Strawberry Rosé Granita Recipe

There's no better way to refresh yourself on a hot summer day than with a cool drink — extra points if it's frozen. This strawberry rosé granita recipe skirts the line between dessert and beverage, and we love it. Courtesy of Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins, our favorite summer wine takes on an even more appetizing allure. While you might be tempted to call it a frosé, the tradition of granita extends far beyond trends. The partly frozen dessert was introduced to the Italian island of Sicily by the Arabs. Locally, it typically comes in assorted fruit flavors, served alongside a brioche. 

Watkins' version of the Sicilian dessert highlights sweet summer strawberries and pairs them with a fun pink wine for the ultimate warm-weather treat. Although you'll need to plan ahead for this frozen beverage — you are freezing the ingredients after all — the recipe is incredibly straightforward and requires only three items. 

"The simplicity is definitely a plus when it comes to this three-ingredient recipe," Watkins notes. "The refreshing flavor (all that succulent strawberry and zesty rosé) certainly makes this recipe an exciting treat for super-hot summer (post-work) afternoons."

For this strawberry rosé granita, you'll need 1 cup of rosé wine, ¾ cup of granulated sugar, and 3 cups of chopped fresh strawberries.

If you're looking for wine suggestions, Watkins advises, "You do not need to break the bank sourcing a bottle of rosé for this recipe." An affordable bottle will suffice (being that you're not only blending the wine with strawberries and sugar, you're also freezing the mix too). Another point to keep in mind is that a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) will help speed along the freezing process so Watkins recommends options under 14% ABV.

Pour the wine and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan and whisk. Place the pan over medium heat and slowly warm the contents, whisking every now and then for 3 minutes or until the sugar fully dissolves. Turn off the heat and set the saucepan to the side to cool down for 10 minutes.

When the syrup is cool, add it with the chopped strawberries to a food processor. Blend the contents until a smooth mixture forms.

Set out a 13x9-inch casserole dish and place a wire mesh strainer over the top. Then, carefully pour the strawberry rosé puree into the strainer, stirring to agitate it. Continue until all the liquid has run through the strainer into the casserole dish and only the seeds are left behind. 

Clear your freezer to make space for the dish as it needs to sit flat to freeze evenly. Then, transfer the dish uncovered to the freezer and let it sit for 30 minutes.

After half an hour, remove the dish and use a fork to scrape the contents along the bottom and sides to loosen up the icy bits. Then, return it to the freezer for another 30 minutes and repeat the process of scraping and freezing it over the course of another 90 minutes. Next, freeze the granita for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight until the contents are fully frozen and solid. 

While you might be tempted to skip multiple rounds of scraping the contents of the dish, it's an absolute must. If you skip this step, Watkins warns, "You'll end up with a block of strawberry rosé ice instead of fun tasty flakes."

Once you're ready to enjoy this refreshing treat, spoon the granita into dishes or decorative glasses. Watkins adds, "A final fork scritchy-scratch before serving (or using up leftovers) is recommended." 

To take this strawberry rosé granita up a notch, don't forget the power of garnishes. Citrus zest, crushed-up dried rose petals, fresh mint, fresh strawberry slices, whipped cream, or ice cream all lead to a very pretty (and tasty) presentation.