There’s nothing I crave more on a hot summer day than a refreshing scoop of sorbet. It’s lighter and more refreshing than ice cream, so I never feel too full after eating it, and it’s so fast and easy to whip up! Made with simple and budget-friendly ingredients– frozen fruit, maple syrup, and lemon juice– this sorbet recipe is endlessly customizable and ridiculously delicious.
As someone who has a major interest in vegan and gluten-free options, let me tell you, this sorbet checks all the boxes and does not disappoint! It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan, and brings the summertime vibes year round. It will keep in your freezer in an air-tight container for up to one month without losing any quality. (But, trust me, all restraint goes out the window once you try this sorbet. I don’t see any leftovers in your future!)
What is Sorbet?
Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from blended fruit, juice or water, and sugar (though in this case, I’m using maple syrup to achieve a “chewier” and less icy texture.) It is typically fat-free (but if you choose to make an avocado sorbet, please invite me over), and it’s considered a great palate cleanser in multi-course meals. This sorbet recipe is smooth and has a great mouthfeel, a bit creamier and less icy due to the frozen banana addition!
Sherbet Vs. Sorbet
The main difference between sherbet and sorbet is that sherbet contains dairy, whereas sorbet does not. Sherbet has a creamier and slightly less icy texture, but the fruit flavors may be less pronounced. A great bonus is that sorbet is vegan!
Ingredients for Sorbet
Here’s what you’ll need to make sorbet:
- Frozen Mango: I used frozen mango chunks which come in a pretty big package, so plan to use the rest to make meal prep smoothie packs!
- Real Maple Syrup: Traditional sorbet has sugar and ice added, but this sorbet is special because the maple syrup (agave syrup also works—and it’s cheaper!) gives it a creamier, smoother texture. The lack of added ice/water makes it easy to re-freeze and enjoy another day without the risk of it turning icy and losing its smooth mouthfeel.
- Lemon Juice: Adds tartness to enhance the natural flavor of the fruit and counteract the sweetness.
- Frozen Ripe Bananas: Help achieve a creamy texture without adding any dairy! Make sure to use very ripe bananas for the creamiest texture. Grab a big bunch on sale, cut them up, and freeze for meal prep.
Flavor Variations
The great thing about this sorbet recipe is how adaptable it is. Swap out the mango for any of these frozen fruits:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Açai berry
- Pitted cherries
- Pineapple chunks
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Dragon fruit
- Peaches
Tips for Making Sorbet
Sorbet can be a bit finicky, so follow these tips for a perfect scoop every time!
- Use frozen fruit. This allows us to skip adding ice, creating a richer texture and a more concentrated flavor. This is a nutrient-dense treat!
- To achieve the swirl look, just make batches of different flavors separately and then pour each flavor into a larger freezer-safe dish.
- Make sure you cover your sorbet when you pop it in the freezer to set! Fruit gets a gummy unpleasant texture if it becomes freezer-burnt.
Sorbet
Servings 5 (3-ounce) scoopsIngredients
- 2 cups frozen mango chunks ($2.98)
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup ($1.07)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.05)
- 1-2 very ripe frozen bananas (about 1 cup diced) ($0.33)
Instructions
- Gather frozen mango chunks, maple syrup, lemon juice, and frozen banana.
- Blend the mango, maple, lemon juice, and banana in a blender on high.
- Stop periodically to scrape the sides of your blender down, pushing the fruit towards the blade, then blend again until completely smooth and creamy. Do not add water! Just keep stopping and scraping to achieve the creamy, dense texture of this sorbet.
- Pour the sorbet batter into a freezer-safe bowl or dish (preferably one that has an air-tight lid).
- Cover and freeze sorbet for approximately 1 hour, until it is not quite rock hard just soft enough to scoop with an ice cream scoop or spoon. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Nutrition
how to make Sorbet – step by step photos
Gather 2 cups frozen mango chunks, 1/4 cup real maple syrup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 cup of frozen banana.
Blend 2 cups frozen mango chunks, 1/4 cup real maple syrup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 cup of frozen banana in a blender on high.
Stop periodically to scrape the sides of your blender down, pushing the fruit towards the blade, then blend again until completely smooth and creamy.
Do not add water! Just keep stopping and scraping to achieve the creamy, dense texture of this sorbet.
Pour the sorbet batter into a freezer-safe bowl or dish (preferably one that has an air-tight lid).
Cover and freeze sorbet for approximately 1 hour, until it is not quite rock hard just soft enough to scoop with an ice cream scoop or spoon. Enjoy!
Make the sorbet of your dreams come true with this simple recipe!
Does it get “rock hard” after that first hour? What about the second day, etc.?
It should be quite firm after an hour, but still soft enough to get a good scoop. It will definitely be rock hard after a full day! You’ll want to set it out for a few minutes before trying to scoop then.
I assume you could make this in an ice cream machine as well as a blender? I have a cusinart one. I very much want to try this recipie but I do not have a great blender at the moment.
You could definitely churn it in an ice cream machine but you’d still want to blend it first to get that smooth texture!
Four stars here because everything worked as expected. However…even though I went light on the bananas (scant cup/little less than one banana), both flavors I made (pineapple and strawberry) tasted *strongly* of banana–in the pineapple one it is particularly overwhelming (I had expected pineapple to mask it better). I do not like bananas, though I use them in smoothies for texture (in low quantities as I can take a little flavor but not a lot). I had hoped the other fruit would mask the banana flavor to a greater extent, so I was disappointed in that regard.
Is it possible to cut back on the amount of banana or avoid it entirely without compromising the sorbet texture terribly? I’d happily take a slightly icier sorbet (it is VERY creamy) over the banana flavor. Or is there another fruit/veg substitute, or even a dairy one, that would work similarly?
You could try coconut cream! Buy a can of full fat coconut milk and use the thick layer of cream that separates at the top.
You can definitely cut back on the banana and replace that with extra fruit of another variety. The banana gives it the creamy texture, but you can sacrifice a little bit of that for flavor’s sake if you don’t love bananas. You can also use some full fat coconut cream (the thick stuff that settles on top of the can) in place of banana.
Also not a fan of bananas here, I left them out to see how that went, and while I definitely wouldn’t describe it as creamy, it was still really tasty and refreshing (made it as a treat for myself to come back to after a race!). I think that worked fine enough that I’d make it that way again. Might try the coconut milk tip sometime.
I just made this and waiting the hour for it to firm up! I did a strawberry/banana/dragon fruit combo swirled with a mango/avocado/pineapple combo.
Perfect for hot days!
YUM! That sounds amazing. Let us know how that flavor combo works out. Tag us on social if you post a pic so we can see it! Dragon fruit would look gorgeous.
Real maple syrup is expensive and we don’t have in our pantry any suggestion for substitution!
agave syrup also works—and it’s cheaper!
Agave was perfect and it was yummy and refreshing, going to try other fruit combos with the banana!
I’m glad agave worked out! It’s definitely a great substitute for real maple syrup.
I definitely know what I’ll be making today!!! I have all the ingredients already!!!
Yay! I hope you love it.