Carrageenan Free Watermelon Mint Granita
Few frozen desserts feel as effortlessly refreshing as a granita made with peak-summer watermelon, and this one delivers that icy, sherbety texture without a single additive or stabilizer in sight. That matters more than you might think — many store-bought frozen treats and even some flavored ices sneak in thickening agents that can be hard to spot on a label. Here, every ingredient is straightforward: fresh watermelon, honey, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and a mint-infused simple syrup that brings a cool, herbal lift to every spoonful. The process is almost meditative — you blend, strain, freeze, and scrape with a fork every half hour or so until the whole pan turns into a pile of loose, glittering crystals. That repeated scraping is what gives granita its signature fluffy, shaved-ice quality, and it requires zero special equipment beyond a baking dish and a freezer. The result is bright, lightly sweet, and just tart enough from the fresh lime to keep you going back for another scoop. Serve it in chilled glasses with a sprig of mint and it looks far more impressive than the effort involved.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 6 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about ½ small watermelon)
- 3 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 pinch salt
For serving
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves. Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain out and discard the mint leaves.
- 2
Working in batches if needed, blend the watermelon cubes in a blender until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
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