By now, everyone knows my favorite drink is a Pina Colada, so I try to take those flavors and incorporate them into my life as often as humanly possible. People also ask me what my favorite frozen treat is all the time, and while I absolutely love ice cream, making it at home is a big, lengthy project, and most people don’t have ice cream makers in their houses. So, take those two facts combined, and enter my recipe for Pina Colada Granita! Granita is a super easy way to make an ice cream-ish dessert, and all that’s required is a blender, a pan, a fork, and a little time. Once the granita freezes, you use the tines of a fork to scrape it up into fluffy, icy, cool summer perfection. This dessert is great for entertaining, because it can be made the night before, then scraped and served in a nice cocktail glass for a sweet frozen treat that feels fancy, but couldn’t be more simple to make. I like to serve mine with a fresh squeeze of lime juice for extra zing!
1. Don’t like Pina Coladas?
That’s okay! I mean, it’s not 100% okay with me personally, because I love them, but you can make granita with almost any fruit or frozen drink flavor combination that you like!
2. Granita vs. Sorbet
Granita and sorbet are extremely similar in terms of ingredients, so the main difference here is texture. While sorbet gets scooped up like ice cream, granita is always scraped and fluffed with a fork for a beautiful, airy, refreshing bite on a hot summer day.
3. Perfect for Summer Parties
Granita is so simple to make, and requires no special equipment or culinary skill for my recipe. It can be made hours or days ahead, and then served fresh for your guests when it’s time for dessert!
Pina Colada Granita
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 5 cups cubed pineapple 2 fresh pineapples or frozen
- 1/2 cup coconut water
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons of lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until very smooth and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a quarter sheet tray or a metal 13 x 9, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Check the granita, and if the edges have begun to freeze, use a fork to mix the frozen parts into the center and the less frozen parts out to the edges of the pan. Continue checking it every 30 minutes to an hour, mixing the outer edges into the center, until the granita is fully frozen.
- When ready to serve, use the tines of a fork to scrape the surface so that fluffy, icy crystals of granita are formed. Spoon into chilled glasses and serve immediately, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice if desired.
