If you're looking for a delicious way to cool down on a hot summer day, look no further. This Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita is refreshing with lots of fresh strawberries, botanical gin, and a squeeze of lemon juice! The understated kick from the gin makes it perfect during these hot days during cocktail hour or as an end-of-the-night adult treat.

Two Coupe Glasses with Strawberry Lemon Granita with Gin.

With summer in full swing, I couldn't wait to share this Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita recipe with you.

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What Is a Granita?
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
How To Make Simple Syrup
How To Make a Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita
Expert Tip
Storage
More Vegan Frozen Desserts
Recipe
Comments

This delicious recipe has lots of fresh fruit, so the texture is not as icy or flakey as some variations since it's fruit-forward with gin! This granita is more on the slushy side because of the gin added to this recipe.

When is the last time you had a granita? Maybe in a restaurant with a selection of Italian desserts? I've had granitas in restaurants as a dessert or in between courses at fancy restaurants as a refreshing palate cleanser that is not too sweet. I wanted to recreate a strawberry granita combined with a cocktail - and that's how I came up with this recipe!

If you love fresh strawberries as much as I do, try this Strawberry Elderflower Gin Fizz and give this Vegan Gluten-free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp a try! If you have fresh plums, try my Plum Ginger Gin Sour, or try this Lavender Elderflower GIn Sour.

For more refreshing icy summer dessert recipes, check out these Cherry Coconut Popsicles and Blueberry Coconut Popsicles, as well as Vegan Creamy Coconut Popsicles.For another boozy frozen treat, try these Boozy Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles.For a non-alcoholic strawberry drink, try this Vegan Strawberry Milk.

What Is a Granita?

Granita is an Italian frozen dessert originating in Sicily and is typically hand-made with water, sugar, and assorted flavors such as fruit or coffee or wine, and liqueurs. The texture is similar to a sorbet, but it is grainier with ice crystals.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Did I mention it's easy? You don't need an ice cream maker or a popsicle mold. It's so refreshing and perfect for using the bounty of fresh strawberries and other fruits during the summer.

This strawberry granita is a simple dessert for entertaining or treating yourself! All you need to make this granita are fresh strawberries, simple syrup, gin, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Ingredients

Fresh strawberries - ripe, fresh strawberries are the best, although if you have overripe strawberries, this recipe is a great way to use them!
Simple syrup - See my notes below on how to make simple syrup if you have never made it before.
Gin - I used Empress 1908 Gin, a favorite in our household! Be sure to check out Empress 1908 Gin near you!
Zest and juice of one lemon - for tartness.

Strawberry Granita with Gin in a glass coupe.

Substitutions

Sweeter: You can add another tablespoon or two of organic cane sugar or simple syrup when blending your granita to make it a touch sweeter.
Lemon - use lime juice and lime zest instead.
Strawberries - try other seasonal fruits such as raspberries or peaches.

Variations

Deluxe: Add sliced fresh strawberries or coconut cream
Alcohol-free: Replace the gin with water, sparkling water, sparkling strawberry water, lemonade, lime juice, limeade, grapefruit juice, orange juice, or any other juice you like. Adjust the sweetness to your taste.
Mocktail version - See the kid-friendly version above, or replace the gin with tonic water or club soda.

Side view of Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita in coupe glass with mint garnish

How To Make Simple Syrup

It's easy to make this sugar syrup which is frequently used in cocktails, lemonade, and for moistening layers of cake.

Step 1: Combine one cup of water and a half cup of organic cane sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer on low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Take it off the heat and let it cool. For this recipe, save a half cup and refrigerate the rest.
Step 2: If you'd like a sweeter simple syrup, use one cup of organic cane sugar with one cup of water.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to one month. Use it for making cocktails, lemonade, sweeten homemade popsicles, iced tea, add it to coffee, or drizzle it over dry cake.

How To Make a Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita

First, you will make a strawberry puree mixed with sugar syrup and the rest of the ingredients. Then freeze it on a tray, mix it together by stirring it occasionally, and serve.

Step 1: Blend. Place the strawberries into a high-powered blender. Add simple syrup, gin, zest, and juice of one lemon. Start the blender at low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium-high for 45 to 60 seconds.⁠
Step 2: Freeze. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with a rim. Place in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes until icy at the edges. ⁠
Step 3: Mix. Take a metal fork and pull the edges towards the middle, which will be slushy. Mix and freeze for another 30 minutes. Then, repeat the process with the fork, bringing the edges towards the center. Repeat this process, mixing every 30 minutes over a total of 4 to 6 hours until the granita is icy. ⁠
Step 4: Serve immediately or transfer to a glass container and freeze until ready to serve-portion the granita into coupe glasses or large glasses. Get a spoon and enjoy!

Serve this delicious granita with fresh mint and a spoon since it's too thick to drink.

Expert Tip

Stir the mixture every 30 minutes for 4 to 6 hours during freezing so it doesn't turn into a block of ice. Place it in an airtight glass container.

Two coupe glasses filled with strawberry lemon granita with gin accented with sprig of mint.

Storage

Store this granita in an airtight glass container in the freezer for up to one week. Before serving, let it thaw briefly and rake through the mixture with a fork.

More Vegan Frozen Desserts

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Recipe

Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita

Author: Emily Miller

If you're looking for a delicious way to cool down on a hot summer day, try this Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita. It is very refreshing with lots of fresh strawberries and a squeeze of lemon juice!

5 from 152 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 0

Freezing time: 4

Total Time: 4 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 155kcal

EQUIPMENT

blender
Citrus juicer
Microplane zester
colander
Paring knife
Strawberry huller
Cutting board

INGREDIENTS

▢ 1 ¾ lb. fresh strawberries hulled and halved (794 g)⁠
▢ ½ cup simple syrup 125 ml⁠
▢ ½ cup gin 125 ml⁠
▢ Zest and juice of one organic lemon⁠

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the strawberries into a high-powered blender. Add simple syrup, gin, zest, and juice of one lemon. Start the blender at low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium-high for 45 to 60 seconds.⁠
Pour the mixture onto a metal baking sheet with a rim. Place in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes until icy at the edges. ⁠
Take a metal fork and pull the edges towards the middle, which will be slushy. Mix and freeze for another 30 minutes. Then, repeat the process with the fork, bringing the edges towards the center. Repeat this process over a total of 4 to 6 hours, until the granita is icy. ⁠Break down frozen chunks with a fork.
Serve immediately or transfer to a glass container and freeze until ready to serve. Portion granita into coupe glasses or large glasses Enjoy!⁠

NOTES

Feel free to leave out the gin. In that case, replace the gin with water or lemonade, limeade, or orange juice.

NUTRITION

Calories: 155 kcalCarbohydrates: 28.3 gProtein: 0.7 gFat: 0.3 gSodium: 1.8 mgSugar: 25.4 g

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Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.

Comments

5 from 152 votes (137 ratings without comment)