This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission if you purchase through our link, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure here.
Granita and ice cream: a match made in heaven! Nothing beats a refreshing granita on a warm spring day. And add vanilla bean ice cream? It’s a total game changer!
This vanilla bean peach granita will be your go to treat as the weather start to warm up. A refreshing peach shaved ice over a creamy scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and topped with a scoop of whipped cream.
No fancy equipment is needed to make this frozen dessert. Granita’s are super simple to make and will wow guests! Serve in small cups for a gathering with friends or make ahead of time for when you’re craving and cold sweet treat. However you enjoy it, it will be delish! Let’s dive into the details!
Looking for more desserts for spring and summer? Try these!
Loaded Peanut Butter Oreo No-Churn Ice Cream
The Best Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Cereal Treats
No-Churn Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Ice Cream
Vanilla Bean Peach Granita
Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Peach Granita
- Peaches
- Water
- Sugar
- Vanilla bean paste
- Vanilla bean icecream
- Whipped cream
- Fresh mint or basil
What is a granita?
A granita is an Italian shaved ice dessert. It has similar ingredients to another popular dessert, italian ice, but is not churned. A granita is scraped over time to create an icy, shaved-ice.
Granita’s are typically made with fresh fruit, a homemade simple syrup made of water and sugar, sometimes additional flavorings. Sometimes it’s even made with cofee, which is so delish!
How to make a granita?
You don’t need fancy equipment is needed to make granitas. Feel free to swap peaches with any fruit of choice! Here are the steps:
- Chop fruit into small pieces. You will want 4 cups of fruit to make a large batch of granita. We recommend using fresh fruit, but you can definitely use frozen fruit if you don’t have a good selection of peaches in season. If you opt for frozen fruit, make sure you thaw them so they soften a little bit.
- Make Simple Syrup. In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar. Stir the mixture frequently and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture cool for about 5-10 minutes. You don’t want the syrup to be pipping hot.
- Blend fruit and syrup together. Use a high powered blender to blend until smooth.
- Pour fruit mixture in a 9×13 inch pan. You want to use a larger shallow pan so that your mixture is a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Lightly tap and shake the pan to make sure the mixture spreads to all corners.
- Freeze and after 1 hour and scrape with fork. The first freeze will solidify some of the mixture, likely the corners. Scrape through the fruit mixture to break up the solid pieces.
- Refreeze and scrape with fork every 20 minutes. Continue this for 3-4 hours until your mixture is fluffy and slightly icy. You will have little sparkly ice crystals that will appear towards the end.
- Serve and enjoy! Scoop into serving glasses to enjoy.
What fruit can you make a granita with?
Granita’s are commonly most made with flavors like strawberries, watermelon, lemon. Get creative with the fruits you use and the flavors you add in. Try seasoning fruits! The possibilities are plenty!
Other fun flavor Granita combos:
- Mango & Ginger
- Watermelon , rosemary & mint
- Strawberry & Lemon
- Mixed berry
Storing Granitas
After you’ve made your granita, cover the pan with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for several days.
If you don’t have enough room in your freezer to store the pan, you can scoop the shaved ice mixture into a shallow airtight container.
Before serving, make sure you scrape the mixture again with a fork.
Shop our Kitchen Favorites
Vanilla Bean Peach Granita
Description
Refreshing peach shaved ice over a creamy scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and topped with a scoop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 4–5 peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 pints vanilla bean ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Fresh mint or basil (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Add sugar water and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir and heat mixture until sugar dissolves. Cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Peel, pit and slice peaches. Add peaches and simple syrup to a blender and blend until smooth. If peaches are tart, you may need to add more sugar. Taste test the mixture to see if you need to add more.
- Pour peach mixture in a 9×13 or 10×15 rimmed sheet pan or dish. The fruit mixture should make a thin layer at the bottom of the pan.
- First freeze for 1 hour. Take out of freezer (it should be partially frozen) and scrape with a fork to break up the frozen bits..
- Place back in freezer and repeat scraping with fork every 30 minutes until it reaches a slushy consistency. This could take anywhere from 3-4 hours.
- When your granita is a slushy, crystal-like texture you can serve. Add one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to the bottom of your serving cup and top with several large spoonfuls of granita, garnish with whipped cream, mint or basil. Enjoy!
