Basil Berry Granita

This refreshing Basil Berry Granita recipe is made with watermelon, mixed berries, fresh basil leaves, and a hint of honey.  

This homemade Italian ice is a bright, simple and healthful dessert that’s rich with immune-boosting antioxidants.

What is Granita?

Granita is  frozen dessert typically made with fruit puree, juices or concentrate.  All you do is purée the ingredients in a blender until smooth. You might be tempted to put a straw in it and drink it down, but instead pour it into a 9 x 9 x 2 pan or some other freezer friendly container, then pop in the freezer and freeze the mixture for 1 hour. Then using a fork – poke, mash and rake the ice as it freezes.

Berry Granita Recipe

We use a refreshing combination of watermelon, mixed berries and fresh basil leaves.  If you don’t have any fresh basil on hand, this recipe is still delicious without it.

• Watermelon. We use seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
• Mixed Berries. We use a combination of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for this recipe.
• Water. Water helps to puree the fruit.
• Sweetener. We add a little pure clover honey to the mix.
• Herbs. We use fresh basil leaves for this recipe. 
• Lemon Juice. We add just a little lemon juice, which adds a perky flavor and enhances the flavors of the fruit.

Find recipe card with the measurements below.

How To Make Watermelon Berry Granita

Making homemade granita is a fun, healthy and inexpensive frozen treat to make for your family during long hot summer months.

1. Place watermelon and berries in a blender and blend well.
2. Add the water, honey, basil leaves and lemon juice and blend for another 30 seconds or until smooth.  There will be flecks of blueberry skin.
3. Pour the mixture into a square or rectangle baking pan.
4. Place in the freezer uncovered for about 1-1/2 hours or until almost solid.
5. Remove from freezer and break the granita up using a fork.
6. Return to freezer and freeze for an hour longer.  Then remove from freezer and using a fork, scrape the granita to break up some more

More Granita Flavors

Granita is a whimsical, flavorful and refreshingly light frozen dessert that can be made with just about any fruit or any combination of fruits you choose.  Besides this Basil Berry Granita, these are some of my favorite fruits that I like to make granita with.

• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Honeydew
• Mango
• Peach
• Lemon
• Orange
• Berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

Looking For More Frozen Dessert Recipes?

• Strawberry Popsicles
• Watermelon Popsicles
• Lime Popsicles
• Pineapple Paletas
• Coconut Water Fruit Popsicles
• Lemon Ginger Popsicles

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Yield: 6 Servings

Basil Berry Granita

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

This Basil Berry Granita is cross between a slushy and sorbet.. It's made with watermelon, mixed berries, fresh basil leaves, and a hint of honey. It's loaded with immune-boosting antioxidants, making it a great healthy snack to enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups ripe seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
• 2-1/2 - 3 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• 1 cup water, either plain or coconut water
• 2 tablespoons pure clover honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Place watermelon and berries in a blender and blend well.
2. Add the water, honey, basil leaves and lemon juice and blend for another 30 seconds or until smooth.  There will be flecks of blueberry skin.
3. Pour the mixture into a square or rectangle baking pan.
4. Place in the freezer uncovered for about 1-1/2 hours or until almost solid.
5. Remove from freezer and break the granita up using a fork.
6. Return to freezer and freeze for an hour longer.  Then remove from freezer and using a fork, scrape the granita to break up some more

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 6gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.