🍋 Granita al limone
Granita al limone is the classic Sicilian lemon granita, made from just fresh lemon juice, sugar and water. Frozen and scraped into fine crystals, it is tart, sweet and intensely refreshing, with a soft, spoonable texture. It is served in a glass, on its own on hot days or with a brioche for a Sicilian-style breakfast.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 ml fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
- 500 ml water
- 150 g sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
- Warm the water with the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar dissolves, then cool.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour into a shallow metal tray and freeze.
- Every 30 minutes, scrape and stir with a fork, for about 3–4 hours, until fine and fluffy.
- Serve in chilled glasses.
How to make it lighter
- Cut the sugar by a quarter — the lemon stays bright and the granita is still pleasant.
- Serve a small glass as a palate cleanser rather than a large dessert.
- Add fresh mint for extra flavour without extra sugar.
History
Lemon granita is one of the oldest and best-known flavours of the Sicilian granita tradition, made with the island's abundant citrus. It is sold at bars and kiosks across Sicily throughout the summer.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →