Cranberry-lime granita | Recipe Renovator | Gluten-free, low-sodium, low sugar, paleo

Stunning to serve, insanely easy to make: cranberry-lime granita.


This recipe is part of the Melissa’s Produce Citrus Recipe Challenge in honor of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, this Saturday, July 25th in San Diego.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Miller Tribe | Saturday July 25 10 am - 6pm San Diego
I’m encouraging you, my generous readers, to appreciate your healthy children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren and pay it forward this week. Donate any amount to the Miller Tribe’s fundraising effort here. All donations are tax-deductible.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Miller Tribe | Saturday July 25 10 am - 6pm San Diego

If you’re in San Diego, come out and support the stand!

Normal Heights
3366 Adams Avenue from 10 am – 6 pm
Lemonade, games, music, Star Wars characters, silent auction items including a gorgeous citrus basket from Melissa’s Produce, discounted Legoland tickets, bake sale (including gluten-free goodies from me), discounted Hess Fest tickets, and more

Satellite stand at Thorn Street Brewery from 12 pm—6 pm
Lemonade, discounted Legoland tickets, discounted Hess Fest tickets, and me!

Hess Fest on Grim Street between North Park Way and University
Donation table

Please visit these supporters of the event on Saturday, thank them for their generous donations, and ask about their special food and drink items!
Blind Lady Ale House
Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant
Sabuku Sushi
Santos Coffee
Sycamore Den
The UnOptical
Thorn Street Brewery
Viva Pops

And our generous long-time partners FM 94.9, Adams Avenue News, and Legoland California Resort.

Now, on to my citrus recipe, which is courtesy of limes from Melissa’s Produce. I love Melissa’s, and I love citrus in general. (It’s a migraine trigger, so I had to test each type of citrus individually last year. Grapefruit is the main problem for me.)

I am a big fan of making granitas in the summer, as I think they are magical. No need for an ice cream maker. You just need a shallow baking dish, a fork, and space in your freezer. For this one, I combined unsweetened cranberry juice, fresh lime juice and zest, and just enough natural sweetener to make it dessert. It’s still fairly tart and would be a great palate cleanser if you’re into serving multi-course meals that require palate cleansing.

Here’s a how-to video on the granita technique, where I’m making prickly pear cactus sorbet and syrup. If you watch closely you’ll see my Golden Angel Buddy Girl in the left corner of the screen. She always wanted to see what I was up to in the kitchen.

Suitable for:

low-sodium, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets

Not for:

migraine diets

Cranberry-lime granita | Recipe Renovator | Gluten-free, low-sodium, low sugar, paleo

You might also like:

Spicy mango granita from Cooking Light
Tequila-lime-watermelon granita
Lemon-basil Italian ice

Required FTC disclosure: Melissa’s Produce sent citrus to my fellow food bloggers for this challenge. I was not compensated for this post.

Cranberry-lime granita | Recipe Renovator | Gluten-free, low-sodium, low sugar, paleo

Cranberry-lime granita

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cranberry juice (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (fresh) plus zest from the limes

Instructions
 

  • Zest the limes, then combine the rest of the ingredients.
  • Pour into a shallow baking dish and place in the freezer for 2 hours.
  • Rake with a fork, breaking up any frozen bits. Return to the freezer.
  • Check every hour, continuing to rake with a fork until you have fluffy crystals. Store in an airtight container. Melts quickly once served.