Don’t get us wrong, we love ice cream…and really, who doesn’t? It’s just that our slowing metabolism and grown-up healthy eating goals demand that we reserve this dairy-based and sugar-loaded indulgence for special occasions (i.e., not every single day of summer). So here we are, friends, with a roundup of refreshing sherbet and sorbet recipes that let us indulge a little more often.
The 17 Best Sherbet and Sorbet Recipes to Make This Summer
Published Jun 27, 2022
Matt Russell/Tin Can Magic
1. Salted Coconut Sorbet With Peanuts
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes (+ freezing time)
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy-free
A salty-sweet and dairy-free frozen treat that comes together with just a few shelf-stable ingredients? Count us in.
Skinny Ms.
2. Raspberry-peach Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 5 hours 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <500 calories, paleo
Toss some fresh fruit in the blender, add a drizzle of honey and pat yourself on the back for satisfying your frozen dessert craving with a yummy, low-calorie sorbet made from 100 percent clean ingredients (i.e., no refined sugars or artificial stuff).
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Katie Wayne
3. Creamy California Avocado And Mint Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <500 calories
Avocado and mint combine to create a sherbet with the luxuriously creamy texture of ice cream and the refreshing taste of summer.
Whitney Bond
4. Raspberry Sorbet Rosé Float
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, vegan
This dreamy combo of sorbet and rose is a decidedly sophisticated, adults-only upgrade to the ice cream floats of your youth.
Shanna Schad/Pineapple and Coconut
5. Tropical Calamansi Mango Sorbet Bars
- Time Commitment: 4 hours 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan
Here, calamansi, a tart citrus fruit from the Philippines, pairs up with sweet mango to create a perfectly balanced popsicle that you’ll want to have on (or in) hand all season slong.
Rock Recipes
6. Amaretto Peach Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
The amaretto in this recipe does double duty, preventing the sorbet from freezing solid whilst imparting a hint of almond flavor that’s downright divine when paired with ripe summer peach.
Berry Maple
7. Frozen Mango Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Sugar-free, kid-friendly, vegan
Attention, parents: This frozen dessert is free of refined sugar, packed with vitamins and 100 percent kid-friendly. In other words, you really can have it all.
The Sugar Free Diva
8. Sugar-free Strawberry Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: sugar-free, low carb
Score the freshest, ripest strawberries you can get your hands on and pop them in the freezer to make a refreshing sorbet that will satisfy your sweet tooth without spiking your blood sugar.
Sugar-Free Mom
9. Sugar-free Chocolate Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, low carb, <500 calories
You’ve been wishin’ and prayin’ for a chocolate fix that doesn’t add an inch to your waistline, and the genius who created this 15-calories-per-serving, rich and creamy sorbet was listening.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
10. Watermelon Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
The only thing better than watermelon on a hot summer day is a refreshing bowl of watermelon sorbet that comes together with only one ingredient (and doesn’t require an ice cream maker).
Cotter Crunch
11. Espresso Dark Chocolate Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 16 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, sugar-free
Cold brew was our go-to for getting a caffeine fix during the summer months…and then we discovered this frozen chocolate and espresso concoction, and suddenly everything has changed.
Health Starts in the Kitchen
12. Easy Vodka Berry Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 24 hours 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Once again, booze saves the day by preventing homemade sorbet from turning into a stone cold disappointment when what you want is a scoopable mouthful of frosty fruit flavor.
Stay Snatched
13. Easy Holiday Raspberry Sorbet Champagne Mimosas
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion-worthy, <15 minutes
Sorbet meets mimosa and the result is a swoon-worthy champagne cocktail we’ll be serving up all year long.
Clean Eating Mag
14. Basil Lime Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Vegan, <10 ingredients
Enjoy this aromatic combination of fresh basil and citrus as a palate cleanser between courses or as a refreshing dessert at any time of day.
Wendy Polisi
15. Honey Lemon Strawberry Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: Sugar-free, make ahead
Pink lemonade just got a colder and classier new look…and we’re pretty pleased about it.
Vintage Kitty
16. Prosecco Pineapple Sorbet Floats
- Time Commitment:
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
An instant hit at any brunch table, this boozy sorbet float boasts tropical flavor and bubbles, to boot.
Saving Dessert
17. Piña Colada Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead
Because you like piña coladas and pretty make-ahead desserts that promise to woo any and every guest.
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