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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Sinful Chocolate Granita gives you deep, dark cocoa flavor and a refreshing crunchy texture. When you crave something with rich chocolate flavor, but it’s too hot for brownies or cake, this icy dessert is perfect. Plus you don’t need special equipment!
With the fun of a snow cone and the elegance of a treat from an Italian cafe, Sinful Chocolate Granita is better than anything you can get from the ice cream truck. It only takes three ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare!
Table of Contents
- What is Sinful Chocolate Granita?
- Tools You Need to Make Sinful Chocolate Granita
- Key Ingredients and Why
- How to Make Sinful Chocolate Granita
- How to Store Sinful Chocolate Granita
- FAQs
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- More Granita and Sorbet Recipes
What is Sinful Chocolate Granita?
- Sinful Chocolate Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from cocoa, sugar, and water. Granita originated in Sicily in the 9th century, and every town still has its favorite flavor and way of preparation, from smooth to chunky to crunchy, which is the texture I like the best.
- In Sicily, granita is enjoyed at breakfast or as a snack. It’s commonly eaten with brioche, which is used to scoop up the sweet treat.
- Sinful Chocolate Granita tastes so deliciously rich and decadent, that you’ll understand why I gave it the name! But it truly is refreshing and light.
Tools You Need to Make Sinful Chocolate Granita
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- Medium saucepan
- 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan
- Fork
Key Ingredients and Why
-
Cocoa powder
Use high-quality unsweetened cocoa for the most intense, chocolatey taste.
-
Granulated sugar
- Paired with intense, unsweetened cocoa, sugar brings sweetness and balances the flavor of Sinful Chocolate Granita.
- Cooked sugar forms a syrup, which lowers the freezing point to keep the granita mixture pleasantly crunchy instead of rock hard.
-
Salt
A pinch of salt accentuates the chocolate flavor.
How to Make Sinful Chocolate Granita
- Cook cocoa, sugar, water, and salt on low heat until the sugar melts.
- Transfer the mixture to the pan, let it cool, and freeze for an hour or until ice crystals form.
- Scrape up the mixture with a fork, drawing it to the center of the pan.
- Repeat the freezing and scraping cycle two or three times, until the mixture has fully formed into ice shards.
How to Store Sinful Chocolate 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.
FAQs
Can I use a sugar substitute?
Yes, you can use sugar substitutes.
- Try Allulose which is sugar-free and works just like sugar for the best result.
- Other sugar-free sugar substitutes may yield different texturs due to not being able to caramelize.
- Check out my Sugar Substitutes Chart for more details.
Can I make this in an ice cream maker?
- Yes, you can make this granita in an ice cream maker.
- A granita made in an ice cream maker will still taste delicious but will have finer granules instead of the classic crunchier, granular granita texture.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Use an 8-inch or a 9-inch pan or freezable container. You need all the surface area to scrape more granita.
- Out of ice? Add a spoonful of this to your favorite cocktail for a fresh, summery drink. Tequila and vodka would be perfect.
- Go the extra mile and serve granita with a big scoop of my Homemade Vanilla Ice cream on top. You get sweet and creamy, soft, and crunchy. The best of both worlds!
- Check my recipe and Make your own whipped cream.
- Feel free to experiment with different toppings like flavored cream or raspberries or strawberries.
More Granita, Sorbet, and Snow Cone Recipes
- How to Make Strawberry Granita
- Chocolate & Banana Sorbet in 5 Minutes (No Machine)
- Homemade Disneyland Dole Whip
- Blood Orange Granita
- Homemade Snow Cones: 3 Fresh Fruit Flavors!
Try These Recipes!
Sinful Chocolate Granita
Try out this Sinful Chocolate Granita recipe and savor the luscious frozen bliss of rich flavor and delightful icy crystals in a hot summer!
Servings: 5 servings
Try out this Sinful Chocolate Granita recipe and savor the luscious frozen bliss of rich flavor and delightful icy crystals in a hot summer!
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/480 ml) water
- ¾ cup (3 oz/85 g) cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup (5 oz/142 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the cocoa powder has dissolved and the sugar has melted--about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to an 8 or 9-inch metal cake pan and let it cool to room temperature.
- Freeze for 45 to 60 minutes, until the edges are starting to form ice crystals.
- Using a fork, scrape the crystals into the center and freeze for another 45 minutes.
- Repeat this process 2 to 3 more times, freezing, then scraping the crystals into the center, until the mixture is fully frozen into ice shards.
- Once finished, scoop into dishes to serve or keep it covered in the freezer for up to 1 week. Have it on its own or with an optional topping of whipped cream or fruit.
Can you use coffee instead of cocoa powder??