Looking for another idea on how to incorporate cranberries into your holiday menu? This Holiday Cranberry Granita is a light dessert option after a heavy holiday meal! The granita is tart, sweet, and with a touch of cinnamon, it promises to bring all the warm spices reminiscent of the holiday season.
What is a Granita
According to Wikipedia (yes, there is a page for Granita 🙂 ), a granita is a semi-frozen dessert that consists of primarily water, sugar and a flavor of your choice. According to me, I say it is a fancy name for a slushie.
What makes a granita different from say, a sorbet, is the texture. lt reminds me of the frozen ice desserts with flavored syrup from the amusements parts. It is coarse, yet very light. You could even serve it as a palate cleaners between courses.
An alternative to cranberry sauce
Don’t get me wrong, I love craberry sauce. However, I think it is nice to have other options for cranberries during the holiday’s. And, if you are like me and save gobbling up the cranberry sauce until the end of the meal, this Holiday Cranberry Granita is a great recipe for you! You can serve it in pretty parfait glasses. Or, make your pumpkin pie a la mode, but swapping in the granita for the ‘la mode’.
Another reason the granita makes a great dessert option – it is easy!
- Only 5 ingredients (and I am counting the salt and cinnamon you likely already have in your pantry!)
- Toss all the ingredients in the blender
- Pour into a freezer-safe dish
- Freeze it and forget it! Until it comes time to slice the pie!
Holiday Cranberry Granita
For this granita, we are using some of the spice you expect in cranberry sauce, but only a slight amount. A frozen treat with all the traditional warming spices can be too shocking for the palate. Which is why we are only using cinnamon. This preserves the tart essence of the cranberries that is sweetened with maple syrup. And using sparkling water gives this Holiday Cranberry Granita a fun slushy adventure for your mouth!
How to make Holiday Cranberry Granita
Let’s face it. You probably have a lot on your menu plan for the holiday. A lot of prep work, coordinating the timing of courses that need to go in and out of the oven, and how to make it all come together at the perfect temperature. This Holiday Cranberry Granita is not only a delicious dessert option, but it could also act as a timesaver. Yes, I realize you can make all the pies in advance, but again, this is the la mode for the pie. 🙂 That said, a dessert that can be frozen up until the time it needs to be served is a relief in my book.
Then, when you are read to serve, you can either scoop out the granita with an ice cream scoop, or use a fork to scrape the coarse frozen treat into your serving dish.
Now, the only problem with this granita. It will be gone in a flash. After you realize how light and flavorful it is, you – and your guests – will be going back for more!
Holiday Cranberry Granita
Equipment
- Small Freezer-Safe Dish
Ingredients
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sparkling water
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients and blend until the cranberries are completely blended and pureed.10 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 cup sparkling water, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt
- Pour the cranberry mixture into a freezer safe dish, such as a small casserole dish or baking dish. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Remove the granita from the freezer. The edges and the top should have started to freeze. Scrape the mixture with a fork and freeze again. This creates the slushy granita texture. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for up to 4 hours. The granita is ready when it is completely frozen with a flaky texture.
- Fluff the granita one final time before serving. Using a small cookie scoop or fork, scoop the granita into serving dishes. Garnish with sugar-covered cranberries and enjoy!
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
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