2 Ingredient Coffee Granita is the easiest frozen coffee treat you’ll make all summer. Made with just coffee and sugar, it freezes into fluffy crystals of coffee ice that are both refreshing and surprisingly sophisticated.
Even though I’ve lived in the South all my life, I never feel prepared for our summers. Like a bad house guest, the sweltering heat arrives early and overstays its welcome. You’d think I’d remember the lethargy and general wilted feeling that humidity brings with it, but somehow I never do. My yearly repressed memory, I suppose. By the time summer officially arrives, I’m scrambling to find some cold comforts, like this coffee granita – it’s air conditioning in a dessert cup!
This Italian coffee granita recipe has been a bit of a revelation for me. I’ve made fruit juice granitas before, and they were pretty good, but none have had the flavor complexity and nuance of this one. It’s almost no work to make, yet it tastes like a restaurant-quality dessert. I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it as the grand finale to a dinner party. Best of all, you can make it well ahead of time because it stays fluffy in the freezer. It’s sweet, sophisticated, and endlessly adaptable with whatever third ingredient you’d like to add.
All You Need Is Coffee and Sugar
Talk about simple! All you need is strong brewed coffee and granulated sugar. That’s it. Because there are only two ingredients, this is a great time to use a coffee you enjoy drinking. The coffee provides all the flavor, while the sugar cuts the bitterness and helps create the delicate icy texture that makes granita so appealing. You may be tempted to use less sugar, but your finished granita will not be as fluffy.
Tip: You can even skip brewing by using your favorite ready-made cold brew coffee (here’s my current fave). Since cold brew isn’t hot enough to quickly dissolve the sugar, you’ll need to stir a little longer to help it along. Keep stirring until every last granule of sugar is dissolved before pouring the mixture into the baking dish. Cold brew makes an excellent granita because it is often less acidic and bitter than brewed coffee.
The Secret Is in the Scrape
No blender, no ice cream maker – absolutely no special equipment required for this frozen wonder. The magic happens every time you scrape the mixture with a fork. As the coffee mixture freezes, ice crystals will form around the edges of the pan. Simply scrape them down and break them up every 30-ish minutes and you’ll gradually create a panful of fluffy coffee ice. With each scraping the texture becomes lighter and fluffier.
Store in the Freezer
I may have mentioned how much I love a make-ahead dessert (only about 1,000 times), and this one is my new favorite. Once you’ve finished the scraping process, simply cover the dish and store it in the freezer until serving time. The fluffy coffee ice crystals hold their texture remarkably well, making this an ideal dessert for entertaining. If the granita becomes compacted after sitting in the freezer, re-scrape it and fluff with a fork.
Dress Up Your Coffee Granita
Although coffee and sugar are all you need, this recipe is endlessly variable. Stir flavored coffee syrups, extracts, or a splash of liqueur into the hot coffee before freezing. Once served, top it with whipped cream, a drizzle of heavy cream, or a dusting of cinnamon.
Turn It Into a Cocktail
If you’re serving adults, this 2 ingredient coffee granita is a natural cocktail starter. Spoon the granita into martini glasses and finish it with a shot of vodka, Frangelico, coffee liqueur, or Irish cream. I especially love using cream-based liqueurs for a dessert-like after-dinner drink.
Optional: Garnish with a Coffee Candy
I recently saw espresso martinis served with these Kopiko candies clipped to their rims. What a fun garnish! Not to mention the best coffee candy I’ve ever tried. I could not resist adding some to these coffee granitas with tiny clothespins. It’s like having coffee for now and coffee for later – one melts quickly, the other much more slowly.
Serve It Like They Do in Sicily
In Sicily, coffee granita is often served layered with freshly whipped cream and with a soft, brioche bun (brioche col tuppo) for breakfast or an afternoon treat. The combination of cold coffee ice and rich cream is unbeatable. Since I didn’t have brioche on hand, I served mine with crisp ladyfingers (savoiardi). Like granita, they’re an Italian specialty, and really tasty alongside coffee. They’re perfect for dipping into the melted granita to soak up every last bite.
Related recipe: Tiramisu Cupcakes
2 Ingredient Coffee Granita
Equipment
- 13×9 inch dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups strong hot brewed coffee
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl or pitcher with a pour spout, combine the hot coffee and sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour the mixture into a 13×9-inch baking dish. Place the dish in the freezer, uncovered.
- After about 1 hour, check the mixture. When you see a thin layer of ice crystals forming around the edges of the pan, use a fork to scrape and stir them into the liquid.
- Return the dish to the freezer. Every 30 to 40 minutes, remove the pan and scrape the mixture with a fork, breaking up the ice crystals and stirring them throughout. The granita will become progressively thicker, slushier, and fluffier with each scraping.
- Continue scraping every 30 to 40 minutes until the entire mixture is made up of light, fluffy coffee ice crystals. This usually takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours total, depending on your freezer temperature.
- Once the granita is fully frozen and fluffy, cover the dish and keep it in the freezer until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, fluff the granita once more with a fork. Spoon into footed dessert dishes, small bowls, or glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
Flavor Variations
Customize your coffee granita by stirring 2 to 3 tablespoons flavored coffee syrup into the hot coffee mixture before adding the sugar. Hazelnut, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and Irish cream flavors all work well. Brands such as Torani and Monin are easy to find in grocery stores and online. For an adults-only version, stir 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, hazelnut liqueur (such as Frangelico), Irish cream liqueur, or whiskey into the hot coffee mixture before freezing. The small amount of alcohol adds flavor without significantly affecting the granita’s ability to freeze. Serving Suggestions- Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
- Pour over 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream.
- Add a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.
- Serve with crisp biscotti on the side.
- Add a splash of coffee liqueur for an adults-only dessert.
I can just imagine this with swathes of whipped cream………mmmmm
Hot day saviour with lots of whipped cream!!! :))