Grapefruit Champagne Granita

An easy, 3-ingredient recipe for grapefruit champagne granita, that you can serve as a refreshing frozen dessert or cocktail. You don’t need any special equipment to make this deliciously icy dessert, and you’ll love how it tastes like a grapefruit mimosa but looks so fancy in a pretty cocktail glass. This is a perfect recipe to make ahead, and then serve at a summer brunch for cocktails or a light dessert!

You might also love this pink champagne cake, lavender lemonade honey popsicles, and homemade lemon ice cream.

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What is Granita?

Granita is a shaved ice dessert, typically made from fruit or fruit juice, although alcohol, coffee and other flavorings are popular, too. It’s usually dairy free, with a coarse, icy texture that’s so refreshing on a hot day. While made from similar ingredients as a sorbet, granita isn’t nearly as smooth as sorbet, since it’s not churned in an ice cream maker. Granita is originally from Sicily, Italy, and most recipes only require a few simple ingredients such as fruit, sugar and a liquid.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Only Three Ingredients. Just three simple ingredients is all you need!

Easy to Make. Simply mix everything together in a baking dish, pop it into the freezer, and wait for the magic to happen.

Versatile. Instead of the grapefruit juice, try one of my other recipe variations noted below with strawberry, lavender, peach, cherry or orange, all of which pair wonderfully with champagne.

Make Ahead Dessert. You can get your granita prepped and frozen a few days in advance, making it an easy dessert or frozen cocktail to make ahead of a party.

TIP: For a pretty presentation, check your local thrift stores for glassware. You can always find a variety of fancy cocktail glasses that are very inexpensive.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Grapefruit Juice. Look for pure, unsweetened grapefruit juice, preferably not from concentrate. I found a good one at my local Trader Joe’s.
• Granulated Sugar. Grapefruit is a nice blend of sweet and sour flavors, but a little sugar gives it a touch more sweetness for this dessert.
• Champagne. Choose a bottle of champagne that’s more on the sweet, rather than dry side. You can also use sparkling white wine or prosecco. For today’s grapefruit champagne granita, I used Asti, which has a really nice flavor for this dessert.

Instructions

• Before you get started, clear a space in your freezer for your baking dish to sit flat and level.
• In a saucepan, combine the grapefruit juice and sugar. Heat the juice over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, and chill the juice for several hours until well chilled.
• Open the champagne and pour into your baking dish. Add the chilled grapefruit juice and sugar mixture to the champagne and stir to combine. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.

• Use a fork to scrape the ice crystals that are forming around the edge of the champagne mixture into the center of the dish. Return the dish to the freezer and continue to scrape and stir it with a fork every 1 1/2 hours for the next 8-10 hours. As it freezes and you continue to break up the ice crystals with a fork, the granita will go from liquidy to slushy to light, fluffy and sparkly.

• Once the granita is fluffy, you can spoon it into chilled glasses and serve it right away, or leave it in the freezer to serve the next day.

Recipe Variations

• Strawberry Champagne Granita. Puree 1 pound of berries until smooth, then strain out the seeds. Use in place of the grapefruit juice.
• Lavender Grapefruit Champagne Granita. Steep 1 teaspoon of edible lavender in the grapefruit juice and sugar mixture for several hours, then strain out the lavender before making the granita.
• Peach Champagne Granita. Puree 1 pound of fresh peaches (peeled and pitted) until smooth. Use in place of the grapefruit juice. Reduce or omit the sugar.
• Cherry Champagne Granita. Use tart cherry juice in place of the grapefruit juice.
• Orange Champagne Granita. Use orange juice in place of the grapefruit juice. Reduce or omit the sugar.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use sweet or dry champagne?

I recommend a sweet champagne.

How far in advance can I make the granita?

You can make it up to 2 weeks in advance, as long as the temperature in your freezer is steady. If the temperature fluctuates and drops, this could cause the granita to melt down and re-freeze into a solid block.

Can I substitute wine or rosé for the champagne?

Yes, absolutely. Sweet white wine, sparkling white wine, prosecco and rosé would all be delicious. You could also use a sparkling white grape juice instead of the champagne for a non-alcoholic version.

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