Refreshing Lemon Italian Ice Recipe - The Spruce Eats

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Lemon Italian Ice By Kyle Phillips Kyle Phillips Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 10/27/25 Tested by Tracy Wilk Tested by Tracy Wilk Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process (191) Save Write a Review Print Close

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 5 mins Freeze Time: 4 hrs Total: 4 hrs 10 mins Servings: 8 servings 191 ratings Write a Review Add a comment SaveRecipe

• This classic Italian ice features a bright lemon flavor made with just four ingredients.
• Regular stirring in the freezer creates a smooth, fluffy texture distinct from granita.
• You can make the ice ahead and store it in your freezer for up to four days.

Lemon ice is a traditional Italian recipe. Sweet and tart, it's the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. With just a few ingredients and a few hours' time, you will have a deliciously tangy treat that you can keep on hand when the warm weather arrives. In order to get that fluffy texture, you will need to agitate the mixture every once in a while as it is setting in the freezer. Smooth consistency is what distinguishes Italian ice from the crystalized ice desserts called granita and shaved ice.

Easy enough for kids to join in the fun of making this lemon ice, and then enjoying the fruits of their labor. Get ready to pucker up!

Tips for Making Lemon Italian Ice

• Use a strong utensil - If you find the lemon Italian ice too hard, use a large metal spoon or fork to scrape the mixture and break up the ice crystals. Serve immediately.
• Choose your consistency - If you prefer your Italian ice slushy, remove it from the fridge sooner once it has reached your desired consistency.
• Fresh lemon is best - Do not use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, and when zesting the lemon be careful not to include the white pith; both will leave the Italian ice tasting very bitter.

Make Ahead

You can make this recipe ahead of time if you like and store in the freezer, covered, for up to 4 days.

What You'll Need to Make This Italian Lemon Ice Recipe A Handy Dandy Microplane A Nifty Citrus Juicer A Great Ice Cream Scoop

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“This is a perfectly refreshing summertime treat! This dish is super-family-friendly and can be really fun for all ages to help with the freezing and mixing stages. I would definitely recommend this recipe.” —Tracy Wilk

A Note From Our Recipe Tester Keep Screen Awake

• 4 cups water

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. 

3. Allow the water to cool. Add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest and 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir to combine. 

4. Pour the mixture into a baking pan and place in the freezer. 

5. Gently stir the crystals every 30 minutes or so and leave until all of the liquid is crystallized but not frozen solid, and the mixture is smooth—about 3 hours. When you can no longer stir the mixture, scrape it with a fork as it begins to freeze.

6. Scoop into small cups to serve.

How To Store Lemon Italian Ice

Either thaw a bit in the refrigerator before serving (until it is no longer rock hard and you can somewhat easily scoop with a spoon) or break into chunks and place in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

• Make it minty - You can add a bit of mint to infuse flavor into the Italian ice or as a garnish at the end. To give the finished dessert a bit of a mint flavor, add fresh mint leaves with the lemon zest and juice and allow to steep for 20 minutes or so. Remove the herb before pouring the mixture into the pan and freezing. For garnish, simply place a leaf or two on top of each serving. You can also top it with a lemon zest twist.
• Make it boozy - If you would like to turn this recipe into an adult treat, include a bit of liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau. Add up to a teaspoon of the liqueur along with the lemon juice and zest.
• Try other fruits - Use this same recipe and technique with other citrus fruits including limes, oranges, and even grapefruit.

Summer Drinks for Kids

• Italian Desserts
• Desserts
• Citrus Recipes
• Summer Desserts

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
101	Calories
0g	Fat
26g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	101
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 11mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 26g	10%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg	21%
Calcium 7mg	1%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 27mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• lemon
• italian ice
• dessert
• italian

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