If you're looking for a delicious way to cool down this summer, look no further. This boozy Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita recipe is super refreshing with lots of strawberries and a touch of lemon!
The understated kick from the gin makes it perfect during these hot days during cocktail hour or as an end-of-the-night treat.
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If you love strawberries as much as I do, give this Vegan Gluten-free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp a try!
With summer being in full swing, I couldn't wait to share this Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita recipe with you. This recipe has many strawberries, so the texture is not as icy or flakey as some variations since it's fruit-forward with gin! Because of the gin added to this recipe, this granita is more on the slushy side.
When is the last time you had a granita? 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. But, this July has been a scorcher, and August will be the same. So, I wanted to recreate a strawberry granita combined with a cocktail - and that's how I came up with this recipe!
It's an easy dessert to make for entertaining or to treat yourself! All you need to make this granita are fresh strawberries, simple syrup, gin, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh strawberries - ripe, fresh strawberries are the best; although if you have overripe strawberries, go ahead and use them!
- Simple syrup - See my notes below on how to make simple syrup if you have never made it before.
- Gin - Use your favorite gin. I prefer an all-natural and gluten-free gin. For this recipe I used Empress 1908 Gin.
- Zest and juice of one lemon, preferably organic.
How to make simple syrup
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.
If you'd like a sweeter simple syrup, use one cup of organic cane sugar with one cup of water.
Instructions
- 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.
- Freeze. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with a rim. Place in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes until icy at the edges.
- 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.
- 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!
Top tip
Stir the mixture every 30 minutes for 4 to 6 hours during freezing, so it doesn't turn into a block of ice. If you're not going to enjoy the granita immediately, place it in an airtight glass container.
FAQ
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.
Did I mention it's easy? You don't need an ice cream maker or a popsicle mold. It's so refreshing and is perfect for using up the bounty of fresh strawberries and other fruits during the summer.
Serve with fresh mint, or feel free to add sliced fresh strawberries or coconut cream. You can enjoy it with a spoon; it's too thick to drink.
Store this granita in an airtight glass container for up to one week. Before serving, let it thaw briefly and rake through the mixture with a fork.
Feel free to leave out the gin. In that case, replace the gin with water, sparkling water, lemonade, limeade, or orange juice. Adjust the sweetness to your taste.
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. Try this Tamarind Margarita.
This granita will keep for one week in the freezer.
You can add another tablespoon or two of organic cane sugar or simple syrup when blending your granita to make it a touch sweeter.
Related recipes
Looking for more recipes to cool off and enjoy the fruits of berry season? Try these favorites!
Do you love watermelon? You're going to love this refreshing Watermelon Water!
If you make this Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita
Equipment
- colander
- Paring knife
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
Nutrition
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.
Brian says
It's a great mid-afternoon cooler on a hot day.
Emily says
Thank you, Brian, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Becky says
Love this refreshing granita! Not overly sweet so it can be served as an aperitif or palate cleanser or dessert. Easy to make. Recommend this recipe 100%
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Becky! We're so glad to hear that you love our granita recipe. You are right--it's refreshing and not overly sweet, making it the perfect aperitif or dessert. We hope you'll try out some of our other recipes as well!
Julia says
Wow! Love the freshness and slight sweetness from the strawberries paired with the kick of the gin. This would be great at a summer get together. This is going to become a favourite around here I think, probably replacing the gin for the limeade for weekdays as you suggest. Thank you for sharing.
Emily says
Thank you so much, Julia. This refreshing granita is perfect for summer and can easily be made within the gin! Enjoy!
Anaiah says
The last time I had granita was at a resort in Cancun and I was so amazed by it. I'm so happy to have found your recipe so I could finally make it myself. It was easy to make, absolutely delicious, and so refreshing with added mint on top. I loved the amount of strawberries in it, so perfect!
Emily says
Thank you for trying my recipe, Anaiah! I'm so happy to hear you loved it and that it was easy to make. Hopefully you can enjoy it all summer long!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Oh my, this was perfect for a warm day! It was so refreshing and delicious and so summery!
Emily says
Thank you so much for your review, Kayla. I'm so glad to hear this was perfect for a warm day. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!
Daniela says
fabulous dessert! enjoyed this on a hot day and it hit the spot
Emily says
Thank you for the 5-star review Daniela! I'm happy to hear our dessert was a hit and that it helped cool you down on a hot day!
Joshua says
First time having granita and wow! This little boozy strawberry slushy was a real treat!
Emily says
Thank you so much for your review, Joshua! We're so glad you enjoyed the Strawberry Granita!
Natalie says
This looks so refreshing and perfect for summer. Color is amazing! I will give this a try for sure.
Emily says
Thank you, Natalie, it's so refreshing. Let me know how you like it when you try it!