- Cannabis-infused frozen lemonade is the next stop in our Summer Freeze series: a bright, fluffy lemonade granita you scrape together with a fork.
- Because lemonade is water-based, it infuses best with a cannabis tincture, which blends in smoothly without overpowering the bright citrus flavor.
- The granita method needs no special equipment: freeze the lemonade in a shallow dish and scrape it every 30 minutes until light and icy.
- Short on time? Freeze a pre-dosed infused lemonade drink instead, so there is nothing to infuse or measure.
- Divide the total milligrams by the number of servings, label anything infused clearly, and keep it away from children and pets.
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A pitcher of lemonade pours out a refreshing sweet-tart flavor that tastes like summer in every glass. Freeze it into a fluffy, icy granita and it becomes the kind of treat you want when the afternoon heat settles in.
This cannabis-infused frozen lemonade is part of our Summer Freeze series, and it follows our strawberry popsicles and watermelon slushie.
Below is the recipe done the best way, a from-scratch lemonade granita, with a few shortcuts and swaps when you need them.
What Is Cannabis-Infused Frozen Lemonade?
Cannabis-infused frozen lemonade is a light, icy granita that pairs the sweet-tart flavor of lemonade with a measured dose of cannabis.
A granita on its own is a Sicilian frozen dessert that sits somewhere between a slushie and a snow cone. To create it, you freeze a flavored liquid in a shallow dish and scrape it with a fork as it sets.
The scraping breaks the mixture into light, crunchy ice crystals rather than letting it freeze into a solid block. Lemonade works especially well here because its tart citrus flavor stays bright and refreshing once frozen.
Because the cannabis is mixed into the liquid before it freezes, the dose is distributed throughout the batch when mixed thoroughly.
Cannabis-Infused Lemonade Granita
Mix fresh lemonade, stir in a cannabis tincture, then freeze and scrape it into a granita.
This version is the recipe at its best: fresh-squeezed lemonade, infused with a cannabis tincture.
Since lemonade is water-based, a tincture is the right tool. It blends in evenly and cleanly where an oil-based concentrate wouldn’t. A water-soluble or nano tincture disappears most completely, though an alcohol or MCT-oil tincture works too. If you want a specific product to start from, ask your budtender about a THC tincture like Drip Cannabis’s or a ratio tincture like UB Good’s. Tincture selection varies by store. Check your local Story menu to see what’s in stock.
You will need:
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)
- 3/4 cup sugar, or 3/4 cup simple syrup
- 3 to 4 cups cold water, to taste
- A cannabis tincture, measured for your desired dose (see the dosing section)
- A shallow, freezer-safe dish and a fork
Directions:
- Make the lemonade. Stir the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Add cold water a cup at a time, tasting as you go until you reach the right balance of tart and sweet. It should taste slightly sweeter than usual, since freezing dulls sweetness.
- Infuse it. Stir in your measured cannabis tincture and mix thoroughly so the dose is spread evenly through the batch.
- Freeze and scrape. Pour the lemonade into the shallow dish and place it in the freezer. After about 45 minutes, scrape the icy edges into the center with a fork. Repeat every 30 minutes for two to three hours until the mixture has formed light, fluffy crystals.
- Serve. Scoop into chilled glasses and serve right away. Divide the granita evenly among the glasses for more consistent portions.
Prep: about 15 minutes hands-on, plus 2 to 3 hours of freezing and scraping. Serves: about 4 to 6. |
How Do You Dose Frozen Lemonade?
Start with the total amount of THC in the batch, then divide it by the number of servings. If you’re new to edibles, consider starting with less than 5 milligrams per serving.
The easiest way to dose frozen lemonade is to work backward from the number of servings. Say your batch makes six servings and you want about 5 milligrams of THC in each one. You’d need approximately 30 milligrams of THC in the full batch.
Check the milligrams per serving on your tincture label to determine how much to add. Then stir the lemonade thoroughly before freezing to distribute the tincture throughout the mixture.
Note: Edibles and infused drinks can take a while to take effect, so enjoy one serving and wait before going back for more. Label anything infused clearly and keep it out of reach of children and pets. For adults 21 and older where legal; infused product availability varies by state.
Shortcuts and Alternatives
No tincture on hand or short on time? A pre-dosed infused lemonade drink or cannabis-infused simple syrup can save you a few steps.
The fastest version skips making the infusion yourself. Pour a pre-dosed infused lemonade drink into a shallow dish, freeze it, and scrape it into a granita using the same method above. Story carries infused lemonade beverages at select locations, so you can start with a product that already lists the THC content on the label. Availability varies by store and state, so check your local menu.
Another option is cannabis-infused simple syrup. Use it in place of some or all of the regular sweetener, depending on its potency and how much sweetness the recipe needs.
A tincture remains the better fit for this water-based granita. If you’d rather use an oil-based concentrate such as distillate or RSO, consider making a creamy frozen lemonade instead. The added fat makes that style of recipe better suited to an oil-based extract.
Flavor Variations
Swap the citrus, the sweetness, and the add-ins to make it your own.
Frozen lemonade is a blank canvas. Swap some of the lemon for lime to make a frozen limeade, or stir in muddled strawberries or raspberries for a fruity lemonade granita that turns a pretty shade of pink. Add a few fresh mint or basil leaves before freezing for a herbal twist, or adjust the sweetness to taste. For a quick frozen drink, blend the infused lemonade with a cup of ice and skip the scraping altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you infuse lemonade with cannabis?
Because lemonade is water-based, a cannabis tincture mixes in most cleanly. Stir your measured amount into the lemonade before freezing. A water-soluble or nano tincture blends in best, while oil-based concentrates are harder to distribute evenly in a water-based drink.
What is a granita?
A granita is a frozen dessert made by freezing a flavored liquid in a shallow dish and scraping it with a fork as it sets, which creates light, fluffy ice crystals. It needs no ice cream maker or blender.
What is the easiest way to make infused frozen lemonade?
Freeze a pre-dosed infused lemonade drink in a shallow dish and scrape it with a fork into a granita. Because the drink is already dosed, there’s nothing to infuse or measure. One drink makes a single dish of infused lemonade ice.
How much cannabis should each serving have?
Many consumers find that 5 milligrams per serving gives them a manageable dose. Divide the total milligrams you add by the number of servings to calculate the dose per portion. Start lower than 5 milligrams if you’re new to edibles.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Granita is best scraped and served fresh, but you can freeze the lemonade base ahead and do the final scraping closer to serving. If it freezes solid, let it sit for a few minutes, then scrape it back into crystals with a fork.
