A bowl of Italian Ice with strawberries and lemon

stand mixer

How to Make Italian Ice?

The cool, sweet and refreshing treat of Italian ice is unlike anything you've ever tasted before. Shaving large blocks of ice gives it a light, fluffy texture akin to sorbet. A proper ice shaver is required for traditional Italian ice, which has a finer consistency than snow cones or granita. You can easily create snow-like shaved ice for Italian ice desserts using this guide and the soon-to-be-released KitchenAid® Shave Ice Attachment. Read on to learn more about the ingredients and steps involved in making Italian ice, the texture it has, as well as the differences between Italian ice and granita.

HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN ICE INSTRUCTIONS

A bowl of Italian ice with a bottle of lemon juice seen in the background A bowl of Italian ice with a bottle of lemon juice seen in the background

KitchenAid® Stand Mixers can be paired with attachments and accessories to create an endless number of desserts. For Italian ice, the Shave Ice Attachment (coming soon!) can freeze and shave water, juices, coffee, milk, and dairy with a fine or coarse texture.

Italian Ice Recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 parts water

  • 2 parts sugar 

  • Pinch of kosher salt 

  • 10 parts fruit

  • Juice of 1 lemon or lime unless the primary flavour is citrus 

TOOLS

  • KitchenAid® Stand Mixer with Shaved Ice Stand Mixer Attachment

  • Saucepan

  • Spoon or ice cream scoop

  • Microplane or small cheese grater

  • Citrus press

  • Strainer (optional)

  • Ice trays or molds

  • Cups or bowls for serving

Preparation Time: 3 HOURS

As the sweetened fruit and water mixture needs time to freeze, it will take about three hours to prepare Italian ice.

MAKE TIME: 2-3 MINUTES

A refreshing summer treat is just minutes away once you prepare the Italian ice base. Just 60 seconds is all it takes to create over a pint of finely shaved ice with the KitchenAid® Shave Ice Attachment.1

1. Excludes prep time, based on plain ice and using a fine blade.

STEP 1: DISSOLVE SUGAR IN WATER

A blue flame from a gas burner A blue flame from a gas burner

  • Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.

  • Sugar and fruit should be added to water and simmered until sugar has dissolved and fruit has become soft. Taste and adjust amounts accordingly.

STEP 2: COOL MIXTURE AND ADD LEMON JUICE

Photo of a lemon sliced in half Photo of a lemon sliced in half
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sugar has completely dissolved.

  • Squeeze lemon juice into the mixture using your hands or a citrus press and stir to combine.

STEP 3: BLEND AND STRAIN MIXTURE

Various fruits are blended to make a smooth mixture Various fruits are blended to make a smooth mixture

  • Using a blender, puree all ingredients, but be careful not to splash hot liquid sugar.

  • Smooth out the mixture using a strainer.

STEP 4:FREEZE MIXTURE

Fruit mixture is poured into ice molds Fruit mixture is poured into ice molds
  • Pour the mixture into ice molds.

  • In the freezer, place the molds and allow to sit until completely frozen.

STEP 5: SHAVE ICE AND SERVE

A red KitchenAid Stand Mixer is used to make shave ice A red KitchenAid Stand Mixer is used to make shave ice

  • You can use your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer with Shave Ice Attachment to shave ice once the mixture is completely frozen.

  • Add a serving bowl under the attachment.

  • Choose the "fine" blade and press the start button.

  • Serve in small cups or bowls with an ice cream scoop or spoon.

WHAT IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE ITALIAN ICE?

Woman makes italian ice with a red KitchenAid stand mixer Woman makes italian ice with a red KitchenAid stand mixer

Originally, Italian ice was made with an ice shaver cranked by hand and flavoured with zested seasonal fruits. Italian ice is based on granita, a Sicilian frozen treat, and was first introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants.

HOW DO I CREATE SMOOTH ITALIAN ICE?

Bowls of Italian ice with a cream topping Bowls of Italian ice with a cream topping

Shaving the ice with a very fine grate gives Italian ice its smooth texture. The smooth and creamy texture of classic Italian ice is created when the individual ice crystals are smaller and more air is mixed in.

KitchenAid® Shave Ice Attachment includes blades of different sizes so you can shave ice into different textures according to your dessert recipe. You can enjoy the perfect Italian ice stand mixer with the attachment's fine blade, which creates a snow-like texture.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ITALIAN ICE AND GRANITA?

A bowl of Granita with fruit topping A bowl of Granita with fruit topping

The key difference between Italian ice and granita is the texture of the ice. While both use ice, sugar, and fruit, Granita is coarser and resembles a snow cone, while Italian ice is smooth and more similar to sorbet or ice cream.

WHAT IS THE BEST FLAVOUR FOR GRANITA AND ITALIAN ICE?

Cherry and lemon are the most commonly used flavours in Italian ice and granita. Frozen treats have traditionally been flavoured with seasonal fruits, but there are endless combinations to try today. Even dulce de leche and watermelon mint flavours can be added to your Italian ice to suit your taste.

FIND KITCHENAID®STAND MIXERS AND ATTACHMENTS

Customize your cooking with a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer and experiment with new recipes. Shop the entire line of KitchenAid® Stand Mixer Attachments to keep your creativity flowing and your cooking routine fresh.

Stand Mixers Attachments