Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts

Blood Orange Granita

4.59 from 12 votes
My Blood Orange Granita recipe is a crunchy, refreshing dessert made with just two ingredients and no special equipment required.
My Blood Orange Granita filled to the top of a glass bowl is a refreshing frozen dessert.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Blood Orange Granita is the perfect treat for both kids and adults on a hot summer day! The crunchy, refreshing iced dessert is different from ice cream or sorbet, with an icy texture not unlike popular snow cones in the US. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make. 

You won’t need any popsicle molds or sticks for this granita recipe. In fact, you don’t need any special equipment except a baking pan that you can put in the freezer and a fork.

Kids will love the sweet treat even though it’s more fruit than sugar, and adults can enjoy it too — but maybe with some vodka or tequila!

What is Blood Orange Granita?

Granita is a popular dessert in Italy that I make with just two ingredients: blood orange juice and sugar. But granita comes in many flavors! You can make granita from any fruit juice, or even scrape up some coffee-flavored granita. 

Unlike shaved ice, which is more fluffy and almost like snow, granita is coarse and crunchy. Plus, I’d argue that this blood orange granita is healthier than any snow cone you’d be able to get at a baseball game or from an ice cream truck.

Making my Blood Orange Granita recipe in a baking pan and using a fork to scrape the ice into the right crunchy texture.

What You Need To Make Blood Orange Granita

  • Measuring cups
  • A 9 x 13″ baking pan you can put in the freezer
  • A fork
  • A lidded, freezer-safe container for storage

How To Make Blood Orange Granita

The magical thing about this recipe, besides the fact that it is so simple, is that it takes little preparation. If you start the process in the morning, you’ll be able to enjoy it for a late-afternoon snack.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Combine blood orange juice and sugar in a bowl.
  2. Strain the mixture into a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, or freezer-safe container, and place in the freezer.
  3. Every hour, for 5 hours, scrape the frozen pieces from the edge of the dish into the center with a fork. 
  4. After you have scraped the frozen pieces 5 times over the course of 5 hours, transfer the granita to a lidded, freezer-safe container. Or enjoy right away!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips for Making Blood Orange Granita

  • Granita is best made in a 9 x 13″ baking pan or freezable container. You need all the surface area to scrape more granita. 
  • Granita will stay flaky for up to 2 days in the freezer — but after those two days, it will harden into a solid block. Soften the granita on your counter for 15 minutes and re-scrape, breaking it into larger pieces. Blend it for a few seconds or simply let it melt slightly and restart the scraping process.
  • If you don’t have blood oranges on hand, you can use this recipe with 3 cups of any juice! However, keep in mind you may have to adjust your sugar or omit it altogether, depending on how sweet your fruit is. 
  • To get the best of both worlds, serve the granita in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream — it’ll be a fruity, creamy, icy dish of heaven.

How To Store Blood Orange Granita?

The blood orange granita can be kept in the freezer, inside a lidded, freezer-safe container, for up to 8 weeks. If it has frozen into a hard block, simply let it melt a little and restart the scraping process!  A glass bowl of my Blood Orange granita ready to eat with a spoon.

Make More Frozen Desserts

Or visit my Freezer Section with 100+ ice cream & frozen dessert recipes!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Blood Orange Granita

4.59 from 12 votes
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 8 people
Prep Time 10 minutes
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (24floz/675ml) blood orange juice (from about 5 oranges)
  • ¼ cup (2oz/57g) sugar

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine blood orange juice and sugar.
  • Strain into a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking dish and place in the freezer.
  • Every hour, scrape the frozen pieces from the edges into the center with a fork and stir for a total of 5 times.
  • After 5 hours, transfer to a lidded, freezer safe container and store for up to 8 weeks. Enjoy for dessert as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
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Zalak
Zalak
3 years ago

I want try try this recipe, but they’re are no blood oranges or blood orange juices near me. Can we substitute it with anything else? Maybe oranges? Also, I am a vegetarian and do not eat eggs as well.

Liesl Miller
3 years ago

I’ve always wanted to make granita! can you use this recipe with any fruit? cause that would be great!

Mné Kidwell
3 years ago

I substitute the sugar with Xylitol sugar.

Mné Kidwell
3 years ago

I’ve made this with Grapefruit and WOW!!!

Claire0511
3 years ago

Can I do this with tin peaches?

Sherrie Heim
Sherrie Heim
3 years ago

You have awesome recipes… That said, your website is a pain to look at. To many pop ups.

This Recipe Made By Bold Bakers

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Mné Kidwell

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Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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