Granita Al Caffè – Delicious Sicilian Coffee Granita Recipe
This post for the granita al caffè recipe was first published on the 27th of July, 2025.
Imagine a humid July or August afternoon, when you need a pick-me-up and the world serves you this granita al caffè in a glass, covered in freshly whipped cream. Refreshing and with the perfect amount of coffee to wake you from that mid-afternoon slumber, with or without a touch of whipped cream on top, that’s my idea of bliss! It definitely ends up on my ideal menu right away.
By now, you know that coffee in Italy is not just a simple drink, but a total cultural phenomenon, and we love to incorporate it into italian food recipes too, think tiramisù, affogato or crema al caffè, and plenty more italian dishes that highlight coffee.
Maybe it’s the Sicilian roots, or we can blame it on the obsession we have over coffee in our house, that this granita al caffè ricetta has quickly become a staple over here. Come September, we’ll still be enjoying it on a hot afternoon while the sun goes down and we’re chilling in the garden. Will you join us?
What is granita?
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert from Sicily, made with simple ingredients like water, sugar and flavourings, in this case coffee. This delicious dessert is different from any other semi-frozen dessert like ice cream or gelato, thanks to its crunchiness and coarser texture. Different from other desserts, granita is scraped and agitated during the freezing process (or coarsely blended like in our recipe, more on the difference below).
Nowadays, you can find granita in every cafe in Sicily with plenty of flavour ranging from the classics like granita di limone, almond, pistachio granita, coffee and the more peculiar like mulberry, peach and wild strawberries. According to history, granita’s tradition goes back to the Middle Ages, when the ‘nivaroli’ would gather snow on Mount Etna in winter and store it in ‘niviere’, then to enjoy it in the warmer months with added syrups (Visit Sicily).
What ingredients do you need to make this granita al caffè?
To make this italian dessert, you will only need three ingredients. Yes, you read that right and it’s all ingredients you already have at home! And on top, this granita al caffè it’s naturally a gluten free, dairy free and vegan dessert (if you add whipped cream or heavy cream on top, just make sure it suits your dietary needs):
- water: this is the foundation of your italian granita al caffè and essential for its crystalline texture. It also helps balance the boldness of the espresso flavour, you’ll use room temperature water to start with;
- white sugar: it helps sweeten the bitterness of the coffee, but it’s mostly important for its role in controlling how the mixture for the granita al caffè freezes;
- freshly brewed strong espresso coffee: the main character of this caffe granita recipe. Bold and full of flavour. We suggest you use a moka pot or espresso machine to brew your strong coffee (no soluble coffee here!). The quality of your coffee is a make-or-break for this granita al caffè recipe.
These are the original ingredients that would be used even in a cafè in Italy to make granita al caffè, or any granita really. While I can see some of you not being too happy about the white sugar content, I can assure you you will still taste the flavour of the coffee without issues. The sugar in this case is used mostly to help with the freezing part of the recipe, and it wouldn’t just be the same without it.
How do you make granita al caffè?
To make this delicious frozen treat, you won’t need an ice cream maker or any fancy appliances. All you will need is a blender, a saucepan and a baking tray. You will quick realise that learning how to make granita at home is easier than a lot of other italian recipes!
You will start by combining water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to form a syrup. Then turn off the heat.
Add the coffee to the syrup and stir to combine. Pour the coffee and sugar mixture into a baking tray deep enough to hold the liquid and transfer it to the freezer.
Once fully frozen, cut the granita into squares. When ready to serve, blend a few squares at a time until smooth and slushy. Serve your granita di caffe as is or top with whipped cream for an extra treat!
We love it early in the morning for breakfast, when on a hot summer day all you crave for is the coffee hitting you straight on like a punch. Not too lady like, but that’s how it is.
Can you make granita in different ways?
Actually yes, there are two main ways to make granita al caffè! You will find a lot of recipes will call for scraping your granita mixture while in the freezer, so that the texture is more granular. While other recipes (like ours), call for blending at the end without scraping, for a more slushy texture.
Both methods are part of the tradition; it only depends on where you are enjoying your granita. In eastern Sicily, especially around Catania and Messina, granita is smoother, almost creamy. This texture is achieved by blending or stirring the mixture in a soft slush. And being that our dad is from that side of Sicily, that’s what we have been brought up with and what our recipes call for.
While in western Sicily, like in Palermo and Trapani, the texture of granita is more granular and crystalline, made by scraping the mixture with a fork during the freezing process. Leaving a coarser texture given by the ice crystals, which is enjoyed by many.
Whichever way you choose to do yours, one thing is assured: you’ll be enjoying a sweet treat like no other, in the comfort of your home. But if you’re able to travel to Sicily at least once in your life, we cannot recommend it enough.
Do you have more refreshing Italian summer dessert recipes?
We have plenty of easy dessert recipes for summer, like this granita con panna:
- lemon granita – be ready to be refreshed with another summer dessert that will rock your world!
- amarena gelato – nothing beats a refreshing gelato, and even better when you have a ninja creami where all you have to do is wait for it to freeze, and then in less than 5 minutes you have fresh gelato in hand!
- coffee cream – quick and so delicious, the perfect dessert for any coffee lover!
- biancomangiare – naturally vegan, this Sicilian speciality is easy and quick to make, plus so versatile everyone will love this dessert;
- almond granita – another Sicilian recipe and one that goes hand in hand with this recipe for lemon granita;
- gelo al limone – another easy no bake dessert that is full of citrus and gets back to our Sicilian roots;
- pistachio granita – I know, how many granita recipes can you need? Endless, that’s the right answer! This pistachio granita will rock your socks off!
Granita Al Caffè
Ingredients
- 350 ml water
- 100 g white sugar
- 200 ml freshly brewed espresso
Instructions
- Place the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to create a syrup.
- Add the coffee to the saucepan and stir.
- Pour the mixture into a baking tray deep enough to hold the liquid and place it in the freezer.
- Once fully frozen, cut it into sqaures.
- When ready to serve, blend a few squares at a time until smooth and slushy. Enjoy your granita al caffè as is or add some whipped cream on top!
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