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Lemon Basil Granita in a bowl + Serving Container
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Lemon Basil Granita

This easy lemon basil granita is a frozen dessert made with a quick basil honey simple syrup and lemon juice. No ice cream maker needed!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Freeze Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 160kcal
Author: Sarah Trenalone

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup basil (roughly packed)
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice (6-8 lemons), plus grated zest from one lemon

Instructions

  • Make a simple syrup by mixing the water, basil, honey, sugar in a saucepan.
    Use a microplane grater to zest one lemon. Add the zest to the syrup.
    Bring mixture to a simmer and remove from heat.
    Set aside for 15 minutes, and then strain the basil out of the syrup.
    Make a Syrup with Sugar, Honey, + Basil
  • Juice lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice. Mix together the lemon juice and the basil-honey syrup.
    Mix Lemon Juice + Syrup
  • Pour entire mixture into an shallow container. (I use a medium-size casserole dish).
    Set pan uncovered on a level surface in the freezer for 2 hours, and then scrape with a fork. Pay extra attention to the edges, making sure to scrape the frozen fruit mixture away from the side of the container.
    Tip: Set a timer so that you don't forget to scrape the granita.
    Scrape with a Fork After Two Hours
  • Scrape the mixture again 2 hours later, or just before serving.
    It's fine to wait until the next day to scrape it again.
    Serve right away, or transfer the granita to an air-tight container and serve within a week.
    Scrape Again After Four Hours

Notes

Yields about 1 quart granita.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg