Lychee Lime Granita Twist
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Granita from lychees and lime juice. Puree fruit with syrup, freeze, scrape crystals. Added mango for tropical hint, swapped lime for lemon zest. Slightly longer freeze time, raspberries garnish, extra zing from mint leaves. Serve icy, bright, refreshing. Vegan, gluten-free, no dairy or nuts. Cold treat, summer vibe. Light, fruity, tart with sweet balance.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
4 to 6 servings
#vegan
#gluten-free
#summer dessert
#fruit granita
#no dairy
#refreshing
Lychee granita. Tropical but French style. Sharp lemon notes replace lime. Mango puree adds body, extra sweetness. Fresh mint, raspberries pop on top. Ice crystals crushed often, flaky texture forms. No dairy to smooth it out. Just fruit, ice, zing. Chill all day then scrap. Easy. Bright flavor punch. No cooking, pure freeze. Summer afternoon hack. Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free. Refreshing, icy, light. Fruit syrup base transformed. Tangy, sweet, cooling caviar-like fruit bits in icy shards. Fruit, ice, chill, repeat. Mint leaves for lift, raspberries for color, burst of tartness. Set in simple glass tray. Serve in frosted cups. Quick prep but patience needed for freeze. No blender? Hand mash but texture rougher. Lemon over lime, twist on original. Mango for tropical depth. Play with scrape frequency for bite size crystals.
Ingredients
- 400 ml (13.5 oz) canned lychees in syrup
- 100 ml (half cup minus 2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- 125 ml (half cup plus 2 tbsp) mango puree
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish
- Raspberries for serving
About the ingredients
Lychees canned with syrup bring sweetness and base liquid. Reduced amount from original for more balance with added mango puree which thickens texture, adds fruity depth. Fresh lemon juice substitutes lime juice; lemon zest adds aromatic oils and bright flavor complexity. Mint sprigs bring herbal note and freshness, contrasts icy sweetness perfectly. Raspberries tossed on top for tart pop and color. Freeze in shallow glass dish to maximize surface area for crystal formation during scraping. Citrus balances natural lychee sweetness, prevents overly sugary finish. Mango puree should be unsweetened to avoid too much cloying taste. Use ripe fruit for highest flavor impact. Syrup from lychees useful, do not discard. Citrus zest finely grated, not pith, to avoid bitterness. Overall ingredients list modified for twist on classic lychee lime granita with tropical and herbal notes.
Method
- Combine lychees and syrup with mango puree in blender. Add lemon juice and zest.
- Blend until mostly smooth but keep some texture. Pour through fine sieve into 20 cm (8-inch) glass dish.
- Cover dish tightly, freeze about 6.5 hours until solid but not rock hard.
- Every hour after 4 hours, scrape surface with fork to break up ice crystals.
- Final scrape before serving, create fluffy icy texture.
- Spoon granita into chilled cups. Garnish with fresh mint and scattered raspberries. Serve immediately.
Cooking tips
Start by blending lychees with syrup plus mango puree. Add lemon juice and zest last to keep fresh citrus aroma intact. Strain through fine sieve to remove bigger chunks for uniform icy texture. Pour into 20 cm glass dish wide and shallow to allow even freezing and easy scraping. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to avoid freezer odors and prevent thick ice crust. Freeze baseline six hours, scraping with fork every hour starting from four hours to agitate ice crystals. This creates fragmented icy texture instead of solid frozen block. Final scrape before serving necessary to fluff granita. Scoop into chilled cups to keep granita cold. Garnish with mint sprigs placed gently on top and a few scattered raspberries for visual contrast and flavor lift. Serve immediately as granita melts quickly at room temp. Adjust scraping frequency to control crystal size. Using lemon instead of lime increases acidity and brightness. Adding mango puree enriches mouthfeel and adds tropical aroma. Mint and raspberries create layered tasting experience: sweet, tart, herbal, cold. No cooking involved. Just blend, freeze, scrape, serve.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Freeze in shallow glass dish wide and low surface area helps freeze evenly. Cover dish tight with plastic wrap to avoid freezer odors and thick ice crust on top. Scrape ice crystals starting after 4 hours helps create flakes rather than solid block. Every hour scraping is best but adjust if texture too rough or icy. Scraping traps air making fluffy texture. Strain puree to remove big pieces for uniform ice shards. Use ripe mango puree unsweetened - adds body but not too sweet. Lemon juice and zest added last keeps citrus bright, avoid bitterness from pith. Mango thickens base, slows freezing slightly, consider freeze time might vary.
- 💡 Do not discard lychee syrup. It’s foundation liquid and sweetness balance. Puree lychees and syrup together for smooth base but leave some chunks for texture variation. Use fresh lemon juice instead of lime if can’t get lime, zest finely grated top layer only, no white pith to avoid bitter notes. Mint leaves stems off for garnish, they add cooling herbal note after serving. Raspberries scattered on top add tart pop and color contrast but also fresh texture to icy granita served cold. Chill serving cups for better hold of icy treat, slows melting.
- 💡 Blender works best for quick puree, hand mash possible but texture chunkier. Strain puree after blending for smooth consistency and better crystal formation. Freeze timing depends on freezer temp and dish shape - watch around 6 hours total. Too hard to scrape means frozen too long or too cold, let sit few minutes before scraping. Scraping frequency controls crystal size - more scraping smaller crystals, less scraping bigger ice chunks. Final scrape fluff up to break any clumpy ice, scoop with cold spoon or metal spoon for easy serving. Keep granita covered tightly even during scoop breaks to prevent dry ice skin.
- 💡 Adding mango puree thickens mixture. More mango = slower freeze, might need longer freeze time. Balance sweetness by portion of syrup and mango; too much syrup or mango can make overly sweet granita, lemon juice counters well. Citrus oils from zest add aroma, add just before freezing to keep fresh smell. Freeze in widely spread layer not deep block. Use 20 cm dish or equivalent area for best freezing surface. If freezer space small, use smaller dish multiple batches rather than thick one. Mint leaves added after freezing; adding before can bruise leaves or dull color. Raspberries whole or halved, cold fruit on cold dessert – slows melting slightly, contrast flavor components sharp. Scraping tool—fork works but metal spatula may help break more evenly.
- 💡 Texture control tricky - start scraping after 4 hours but timing varies. If granita too liquid or still soft after 6 hours, freezer temp may be high or mixture too thick. Stir with fork carefully, repeated scraping critical to disrupt ice growth into large crystals. Air incorporation changes mouthfeel, fluffy texture. Use glass dish better than metal or plastic for even freeze, easier to scrape. Avoid freezer odors by tight cover; granita absorbs smells very easily. Add zest finely for complexity, big chunks of zest can taste bitter and unpleasant. Mango needs to be pureed smooth, pieces create uneven texture and can interfere with scraping. Garnish last minute to keep mint fresh and raspberries firm, don’t mix into granita.
Common questions
Can I substitute lemon for lime?
Yes lemon is sharper, brighter. Different acidity profile. Slightly more tart. Zest important to balance flavor. Lime oil missing but lemon zest aromatic. Makes granita a bit less sweet, more fresh.
How often to scrape granita?
Start scraping after 4 hours of freeze. Every hour gives fine crystal size. Skip scraping makes hard block. More scraping = fluffier. Fewer scrapes = chunkier. Depends how you like texture.
Can I store leftovers?
Cover tightly in freezer, use airtight container or keep dish wrapped. Leftover granita hardens fast. Best eaten within 24 hours. Re-scrape before serving if icy crust forms. Freeze-thaw cycle ruins texture faster when stored.
What if no blender?
Hand mash lychees and mango but texture chunkier, less smooth. Seed bits or fibrous mango parts harder to break down. Plan longer freeze and scraping to smooth texture. Strain may help remove big pieces if possible.
