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Almond Granita

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desserts•granita•italian•vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, contains nuts
4 hours 45 minutes•4 servings•

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar (150g)
  • 4 cups water
  • 8 ounces blanched almonds (~189 n/a almonds)
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
Almond Granita

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Combine the granulated sugar with 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 3 cups water to cool the mixture slightly; let stand 10 minutes.

  2. 2.

    Put the blanched almonds in a blender. Add the sugar–water mixture and the almond extract, then blend on high until very smooth and milky, 1–2 minutes.

  3. 3.

    Let the mixture steep in the blender jar to extract flavor, 20 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (or a nut-milk bag) into a bowl, pressing and squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

  5. 5.

    Cover and refrigerate the almond milk until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

  6. 6.

    Pour the cold mixture into a shallow metal pan and set it in the freezer until the edges begin to firm up, about 45 minutes.

  7. 7.

    Scrape the icy edges into the center with a fork and stir. Return to the freezer and repeat scraping every 30 minutes until the granita is made of fine, fluffy crystals and is spoonable, 2–3 hours total.

  8. 8.

    Fluff once more with a fork and serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Almond granita, or granita di mandorla, is a Sicilian shaved-ice dessert with a delicate, clean almond flavor and a light, snowy texture. Unlike ice cream or sorbet, it is dairy-free and relies on hand-scraped crystals that melt crisply on the tongue. The taste balances natural almond sweetness with a faint bitter-almond perfume, producing a refreshing finish that’s perfect for hot weather.

In Sicily—especially in Catania and Messina—almond granita is a staple of summer mornings and afternoons. It is traditionally enjoyed with a soft brioche bun, making a beloved breakfast or merenda. Its roots trace to Arab-influenced sherbets and to the historical practice of gathering snow from Mount Etna’s caves, which helped shape Sicily’s enduring culture of ices and sorbets. Almonds, a historic crop on the island, give this granita both its signature flavor and regional identity.