It’s so easy to make a delicious allergy friendly frozen ice dessert with this dairy free peach granita recipe. This simple granita combines fresh ripe peaches with a little lemon and hint of mint for a colourful and creamy cold treat. It’s ideal dessert for a hot summer day. Peach granita is naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan too, making it a great allergy friendly alternative to ice cream.
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Jump to RecipeWhat is granita?
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert, which is esentially fruit flavoured ice flakes. It’s usually made with simple sugar syrup, citrus and other fruits or flavours. Traditional Italian lemon granita is the most popular flavour, but granita can be made with many different flavour combinations.
Granita is a perfect cold treat or dessert, but it also makes a refreshing palette cleanser between courses.
Why granita is a great allergy friendly alternative to ice cream
Because this peach granita is made with just fruit and sugar syrup, it is naturally dairy free, egg free and vegan. It’s also wheat and gluten free. This makes granita a great allergy friendly alternative to ice cream on a hot day.
If buying granita, always check the ingredients and be aware of any unusual flavours of granita that may have allergens included in the flavouring.
No ice cream maker required
Frozen desserts are often made with special ice cream makers or appliances. Luckily, granita is so simple to make in just a metal pan or baking dish and a fork. (A metal pan is best as it helps the ingredients freeze quickly and evenly). The fluffy ice flakes are created by regularly raking the mixture with a fork as it freezes to break up the ice crystals.
To make this peach granita you will need a blender to blitz the peaches. If your peaches are soft and ripe, you could use just an immersion or stick blender. I used my Breville Kitchen Wizz food processor to blend everything together.
Peach granita ingredients
To make this fresh peach granita. you’ll only need a handful of ingredients:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh mint
- 500g/1lb (about 4) ripe yellow peaches, stones removed and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
- Additional mint sprigs for garnish
Which peaches to use?
This recipe uses fresh yellow peaches, which are in usually available from late spring to early autumn/fall. You could also use white peaches for this recipe, but you wion’t get the same beautiful yellow orange colour.
Which ever variety of peaches you use, make sure they are very ripe. This will give the best flavour and texture to the granita. And there’s no need to peel the peaches. Simply wash and pat dry, cut in half to remove the stone and then chop into pieces.
Method
Some fruit granita recipes will say to simply put all of the ingredients straight into a blender. However, you’ll get a much nicer texture by heating the sugar and water to create a sugar syrup first. It only takes a few extra minutes. And it also gives a chance to add subtle flavour to the syrup, like this recipe does with the fresh mint sprigs.
To make the sugar syrup, heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer gently. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the mint sprigs to the saucepan. Set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the mint sprigs and discard.
Prepare the peaches by removing the stones and cutting into approximately 1 inch pieces.
Place chopped peaches, sugar syrup and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour the fruit mixture into a rectangular tin or baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches or 23 x 33cm) and spread evenly. Place in the freezer for about 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita mixture with a fork to break up ice crystals and create ice flakes, before returning to the freezer. Repeat this process every 45 minutes for about 3 hours.
Use a fork to scrape the granita immediately before serving. Serve in small chilled dishes and garnish with additional mint.
Serves 6.
Making ahead and storage
Fresh peach granita is best made and enjoyed the same day, while the consistency of the ice is light and fluffy. If you do want to make it a few days in advance, remove from the freezer to soften slightly and scrape again with a fork before serving.
Left over granita can be kept in the freezer in a well covered container for up to a month.
More allergy friendly recipes
For more delicious allergy friendly recipes with fruit, try our 2 ingredient vegan vanilla peach cake, vegan strawberry banana bread or dairy and nut free mixed berry crumble. You’ll find lots more allergy friendly sweet and savoury recipes to try on our recipes page.
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Dairy Free Peach Granita With Just 4 Ingredients
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 chopping board and sharp knife
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) metal pan
- 1 Fork
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) or about 4 ripe yellow peaches
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 or 2 sprigs fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
- Additional mint for garnish
Instructions
- To make the sugar syrup, heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer gently. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove syrup from the heat and add the mint sprigs to the saucepan. Set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the mint sprigs and discard.
- Prepare the peaches by washing, drying, removing the stones and cutting into approximately 1 inch pieces.
- Place chopped peaches, sugar syrup and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour the fruit mixture into a rectangular tin or baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches or 23 x 33cm) and spread evenly. Place in the freezer for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita mixture with a fork to break up ice crystals and create ice flakes, before returning to the freezer. Repeat this process every 45 minutes for about 3 hours.
- Use a fork to scrape the granita immediately before serving. Serve in small chilled dishes and garnish with additional mint.
