Frosty Apple-Maple Granité
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A chilled granité with apple cider and maple syrup. No dairy, eggs, nuts, gluten. Simple sugars and water as base. Frozen into icy crystals, scraped for fluffiness. Crisp, cold, slightly sweet. Refreshing, vegan, gluten-free. Six servings, quick prep. Cool down in minutes. Maple adds rich earthiness, apple cider tartness lingers.
Prep:
5 min
Cook:
3 min
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#vegan
#gluten-free
#dairy-free
#frozen dessert
#quick dessert
#French-inspired
#refreshing
Chilly, sharp, and sweet. This icy treat breaks up the day with cold crunch. Simple ingredients shuffle in and out — water, maple, vinegar. No fuss. No dairy. No nuts. Vegan approved. Cider vinegar swaps the usual apple cider punch for sharper tang. This one freezes into layers. You scrape each flake off the ice like snow on a window. Grab a fork and rake. Into bowls, then mouth. Done quick, ready late. The maple syrup trick pulls the edges in juncture with vinegar. Tangy, crisp flavor beneath cold crystalline texture. No cream, no eggs, just pure icy magic. Hit chill mode. Come back hours later. Rake it up. Serve fast. Then silence, cold crunch filling the space.
Ingredients
- 260 ml water
- 130 ml maple syrup
- 150 ml apple cider vinegar
About the ingredients
Water is the ice base. Less water to maple keeps texture firm, not mushy. Maple syrup, not sugar, swaps sticky sweetness for deep woody notes. Choose a grade B or darker maple for punch. Apple cider vinegar replaces the cider from original. Sharp and sour notes give bite to smooth sweet maple. If you want sweetness toned down, adjust maple downward — but granité needs enough sugar or syrup to freeze right and stay fluffy. Container shape matters — wide and shallow helps freeze evenly and form flaky layers. Lid keeps it fresh, prevents freezer odors mingling. Simple enough. No gluten, nuts, dairy, or eggs around here—safe and clean. Chill time shortened by thinner layers. If thicker used, freeze longer. Scraping with fork key to texture, not spoon. Fork crumbles frozen sheets without compacting them back. Keep all chilled until serving. Granité melts fast, best fresh.
Method
- Heat water and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring until syrup dissolves.
- Remove from heat. Let cool completely to room temp.
- Mix in the apple cider vinegar thoroughly.
- Pour liquid into a shallow container with a lid. Seal tightly.
- Freeze for at least 3 hours until solid layers form.
- When ready, scrape the frozen surface with a fork to create fluffy ice crystals.
- Spoon granité into six dessert dishes. Serve immediately.
Cooking tips
Heat water and syrup just to dissolve and blend, don’t boil furiously. Simmer three more minutes to marry flavors. Cool fully before vinegar introduction — adding vinegar hot alters taste and texture. Mix vinegar just before freezing to retain brightness. Pour into shallow container, seal to keep freezer aromas out and moisture in. Freeze minimum 3 hours, ideally overnight. Partial freezing creates crystals—the heart of granité’s texture. Scrape with fork repeatedly, fast strokes prevent chunks, create fluffy granular ice. Scraping again before serving is key — you want light flakes, not dense ice sheet. Serve straight away—melts quickly. No need for garnishes here; simplicity rules. Adjust time by container depth; thinner means faster freeze and better texture. Keep frozen until moments before serving. Store leftovers in freezer, re-scrape if solidified hard. Granité is forgiving but keeps best fresh.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Use a shallow wide container. Thin layer freezes faster. Avoid thick bundling or mushy ice. Lid essential. Keeps aroma out. Seals moisture in. Important for clean flavor without freezer smells.
- 💡 Heat water and maple syrup just enough. Dissolve syrup fully but no furious boil. Gentle simmer after boiling marries flavors but don’t rush. Cool fully before adding vinegar. Vinegar hot changes taste and texture, dulls brightness.
- 💡 Scrape frozen surface with fork—not spoon. Fork breaks frozen layers into fluffy crystals. Spoon compacts, creates dense ice. Scrape fast strokes. Re-scrape just before serving. Creates flaky, airy shards. Crucial for texture.
- 💡 Adjust syrup levels carefully. More maple means sweeter, softer texture. Less means firmer, less sweet. Sugars key to freeze structure, no syrup = icy block. Use darker grade B maple for rich woody notes. Avoid light maple, lacks depth.
- 💡 Store leftovers sealed in freezer. Re-scrape before serving again if hardened. Melts fast when out. Serve immediately after scraping for best crisp crunch. No garnishes needed. Keep cold until serving. Quick prep but needs hours to freeze.
Common questions
Can I use regular apple cider instead of vinegar?
Vinegar sharper tang, cider sweeter and milder. Cider alters freeze and flavor balance. Might turn less crisp. Vinegar keeps bite and bright notes intact. Choice affects texture too.
Why scrape with fork not spoon?
Fork breaks ice flakes without compressing. Spoon smooshes crystals back down, dense and icy. Scraping fast and gentle. Multiple scrapes better flakes. Texture key here. No lumps.
What if granité is too icy or hard?
Likely not enough sugar or syrup. Sugars lower freezing point, keep fluffy texture. Thicker layer also freezes harder. Try less water or more syrup. Thin container layers freeze evenly, flaky, not chunky.
How long can I store granité?
In freezer covered, up to 2 weeks okay. Scrape again to fluff before serving if frozen solid. Left out melts fast, serve right after scraping. No leftovers sitting at room temp. Keep sealed, cold.
