This Strawberry Watermelon Granita is icy, fruity, and loaded with fresh summer flavor in every spoonful. Made with real fruit, a hint of lime, and just the right amount of sweetness, it’s cold, fluffy, and seriously refreshing.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why You'll Love This Granita Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredients for Strawberry Watermelon Granita
• 🔪 How to Make Granita with Strawberry and Watermelon
• 💡 Tips
• ☑️ Storage Instructions
• 🔄 Substitutions and Additions
• Why is it Called Granita?
• How Do I Know When it’s Ready to Eat?
• What if I Forgot to Scrape it and it Froze Solid?
• Can I Use a Different Sweetener?
• 🍽️ More Fruity Dessert Recipes

❤️ Why You'll Love This Granita Recipe

• Sweet juicy strawberries and fresh watermelon
• Zesty lime for a slight tanginess
• Perfectly sweetened
• Texture that’s a cross between sorbet, Italian ice and a snow cone
• Easy to make, with minimal prep

Made with sweet juicy strawberries and fresh watermelon, this granita is the most refreshing treat you’ll try all summer. It’s super easy too!  Just blend everything up, freeze it in layers, and end up with this sweet, slushy dessert that’s light but packed with fresh fruit flavors.  

The texture hits somewhere between sorbet, snow cone, and Italian ice in the best way possible. And the flavor? The strawberries and watermelon blend together with that little hit of lime that gives you a sweet and tangy balance that’s super refreshing. It's simple, fruity, and SO tasty.

If you're looking for another cool and refreshing watermelon treat, be sure to check out my easy Watermelon Smoothie recipe.

🛒 Ingredients for Strawberry Watermelon Granita

• Watermelon, cut into chunks: Go for seedless if you can, and make sure it’s ripe and juicy.
• Fresh strawberries, cut into chunks: The sweeter they are, the better your granita will taste.
• Monk fruit/allulose sweetener: Gives the perfect level of sweetness without adding sugar.
• Fresh lime juice: Adds a pop of tartness that balances all the sweetness.
• Lime zest: Brightens the whole thing up with citrusy flavor.

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• High powered blender or food processor
• 9 x 13 casserole dish
• Fork

🔪 How to Make Granita with Strawberry and Watermelon

Cut your watermelon into small chunks, making sure there are no black seeds.

Add the watermelon to a high powered blender or food processor.

Wash, hull and chop your strawberries.

Add the strawberries, along with the sweetener, lime zest and juice in with the pureed watermelon.

Continue blending until completely smooth, then pour into a 9 x 13” casserole dish.

Freeze for 1 hour, then using a fork, scrape the top, particularly around the edges which will be the first part to freeze.

Return to the freezer for another hour, remove and scrape again.  The center will be more like a slushy, so be sure to mix the edges into the center, allowing everything to freeze consistently.

Repeat the process 2-3 more times or until the entire mixture has crystallized and is fluffy, not slushy. The texture you are looking for is a cross between Italian ice, sorbet and a snow cone.

At that point, it’s ready to serve. Cover the rest and store in the freezer. Each time you serve more, be sure to fluff using a fork to keep that same texture.

💡 Tips

• If your fruit is already super sweet, you can scale back the sweetener a little.
• Set a timer between scrapes so you don’t forget. Scraping too late can cause it to freeze too solid.
• Use the tines of a fork, not a spoon, to fluff to give you that signature granita texture.
• Keep it covered tightly in the freezer to avoid ice crystals forming on the top.

☑️ Storage Instructions

Keep granita tightly covered in the pan for up to one week. Fluff it again with a fork before serving to revive the texture.

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• Berries: Swap the strawberries for raspberries or blackberries if you want a darker berry flavor.

• Mango: Blend in a handful of frozen mango for a tropical spin.

• Coconut milk: Add a splash of coconut milk before freezing for a creamier texture.

• Mint: Stir in a small pinch of chopped mint after blending for a refreshing twist.

• Cherries: Mix in a few frozen cherries with the strawberries for a deeper, fruitier color.

Why is it Called Granita?

Granita is a traditional Sicilian dessert made from fruit, sugar, and water that's frozen and scraped to form icy crystals. It’s meant to be coarser than sorbet but smoother than a snow cone and the name comes from the word granire, meaning “to make grainy.”

How Do I Know When it’s Ready to Eat?

Once the entire dish has that fluffy, icy texture and no slushy liquid remains at the bottom, it’s ready. The crystals should be light and scoopable with a fork.

What if I Forgot to Scrape it and it Froze Solid?

No problem. Let it sit at room temp for about 10 minutes, then scrape vigorously with a fork. You may not get the full fluff factor back, but it’ll still be delicious.

Can I Use a Different Sweetener?

Yes, but stick to ones that dissolve well and don’t crystallize weirdly. Monk fruit, allulose, or erythritol blends usually work best.

🍽️ More Fruity Dessert Recipes

• Easy Mango Sorbet
• Frozen Banana Pop
• Mango Blueberry Popsicles
• Easy Strawberry Mousse
• Mango Mousse