How to Turn Grapes Into Sour Candy, Sorbet, and More

It’s safe to say that grapes are having a moment. Alongside curtain bangs and the Dubai chocolate bar, these tart-sweet fruits have gotten a boost from social media over the past year. They’re not the only ingredient to become trendy; content creators are also using more beans, cottage cheese, and cabbage. But with each of these popular items, there’s one common theme: Everyone is coming up with innovative ways to use them.

Aside from making wine — which I won’t be attempting to do in my Brooklyn apartment — or grape jelly, which I doubt I could improve upon compared to the store-bought stuff, I never really thought about doing something with grapes. (They’re just grapes, you can eat them as is!)

Related: 17 Types of Grapes You Need to Know, From Grocery Store Go-Tos to Farmers Market Favorites

But it turns out I’ve been living with a dearth of creativity because this humble berry can be transformed into some pretty delicious snacks. Whether you want a treat that’s sour, boozy, or sweet, grapes might be the answer, and they’re especially versatile when frozen — here are three of my new favorite ways to transform them into something exciting, no recipe required.

Frozen sour grapes

Fans of Sour Patch Kids will love this sweet-and-sour snack, and it’s also a great easy kitchen project to try with your kids. You’ll need three ingredients to make it: grapes, lemon and/or lime juice, and granulated sugar. Most videos feature green grapes, but red ones would work well too.

Toss the grapes with the fresh juice of a few lemons or limes in a large bowl. Many content creators use both lemons and limes to make these, but you’ll be fine if you only have one. (If you’re the kind of person who loves sour flavor, it might be worth seeking out some citric acid at the grocery store to sprinkle in too.)

You don’t need a ton of juice — the grapes shouldn’t be sitting in a puddle of liquid — but there should be enough to thoroughly coat the fruit. Toss the grapes in the juice, then add granulated sugar, and toss again. Once everything is nicely covered in acid and sugar, dump the grapes on a parchment-lined sheet pan (this will help them freeze faster, and without sticking together). Freeze them for about three to four hours, adjusting that time if you’d like them to be more or less frozen. From there, start snacking!

Prosecco grapes

This trick was trending around the holiday season, and especially for New Year’s Eve, but it’s an easy hack that works for parties any time of year. (And if you were doing dry January, this might be a fun way to dip your toe back into the world of alcohol!)

To make these boozy morsels, you’ll need any type of grapes, Prosecco, sugar, and (optionally) vodka. Any bubbly wine will work for this, but I don’t recommend using something high-end. This is also one of the few situations where I might recommend a sparkling Moscato, if you really want the grapes to be sweet.

Add the grapes to a shallow baking dish — like a casserole dish — and pour in enough Prosecco to cover them. If you’re using the vodka, just add in about two splashes, and stir to combine the liquids. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the grapes soak in the fridge overnight. The next day, drain the fruit, and toss it with granulated sugar in a large bowl. You can skip the sugar if you’d like, but it does give the grapes a beautiful finish. If you’re putting them out at a party, serving the grapes on cocktail skewers looks cute and is user friendly for your guests so their hands don't get sticky.

Grape sorbet

Zero sugar-coating is involved in this technique, but it still yields a simple, sweet treat. Make sure you have a food processor or high-powered blender, your grapes of choice, the juice of a lime, and you’re set. (I also recommend using honey, but it isn’t mandatory. You can optionally replace the lime juice with water if you’d prefer as well.)

Freeze the grapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once they’re completely frozen, add them to your food processor or blender along with the lime juice (or a splash of water), and an optional tablespoon of honey. Blend everything together, adding another splash of water if you’re having trouble getting a smooth consistency. Once the sorbet has reached a texture that’s to your liking, it’s ready to enjoy.

Unfortunately, unlike a churned sorbet, this rendition would be difficult to store in the freezer and then serve at a later time, so it’s best to make it right before you’re ready to eat. But the good news is that as long as you have some frozen grapes at the ready, it’ll come together in about five minutes.

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