How to Make Italian Ice

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 23, 2022 Approved

Ice cream is a typical summer dessert. But, when the temperatures climb, you may not want something creamy or heavy. Italian ices are refreshing fruit-based desserts that are easy to customize and simple to make. Unlike ice cream, you won't need to cook a custard base on the stove before freezing it. Italian ices are quick to mix up and don't require specialized equipment.

Ingredients

3 cups fresh fruit (like strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, or cherries)
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups ice cubes

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating Your Italian Ice Mixture

1
Chop the fruit. Wash the fruit and chop it into large chunks. Remove any peels, pits, or stems. You can do a single fruit flavor or combine several fruits to make a mixed fruit Italian ice.^{[1]
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- Choose the freshest and ripest fruit you can find for the most flavorful Italian ice.
2
Blend your ingredients. Place the chopped fruit, sugar or honey, lemon juice, and 2 cups of the ice into a blender or food processor. Cover the machine and blend your ingredients until they're totally smooth. Add the remaining cup of ice and completely blend it into the mixture.^{[2]
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- If you don't like seeds, consider straining the mixture through a mesh strainer.
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3
Try making a syrup base. If you don't want to use a fruit puree as a base for your Italian ice, make a syrup that you can freeze. Combine 3 cups of water with 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Then stir in 1/2 cup of lime or lemon juice. Refrigerate the mixture until it's cool.^{[3]
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- To quickly cool the syrup before you freeze it, fill a large bowl with ice. Set the bowl that has your hot syrup on top of the ice in the larger bowl. Leave it there for 15 minutes till it's cooler.
4
Consider making a different flavor. You don't always need to use a fruit puree base to make an Italian ice. You can try making a fruit juice lemon ice for something even lighter. Or, melt chocolate and let it cool before blending it with ice to make a chocolate Italian ice. Popular Italian ice flavors include:
- Peach
- Lime
- Orange
- Lemon
- Coconut pineapple
- Raspberry

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Freezing the Italian Ice

1
Pour the mixture into a shallow pan. Fill a long shallow pan with the Italian ice puree. Using a long shallow pan (like a 9x13 baking dish) will help the mixture freeze faster. It will also make it easier to scrape or mix in a machine. Cover the pan with plastic wrap to prevent the Italian ice from absorbing smells from your freezer.^{[4]
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- If you want the mixture to freeze even faster, place the shallow pan in the freezer before you start making your Italian ice puree. This way, the pan will already be cold.
2
Freeze the mixture and scrape it. Traditionally, you should freeze the Italian ice for 30 minutes before scraping through the mixture with a fork. The mixture will be slushy. Freeze it again for another 2 hours until the mixture is firm. This will a crystallized Italian ice that you can serve.^{[5]
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- If you used a syrup base instead of the puree, you'll need to freeze the mixture longer before initially scraping. Freeze it for 1 1/2 hours, scrape the mixture with a fork, and then freeze it for another 1 1/2 hours before serving.^{[6]
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3
Blend the mixture for smoother Italian ice. If you don't want a crystallized Italian ice, you can use hand mixer with beater attachments. To do this, freeze your mixture in a long shallow pan (like a 9x13 baking dish). Once frozen, remove the mixture and put it in a blender. Cover the blender with the lid and pulse the blender until the mixture is shaved. This will make a lighter Italian ice.^{[7]
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- If you don't have a blender, transfer the frozen mixture to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer with beater attachments to blend the mixture until it's as smooth as you want it.
4
Consider using an ice cream maker. If you don't want to watch the Italian ice and scrape it periodically, you can also freeze it in an ice cream or gelato maker. This freezing method is hands off and will make a much smoother Italian ice. Pour the cold pureed mixture into your machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions.^{[8]
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- You should still be around when freezing the Italian ice in the ice cream maker. Most ice cream makers should only be run for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you run your machine too long, the frozen mixture will start to melt.
5
Serve the Italian ice. Scoop the Italian ice into cones or small bowls. If you'd like to drink the Italian ice as it melts, you may want to serve it in a tall glass with a straw. You can also add an optional garnish to show what flavor it is. You can garnish with:
- Sliced strawberry
- Lemon or lime wedge
- Thin slice of watermelon
- Sliver of mango

Community Q&A

Question

Should I make the slushy ice and pour the syrup on top, or should I blend the two?

Community Answer

The recipe suggests that you blend the two, but you could pour it on top if you'd prefer.
Question

Is the ice creamy or crunchy?

Qamar

Top Answerer

The Italian ice will be creamy, sort of resembling the texture of ice cream.
Question

Are the methods two completely different ways to make Italian Ice?

Community Answer

Yes, both methods will result in making Italian ice but take a different approach.