Desserts

Vietnamese Coffee Granita

By Dixya

Vietnamese coffee granita is a refreshing and simple dessert made with freshly brewed coffee and condensed milk. Great pick-me up and for entertaining, particularly in Summer.

Granita is a semi-frozen Italian dessert that is refreshing with a granite-like texture. I love making granita because it doesn’t need any fancy equipment besides a fork and a shallow pan. Sicily is known for making the best granita in the world but throughout Italy you can find various types of granita. Often made with fruits, sugar, and various flavorings, there are endless possibilities when it comes to granita. With Summer season approaching, I couldn’t think of a better flavor than Vietnamese coffee – rich and robust coffee + sweetened condensed milk.

To make Vietnamese coffee granita, I used my go-to recipe for Vietnamese coffee (cà phê đá) recipe but please feel free to use your favorite coffee recipe.

For making Vietnamese coffee, I like using Trung Nguyen or Cafe Du Monde but a strong brew of your choice will work. Traditionally, Vietnamese coffee is brewed using phin filter which you can get from the Asian grocery store. French press is another option especially if you are making 2-3 servings of Vietnamese coffee.

Vietnamese Coffee Granita

For 3-4 servings

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
6 tablespoon medium, coarsely grind coffee (Trung Nguyen or Cafe Du Monde) + more for drizzling
12-14 oz. hot water (just below boiling)

Directions

To brew coffee:

Add sweetened condensed milk into a large jar.
For this recipe, I’d recommend using French press to brew the coffee. Here is a quick tutorial https://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/blog/2018/2/11/how-to-make-french-press-coffee-for-one
If using phin filter, you will have to brew twice as regular phin filter only holds about 2-3 tablespoon coffee. Add coffee into the phin filter and shake it gently to remove excess. Screw the top filter and set it on top of the glass.
Add about 2 tablespoon of hot water to wet the coffee and close the lid for about 30 seconds. This helps coffee bloom.
Remove the lid and pour 6-8 oz water and close the lid.
Let it brew which takes about 4 minutes.
Once brewing stops, remove the filter and pour brewed coffee into the jar with condensed milk.

To make granita:

Allow the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk to cool a bit.
Pour the Vietnamese coffee mix into a shallow pan or a baking sheet and place the tray in the freezer.
After 35-40 minutes, use a fork to scrape the Vietnamese coffee mix into a slush like texture.
Repeat the process every 35-40 minutes for 3-4 times. It should have a fluffy yet icy, shaved ice like texture
Scoop Vietnamese coffee granita into bowls and drizzle condensed milk over it. Serve it immediately.
Freeze the remaining granita and scrape again right before serving.