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Coffee Granita

A simple Sicilian-inspired frozen coffee dessert that transforms strong coffee, sugar, and water into a silky, granular granita with a refreshing, intense coffee flavor.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 45
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 2 cups strong brewed espresso or very strong coffee cooled to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • Pinch of salt

Equipment

  • Shallow 9x13 inch freezer-safe baking dish
  • Fork
  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk or spoon for stirring
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Freezer

Method
 

  1. Brew 2 cups of strong espresso or very strong coffee and let it cool to room temperature.
  2. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
  3. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
  4. Pour the cooled coffee into a shallow 9x13 inch freezer-safe baking dish, add the cooled simple syrup, vanilla extract if using, and a pinch of salt, then stir to combine.
  5. Place the dish in the freezer and freeze for 45 minutes.
  6. Remove the dish and use a fork to scrape the forming ice crystals around the edges toward the center.
  7. Return the dish to the freezer and repeat scraping every 30 to 45 minutes for the next 2 to 3 hours to create a granular texture.
  8. After the final scrape, freeze the granita for an additional 30 minutes until set but still easily scraped with a fork.
  9. Serve immediately or store in the freezer for up to 24 hours, scraping with a fork before serving to refresh the texture.

Notes

Don’t skip the scraping steps to achieve the signature silky, granular texture; cover and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks and re-scrape before serving.