Vegan Coffee Granita
This frozen coffee dessert is the kind of thing that looks impressive but comes together with almost no special equipment — just a baking dish, a fork, and a little patience. Strong brewed coffee gets sweetened with organic cane sugar and a whisper of vanilla, then slowly transformed in the freezer into those gorgeous, coarse, glittering crystals that make a granita so satisfying to eat. The scraping process is almost meditative, and the payoff is a texture that's somewhere between shaved ice and a snow cone — light, bold, and deeply caffeinated. What really elevates it is the whipped coconut cream on top: a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk beaten with a touch of sugar and vanilla until it's cloud-soft and luscious. It's a genuinely elegant swap that delivers the same richness you'd expect from dairy whipped cream, without any of it. Serve it in chilled glasses with a dusting of finely ground espresso and you've got a dessert that feels straight off a café menu in Sicily. This recipe makes four servings, so it's perfect for a dinner party finish or a weekend treat you can prep well ahead of time.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the granita
- 2 cups strong brewed coffee, hot
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
For the whipped coconut cream
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
For serving
- 1 tsp finely ground espresso or coffee, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the hot brewed coffee and 1/3 cup organic cane sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- 2
Pour the coffee mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and let it cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Transfer the dish to the freezer.
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