Watermelon Granita

Name: Watermelon Granita
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Ingredients: 6 cups (900 g) cubed ripe seedless watermelon

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Freeze ripe seedless watermelon cubes until completely solid, then pulse and process them in a food processor just until they turn into fluffy pink crystals. Serve immediately for a one-ingredient granita with no added sugar.

Jump to Recipe

Watermelon granita can be a whole afternoon of scraping a pan every half hour, or it can be the reason you keep a bag of frozen watermelon in the freezer. This version takes the second route. Freeze ripe watermelon in small cubes, then let the food processor fracture those cubes into thousands of loose ice crystals. No syrup, no extra sugar, and no pretending a mediocre melon will suddenly become exciting because it got cold.

The texture depends more on temperature than technique. The cubes need to be frozen hard, the processor bowl should be at least half full, and you should stop as soon as the fruit looks like fluffy pink snow. Keep processing and the blades warm the watermelon enough to turn the granita into slush. That is still refreshing, but it is a different dessert. Work fast, serve it cold, and let the watermelon do the entire ingredient list by itself.

Prep15 minutes

Cook0 minutes

Total3 hrs 15 min

Serves6 servings (about 5 cups)

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

6 cups (900 g) cubed ripe seedless watermelon

Instructions

1Cut away the green peel and white rind, then cut the red flesh into roughly 1-inch cubes. Remove any black seeds. Measure 6 cups (900 g) of watermelon.
2Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Spread the watermelon cubes in a single layer so they are not piled together. Freeze until completely solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3Transfer the frozen watermelon to an 8-cup or larger food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times, stopping once to scrape down the bowl, until the large cubes are broken into coarse icy pieces.
4Run the food processor continuously for 30 to 60 seconds, stopping to scrape if needed, just until the watermelon becomes loose, fluffy pink crystals. Do not keep processing after it turns snowy or the fruit will warm and become slushy.
5Spoon the granita into chilled glasses or bowls and serve immediately. If it softened while processing, spread it in a shallow container and freeze 15 to 20 minutes, then rake once with a fork before serving.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 6 servings.

45Calories

1 gProtein

11 gCarbohydrates

0 gTotal Fat

0 gSaturated Fat

1 gFiber

9 gTotal Sugars

0 mgSodium

0 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Taste the watermelon before freezing it. Because this recipe has no added sugar, the fruit has nowhere to hide; use the sweetest, juiciest melon you can find.
Freeze the cubes in one layer before bagging them. A solid frozen watermelon brick is much harder on the food processor and warms unevenly.
Stop at fluffy crystals. Once the granita begins smearing against the bowl instead of tumbling like snow, it is getting too warm.

Substitutions

seedless watermelon → seeded watermelon Use the same 900 g of ripe red flesh and remove all hard black seeds before freezing.

food processor → high-powered blender Work in small batches and pulse repeatedly without adding water. A blender tends to make a wetter slush, so the food processor gives the better granita texture.

plain serving → lime or Tajín at the table The base recipe stays one ingredient. Add a squeeze of lime or a light dusting of Tajín only after processing if you want a sharper finish.

Storage Instructions

Watermelon Granita is best immediately after processing. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let the container stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then rake firmly with a fork or pulse briefly in the food processor to loosen the crystals before serving.

Make Ahead

Freeze the watermelon cubes on a sheet pan, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 1 month. Process only the amount you want to serve; frozen cubes hold their quality better than already-processed granita.

Allergen Note

As written, this recipe contains none of the nine major U.S. food allergens. Check any optional toppings if cross-contact or food allergies are a concern.