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A supremely simple dessert, this icy blood orange granita recipe is shocking pink and a deliciously healthy way to end a good meal.

Blood Orange Granita Recipe

“The simplest dessert I know” is how author Julia Turshen describes this blood orange granita in her new cookbook Small VictoriesAnd that was all the selling it needed. After turning to this page, we promptly made the recipe and were delighted by the bright flavor, shocking pink color, and creamy mascarpone cheese. Keep reading for the granita recipe and more about Small Victories.

Blood Orange Granita Recipe

How to make this granita recipe

This granita recipe one is as simple as promised: juice the oranges, freeze for few hours, and then scrape with a fork into sparkling crystals. What results is bright pink snow, zesty and refreshing with no added sugar. For an added kick, serving the granita with a mix of cream and mascarpone cheese offsets it with a bit of richness.

We shared this granita recipe with Alex’s mother and stepfather, and we all couldn’t get over the flavor and texture packed into our little bowls. Slicing into those blood oranges is an added treat: they have the most beautiful, firey-rainbow interiors. And if you can’t find blood oranges, you can make this recipe with regular oranges (in fact, the inspiration was an Orange Julius!).

Blood orange

About the book: Small Victories

As two cooks who started cooking well into adulthood, we love the premise of this cookbook. Small Victories is all about tips and tricks learned in a lifetime in the kitchen. And we’re charmed both by the granita recipe and author Julia Turshen, who recently sat down with us on our podcast to talk recipes, life, and a health challenge that’s helped her focus on what matters. She’s an inspirational soul whose experience speaks volumes, and her flavors are spot on. It’s no wonder she’s written cookbooks for Gwyneth Paltrow and even made this granita for kitchen goddess Ina Garten! Hats off to Julia on a fantastic book, a delightful chat, and her passion for inspiring cooks around the globe.

Get the book: Small Victories by Julia Turshen

Blood Orange Granita Recipe

Listen: Author Julia Turshen was on our podcast to talk about the book! Listen to us chat with Julia on Episode 29: To small victories

Looking for more fruit desserts?

Outside of this blood orange granita recipe, here are our favorite fruit desserts on A Couple Cooks:

This granita recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the mascarpone.

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Blood Orange Granita Recipe

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A supremely simple dessert, this icy blood orange granita recipe is shocking pink and a deliciously healthy way to end a good meal.

  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Frozen
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups fresh blood orange juice or regular orange juice
  • ½ cup mascarpone
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Pour the orange juice into a baking dish or another large container that fits comfortably in your freezer. Freeze until solid—at least 2 hours, or up to overnight (but not much longer, or else the flavor won’t be as present).
  2. Once the mixture is firm, scrape it with the tines of a fork so that it breaks into a zillion flakes. (You can do this up to a few hours in advance, and then just store it in the freezer.)
  3. Just before serving, in a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone and heavy cream.
  4. Alternate layers of the granita and the cream mixture in small glasses or side-by-side in small bowls, working quickly so that the granita doesn’t melt too much. Serve immediately.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Small Victories by Julia Turshen

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About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Hi! We’re Sonja and Alex Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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3 Comments

  1. Meg @BeardandBonnet says:

    The color of this granita is just fantastic! I bet the contrast of the creamy mascarpone with the tart icy granita is just killer!

  2. Chris says:

    This looks so refreshing! A self-proclaimed popsicle fiend, I love all icy desserts. Such a beautiful color.

  3. Allyson (Considering The Radish) says:

    I’ve been hearing so much about Small Victories, but this is the recipe that’s finally convinced me I need to check this out. I love everything about this- the color, the ease, the suggested serving of mascarpone cheese and cream.