Lemon Basil Granita is a cool, light dessert that features a burst of lemon flavor and a touch of basil, perfect for a hot summer day or whenever you want a light, refreshing dessert.
This recipe only takes a handful of ingredients to make. It is perfect when you are looking for a light, flavorful dessert. With each spoonful, you get a burst of tangy lemon and fresh basil.
If you are looking for a refreshing dessert for the summer, this one is perfect. It is so easy to make, but the dessert will impress your family or guests with its bright flavors.
Helpful tips
- Wash the lemon before removing the zest, and also wash the basil leaves before adding them to the water.
- Use a potato peeler to remove the zest of the lemon. Remove only the yellow part of the peel called the zest. Try not to remove the white part under the zest, called the pith. The zest is where the flavor lies; the pith has a bitter flavor, which you do not want to use.
- This recipe calls for 2/3 cup of basil leaves. This amount of basil gives the granita a distinct basil flavor. If you would like to have a less basil flavor, use fewer leaves.
- Don’t skip the step of steeping the zest and the leaves. This will help give the granita a more robust flavor.
- Use a strainer to remove all the zest and leaves. You will want just the liquid part for freezing.
- Use squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. Bottled lemon juice will work if you don’t have enough fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I have used a mixture of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and bottled lemon juice, and the granita does turn out.
- After steeping the granita mixture, do not skip the step to chill the mixture in the refrigerator. This will help the mix freeze faster, and the granita will turn out lighter.
- Once the mixture is in the freezer, and it starts to freeze, take a fork and scrape the frozen mixture off the sides of the pan. This will help produce a finer, fluffier texture.
- Before serving, take a fork and scrape the granita to re-fluff.
- This can be kept in the freezer for up to a month, but it is best to consume the dessert within a week. Leaving it in the freezer too long may result in it becoming icier, and the flavor may start to fade.
Ingredients
- Water
- Sugar
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Basil
Steps for this recipe
Steps one, two, and three
Add the water, sugar, lemon zest, and basil leaves to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Let it steep for 5 to 15 minutes. Strain the lemon zest and basil leaves from the liquid.
Steps four, five, and six
Add the lemon juice to the simple syrup mixture and stir together. Pour the mixture into a large loaf pan. Place in the freezer. Once the mixture starts to freeze, use a fork and scrape the ice from the sides of the pan. Freeze until the liquid is completely frozen.
More cool dessert ideas you may like
If you make this lemon basil granita, I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.
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Lemon Basil Granita
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest from two lemon
- 2/3 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the water, sugar, lemon zest, and basil to a medium saucepan to make a simple syrup. Over medium- high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.Â
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let this mixture steep for 5-15 minutes.
- Strain the mixture and discard the lemon zest and basil leaves. Add the lemon juice to the simple syrup. Cool for about 10 minutes and set in the refrigerator until the mixture is chilled.Â
- Once the mixture is chilled, move it to the freezer.
- Once the mixture starts to freeze, take a fork and scrape the ice off the sides of the bread pan about every 30 to 45 minutes. Continue this process until the mixture is frozen.
Notes
- Wash the lemon before removing the zest, and also wash the basil leaves before adding them to the water.
- Use a potato peeler to remove the zest of the lemon. Remove only the yellow part of the peel called the zest. Try not to remove the white part under the zest, called the pith. The zest is where the flavor lies; the pith has a bitter flavor, which you do not want to use.
- This recipe calls for 2/3 cup of basil leaves. This amount of basil gives the granita a distinct basil flavor. If you would like to have a less basil flavor, use fewer leaves.
- Don’t skip the step of steeping the zest and the leaves. This will help give the granita a more robust flavor.
- Use a strainer to remove all the zest and leaves. You will want just the liquid part for freezing.
- Use squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. Bottled lemon juice will work if you don’t have enough fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I have used a mixture of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and bottled lemon juice, and the granita does turn out.
- After you have steeped the granita mixture, do not skip the step to chill the mixture in the refrigerator. This will help the mixture freeze faster, and the granita will turn out lighter.
- Once the mixture is in the freezer, and it starts to freeze, take a fork and scrape the frozen mixture off the sides of the pan. This will help produce a finer, fluffier texture.
- Before serving, take a fork and scrape the granita to re-fluff.
- This can be kept in the freezer for up to a month, but it is best to consume the dessert within a week. Leaving it in the freezer too long may result in it becoming icier, and the flavor may start to fade.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on August 7, 2017, and it has been updated with new content and pictures on August 14, 2025.
This looks so refreshing! I LOVE lemon anything! And we have plenty of basil growing in our garden to make many of these beauties! Yum, yum, yum! 🙂
This sounds so delicious and refreshing! I haven’t had a snow cone in forever. . .but I think I’d like a granita better than a snow cone anyway :). Have a great week, Dawn!
So refreshing! Perfect for summer time.
This sounds like the perfect treat on a hot summer’s day!!! So cool and delish!
This is such an elegant and refreshing summer dessert!
Hi Dawn, I always wanted one of those snow cone machines when I was a kid, oh I bet you had so much fun with your sister. Love, love this lemon granita, sounds divine. Pinned!
Love lemon anything. And at this time of the year, a granita is wonderful — really helps cool one down. This is great — thanks so much.
TALK ABOUT a REFRESHING summmerrrr afternoon beverage!!! I would enjoy it with a spoon! LOL!
We totally had one of those ice shavers when we were kids, too! Actually, I think we had several…I kept burning out the motors in them. Haha. Good to know that I can recreate that shaved ice without an extra gadget. And I love the flavors you’ve got going on here, Dawn! Perfect summer dessert right there. 🙂
I have always wanted to try granita and this flavor sounds delicious!! There is no better treat than this when it is scorching hot out there!! 🙂
I love lemon! This is definitely the perfect summertime dessert ♥
You’ve captured the most amazing flavors in this granita. “Steeping the zest and the leaves” is such a smart move!