30 minutes or so for the first 4 hours.
Add ingredients to blender Blend for 1 minute until smooth
If I am making this granita recipe, I will do it when I am home all day and usually I make it for when friends are coming over the next day or if we want granitas the next day.
So, it really is simple but will require a little attention on the day you are making it. The ingredients for this Italian Cherry granita are simple.
Cherry and Mint Granita Recipe Ingredients:
- Fresh or frozen and thawed cherries
- Fresh mint
- Sugar
- Water
- Limes
As I mention above, you can use any fruit you like in the recipe. I chose cherries because that was in season at the time of writing this recipe. I also love them and add them to many recipes like my limeade or BBQ pork skewers. The process, steps and amounts in the recipe will remain the same no matter what fruit you choose.
When making this recipe with the cherries, the easiest way to do this is to buy frozen cherries with the pits removed and then thaw them out. If you do want to work with fresh cherries, just make sure you remove the pits.
The steps for the making of this granita recipe are simple. I took some picture for you to see the progression of the scraping the granita. Basically, it starts off thick like a puree and it begins to dry out as time goes on. With each scrape with a fork that you do, you make new little fruit crystals.
When it looks completely dry and fluffy, you know the granita is ready. If you are making this ahead of time like I like to do, when the granita is done just cover it in plastic wrap in your freezer overnight. When you are ready to serve it, just fluff it up again with a fork and scoop it into individual containers.
The Granita Progression:
Puree 
First scrape 
Fourth Scrape Sixth Scrape
I love serving the granita in individual baking cups that you would use for making cupcakes (not the cupcake liners but the sturdier cups). You could also use ramekins or small glasses as well. Use what you have on hand.
If you have not tried making granita, I highly recommend it. It is refreshing, great for serving a group of people (when you make it ahead of time) and the perfect light dessert on those hot days.
Once you try this version, you can experiment with so many other flavors depending on your mood.
Easy Cherry Granita With Mint
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted cherries fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 5 fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a high powdered blender, add all of your ingredients.
- Blend until smooth about 1 minutes.
- Pour your ingredients into a large 9x11 baking dish making sure the liquid does not go higher than ¼ inch inside the pan.
- Place in the freezer flat and freeze for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, with a fork, scrape the granita making sure to get the sides well.
- Repeat this step every 30 minutes for 4 hours.
- It is ready when the granita looks dry and fluffy.
- Cover with plastic wrap in the freezer until ready to serve.
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