We have reached that point in summer when all anyone can talk about is the heat. Whether you’re on the East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, or South, there’s no hiding from the fact that it’s hot, y’all. And while a scoop of your favorite ice cream or a tall glass of something cold and fizzy usually does the trick, there’s another treat I like to reach for when I need to cool off fast, and that’s granita.
What Is Granita?
Delicate, sweet, and unbelievably refreshing, granita is an Italian shaved ice dessert I only learned to appreciate when I experienced the sweltering heat of a Sicilian summer. Trust me, when you can’t stop sweat from pouring out of you, there are only so many items that can keep you replenished, and granita is one of them.
Allrecipes/Julia Hartbeck
Originally from Sicily—the island that gave us cannoli—granita is typically made with fruit, water, and sugar. The three ingredients get blended together, then frozen and scraped repeatedly to create a finished product that’s lighter and fresher than milk-based desserts, and fluffier than your standard sorbet. It’s so refreshing that it’s not uncommon to see Sicilians piling scoops of granita onto brioche to enjoy for breakfast. Yes, it’s that cooling.
Due to its simplicity, you can basically flavor it in any way you’d like. I love the classic variations, such as almond and strawberry, but I’ve never been one to shy away from wilder, imaginative takes, too. So, when I saw an old clip from “Martha Stewart Living” about an effortless granita recipe that starts—and ends—with a liter of Coca-Cola, I knew it’d be a winner.
Martha Stewart’s Coca-Cola Granita
Martha Stewart, dubbed affectionately by some of her fans as the “original influencer,” has been divulging her culinary secrets and tips for making elaborate recipes more approachable since the ’70s. Her recipe for Coca-Cola granita is no different. It requires one ingredient (a liter of Coke), a baking dish, a freezer, and, perhaps most importantly, time. But don’t worry, you’ll only need to dedicate one or two hours to babysit this recipe, and almost all of it is hands-off.
In the 30-second clip on TikTok, Stewart is seen pouring a liter of Coca-Cola into a shallow baking dish. She then instructs the viewer to put the dish in the freezer and pull it out intermittently to “scrape it, fluffing it,” she says, using a fork to scrape the surface of the dish to create big chunks of ice. “It looks like brown sugar crystals, but it’s really Coca-Cola crystals.”
Ice-cold, crispy Coca-Cola bits with a subtle fizz to them? Count me in.
Although she doesn’t elaborate on how long you should freeze the Coke before scraping, most at-home granita recipes suggest freezing for 30-minute intervals and repeating the scraping process two or three more times until the granita is semi-frozen and airy in texture.
Stewart finishes the dessert with a dollop of whipped cream, giving the whole dish an elevated soda float vibe—but it won’t make or break the recipe. Feel free to omit the whipped cream and enjoy the icy treat on its own.
Not a Coke fan? Swap in any soda that has your heart. I imagine Fanta or Sunset would bring bright, citrusy flavors, while spiced sodas like Dr Pepper or root beer would deliver a warm, molasses-y taste that’s just as delightful.
Sure, food brands such as Starbucks and Hershey’s are already sounding the pumpkin spice alarm—in the middle of July. But according to my calendar, we still have at least another four weeks of sunshine ahead. That means four more glorious weeks to relish every scoop and slurp of our favorite frozen treats. Yep, I’m calling it: Summer’s not over just yet.
