Granita al Caffè con Panna, Coffee Granita

Granita al Caffè or coffee granita is a typical Sicilian frozen treat usually served for breakfast or as a way to cool down during the summer heat. It's easy to make at home with 3 simple ingredients. Serve it the Sicilian way topped with whipped cream and a brioche bun.

Starting your day with a cooling glass of granita, whipped cream, and a brioche bun is the norm in Sicily.

Coffee granita is a popular choice. It's sweet and refreshing, combining your morning espresso and breakfast in one, and it's what you need in the height of the Sicilian summer.

Granita is easy to make at home, and there are a few different ways to make it, resulting in two slightly different textures.

You can use the stirring method as we have, which will give you larger ice crystals, or you can blend it (or use an ice cream machine) for a creamy consistency like our pistachio granita!

Love Sicilian food? Check out our collection of good traditional Sicilian recipes here.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Strong coffee – We recommend using 100% arabica coffee. Our favourite coffee that we drink every day is Lavazza Espresso ground coffee and we brew it with our coffee machine but a Moka pot or Cafetiere also work as well.
• Sugar and water – this is to make the sugar syrup (caster or granulated sugar will do).
• Heavy cream – this is for serving, whip up some heavy cream (double cream UK) and dollop 1-2 tablespoons on top of your granita. We don't sweeten our cream but you can add sugar to taste before whipping.

Step by step photos and instructions

1. Prepare the granita mixture – Brew your coffee and set it aside. Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil until the sugar has completely dissolved and turn off the heat (photos 1-3).
2. Add the coffee to the sugar syrup, stir then let it go completely cold.

1. Once cold, pour the coffee mixture into a large freezer-proof container and put in the freezer for 3 hours (photo 4).
2. Mix the granita – Remove and give the mixture a stir with a fork. Freeze the granita for another 2 hours, remove it and stir it again with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Repeat this every hour until you have a fluffy granita (photos 5-8).

1. Serve – For serving, fill a small glass with granita and top with some whipped cream. We don't sweeten our cream but you can if you prefer. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• What if we forget to stir our granita? No problem, if your granita has frozen solid you can break it into chunks and add it to a food processor then blitz for a good sorbet-like consistency.
• Adding alcohol – you can add in a coffee liqueur such as Kaluha. We recommend adding it to taste before freezing when the mixture is cold.
• Whipped cream topping – We whip up heavy cream (double cream UK) without any added sugar although you can add sugar to taste. We tend to top each serving with about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream.

Alternative methods for making coffee granita

• Blender or food processor method – you can freeze the coffee mixture in an ice cube tray then when frozen blend it up in a food processor to a smooth and slushy sorbet-like texture (you can do this for the full amount of individual portions).
• Ice cream machine – another method is to churn the cold coffee mixture in an ice cream machine until smooth and frozen. You can serve it straight away then transfer it into a tub and freeze it. Let it defrost a little before servings.

More Italian summer recipes to try

Italian Desserts

Amalfi Lemon Sorbet (Sorbetto al Limone)

Italian Desserts

Ricotta al Caffè

Italian Desserts

Pistachio Ice Cream (Gelato al Pistacchio)

Italian Desserts

Aperol Spritz Granita

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings (840g total)

• 350 ml (1 and ½ cups) water
• 90 g (1/2 cup) white sugar
• 400 ml (13.5 fl oz/1 and 3/4 cups) strong coffee
• Whipped cream for serving ((optional))

Method

1. Brew your coffee and set it aside.

2. Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil until the sugar has completely dissolved and turn off the heat.

3. Add the coffee to the sugar syrup, stir then let it go completely cold.

4. Once cold, pour the coffee mixture into a large freezer proof container and put in the freezer for 3 hours.

5. Remove and give the mixture a stir with a fork. Freeze the granita for another 2 hours, remove it and stir it again with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Repeat this every hour until you have a fluffy granita.

6. Freeze until needed. For serving, fill a small glass with granita and top with some whipped cream. We don't sweeten our cream but you can if you prefer. Serve and enjoy!

Kitchen notes

• What if we forget to stir our granita? No problem, if your granita has frozen solid you can break it into chunks and add it to a food processor for a good sorbet-like consistency.
• Adding alcohol you can add in a coffee liqueur such a Kaluha. We recommend adding it to taste before freezing when the mixture is cold.
• Whipped cream topping We whip up heavy cream (double cream UK) without any added sugar although you can add sugar to taste. We tend to top each serving with about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream.
• Nutrition calculation does not include topping with whipped cream.