Looking for an easy fruity dessert? Look no further than a great sorbet! Sorbet is a frozen fruit dessert that’s similar to ice cream but made without dairy. This lets the pure fruit flavor shine through and makes a frosty, refreshing icy treat. Here’s more about how to make sorbet, including recipes for our favorite fruits to use. It’s an impressive treat that’s an ideal summer dessert, but it works any time of the year!
What is sorbet vs sherbet?
Sorbet is a frozen dessert made with fruit and sugar and churned like ice cream. Sherbet is also made with fruit and sugar, but it also includes either cream or milk. The addition of dairy gives sherbet a creamier mouthfeel than sorbet: it tastes like a lighter version of ice cream. However, sherbet has 1 to 2% milkfat, whereas ice cream has at least 10% milkfat. Sorbet is light and refreshing, and can be made with many different types of fruit. Depending on the fruit, the texture can be lusciously creamy or more icy (as in the case of citrus or watermelon).
How to make sorbet
Sorbet is simple to make at home: all you need is a blender for pureeing and an ice cream maker for churning the mixture. Below, we’ve got specific recipes for various popular types of fruit. But here’s the basic idea:
Freeze the ice cream maker base in advance
An ice cream maker freezes the sorbet into a frosty consistency. While you can make no churn sorbet, we’ve found it’s best using an ice cream maker. Here’s the 2 quart ice cream maker we use: it’s absolutely worth the purchase and works for both ice cream and sorbet recipes. One thing to keep in mind: make sure to freeze the base of the ice cream maker overnight before making this recipe. If you forget, try freezing the base for at least 4 hours. How to check if the base is fully frozen? Give it a shake: if you still hear liquid inside, it’s not fully frozen yet.
Make ahead & storage info
Homemade sorbet is best the day it is churned. Leftovers do hold up in the freezer, though they are different from a purchased pint of this fruity dessert. Here’s what to know about storage info:
Make the puree up to 2 days before churning. This is the easiest way to make it ahead, then churn before serving. Line a storage container with parchment paper. This helps so it doesn’t freeze to the edges of the container.Churn up to 2 hours in advance of serving. For some fruit sorbets, this additional freeze time helps to make it scoopable. Leftovers save 1 week, but defrost at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes. Take time to let it sit out at room temperature prior to serving. If desired, you can take the parchment paper out of the storage container, which helps it to defrost faster.
Popular sorbet recipes
Ready to make sorbet? Here are the top most popular sorbet recipes to make with fresh fruit (with the exception of mango, which can be made with frozen mango). Click the “Get Recipe” button to read the specific recipe. Love sorbet? Sherbet is just as easy to make: just add whole milk! Here are our top sherbet recipes: Note: Because lemon sorbet is made with fruit juice and not fruit, it has an icier texture than other sorbets. Note: Because watermelon is mostly water (and has less fiber than other fruits), watermelon sorbet has a slightly icier texture than other fruit sorbets.
Try sweet and nostalgic Orange SherbertGo for zingy Lime Sherbet or bright pink Raspberry SherbetOpt for colorful Rainbow Sherbet
This sorbet recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 5 from 1 review
1 pound strawberries, hulled ½ cup granulated sugar 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice 1 pinch kosher salt ½ cup ice
For raspberry sorbet
1 pound (4 cups) fresh raspberries ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 pinch kosher salt ½ cup ice
For pineapple or peach sorbet
6 cups fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped (2 pounds) or 6 cups sliced peaches (peeled or unpeeled) 1 cup granulated sugar 4 tablespoons lime juice 1 cup ice 1 pinch kosher salt
For lemon or lime sorbet
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice 1 ½ teaspoons lemon or lime zest 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup warm water 1 cup ice
