Cinnamon Cold Brew Granita
As the sunny days roll in around here, we start craving snow cones and shaved ice treats. And while we love a classic, syrup-covered cone served out of the window of a snow-cone truck, making them at home means we can have custom flavor options and keep the ingredients a bit more natural.
Unless you have a shaved ice machine or a really fancy blender, it’s not that easy! Until I learned how granita is made! No fancy equipment necessary. You just need time, a little patience, and a fork!
This recipe is endlessly flexible—swap the cinnamon for chocolate syrup or vanilla, change the ratio of coffee to water, or add a splash of your favorite milk. It’ll be the best coffee break you’ve taken all year!
Gather your ingredients
3 cups cold brew concentrate or strong-brewed cold brew coffee*
1 cup of water*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Whipped cream (optional, for serving)
Cinnamon sticks (optional, for garnish)
Make the granita
In a small pot on the stove, heat the water until just hot enough to dissolve the sugar.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then add the cinnamon and stir that in too. Remove from the heat and set your cinnamon sugar water aside to cool.
Once the mixture is cool, stir in the cold brew and pour the mixture into a loaf pan, spreading it evenly.
Place the pan in the freezer, loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap, and let it freeze for about 1 hour, or until the edges start to get icy.
Using a fork, gently scrape and stir the mixture to break up any ice crystals. Make sure to focus on the edges and corners, since those freeze first.
Return the pan to the freezer and repeat the scraping process every 30 minutes for about 3 to 4 hours, or until the entire mixture has become the texture of shaved ice.
Once the granita is fully frozen, remove it from the freezer. Use a fork to fluff and break up any large ice chunks.
Serve your granita in chilled glasses or bowls. We wouldn’t object to a cinnamon/sugar-rimmed glass.
Add a dollop (or three) of whipped cream.
** If you’re making cold brew concentrate with our classic recipe, then the 3:1 concentrate-to-water ratio will make a strong coffee-flavored treat. Adjust the water and cold brew amounts to get the flavor just right for your brew method.