28 Homemade Sorbet Recipes to Make This Summer (2024)

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This easy sorbet nets rave reviews from our staffers for two reasons. First, it's super easy to make; fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, sugar, and water are all you'll need. Plus, the orange flavor, much like French sorbets, is both intense and refreshing.

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Credit: Tara Sgroi; Styling: Rebecca Bull Reed

You can make cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberry sorbet with this one recipe. Letting the sorbet stand in the refrigerator gives it time to soften, but you can speed up the process by breaking it up and pulsing it in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

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Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

Full-flavored English Breakfast tea is usually made from a blend that includes black tea leaves. But consider substituting your favorite tea to make this refreshing lemonade iced tea sorbet.

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Serve this refreshing sorbet after a spicy Mexican meal or summer barbecue as a way to tame the heat and end things on a sweet note. Lime juice, sugar, and water are the main ingredients, but a small splash of tequila livens up the flavors.

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Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell

On its own, this sorbet is sweet, but the spicy tartness of the pineapple topping is the perfect foil. A touch of corn syrup in the sorbet keeps it from freezing solid and allows for easy scooping.

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Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

Limoncello, the citrusy Italian liqueur, brightens this sorbet. It's nice to have a bottle on hand to splash with soda in a spritzer or macerate with fruit for a quick dessert.

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Credit: Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell

Cool down on a hot summer night with this deliciously smooth and creamy pineapple sorbet - you'll never believe how easy it is to make!

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Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

You'll need 1 (750-milliliter) bottle of wine for this sweet, fruity, and boozy sorbet. The secrets to this dessert: Make sure all liquids are cold, and don't overfill the freezer container.

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Credit: Jan Smith

This luscious sorbet has just a hint of black pepper to contrast and accentuate the sweetness of ripe summer strawberries. To crush the peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle, the side of a chef's knife, or the bottom of a heavy pan or skillet.

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Anne Walker and Sam Mogannam, the couple behind San Francisco's Bi-Rite Creamery and Bi-Rite Market, love to host ice-cream socials at their home in Sonoma. For this vibrant sorbet, they supplement farmers' market berries with those from bushes in their backyard--if their two young daughters haven't already stolen them.

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Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Sabrina Bone

This is a twist on the classic martini co*cktail. The red food coloring gives the sorbet a light rose color, but it is optional. Three small scoops in a martini glass make an elegant presentation.

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Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

In this refreshing and palate-cleansing sorbet, the sugar tames the tartness of grapefruit juice. It could not be simpler to prepare. A serving delivers about two-thirds of your RDA for vitamin C, and only 145 calories.

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This fruity sorbet is the perfect sweet ending to a hot and sultry summer day. Have extras or want to enjoy it later? Spoon the pureed mixture into small paper cups and freeze with an ice-pop stick in the center until firm.

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Credit: Karry Hosford

The caramel notes of brown sugar tame rhubarb's tang. If you've frozen the sorbet overnight or longer, let it stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften before scooping.

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Credit: Anna Williams; Styling: Pam Morris

Three kinds of coconut products—coconut water and milk and cream of coconut—offer the best flavor and texture. Look for coconut water by the fruit juices. For an adult treat, drizzle rum on top.

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Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris-Pursell

Traditional sorbet is used as a palate cleanser between courses, often before a meat dish. Our version is rich and sweet enough to be a dessert all on its own. Like typical sorbets, this one contains no dairy, making it a light and fat-free treat.

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Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Ginny Branch

Here's a twist on peach Melba, the classic dessert of poached peaches with raspberry sauce. We turn juicy summer peaches instead into a velvety sorbet spiked with basil and serve it with fresh raspberries for the perfect ending to a summer meal.

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Credit: Oxmoor House

Depending on how sweet your mangoes are, you can add more or less lime and more or less simple syrup. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts water and granulated sugar in a saucepan; stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow syrup to cool before using.

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A smidgen of sugar brings out the berries' sweetness, but if they're very ripe, they may not need sweetening. Garnish each serving with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.

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Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Rose Nguyen

This Mexican-inspired dessert is the perfect ending to a feast of tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and more. Because tequila also comes from the agave plant, it fits naturally here; we use silver, or clear, tequila to keep the mango color vibrant. Dress up scoops with lime rind curls, if desired.

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This sorbet is refreshing, with an almost creamy texture. The white balsamic vinegar is subtle, but it adds a depth of flavor that enhances the melon.

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Credit: Tina Rupp; Styling: Deborah J. Disabatino

For a super-smooth treat, freeze this sorbet in an ice-cream maker, preferably one big enough for 3 quarts. You can substitute orange flower water for rose water. Rinse pistachios, and pat dry with a paper towel to remove salt.

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Credit: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Katie Christ

Sauvignon Blanc's characteristic green apple flavors blend seamlessly with the fruit itself.

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Credit: Gentl & Hyers; Styling: Kendra Smoot

Tart-sweet cherry and strong dark chocolate flavors meld beautifully in this surprisingly rich sorbet crowned with juicy fresh cherries. Use a high-quality jam for the sorbet, and be sure to start the process a day ahead for the best flavor and texture.

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Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto

This juicy strawberry sorbet isn't merely rose-colored. It also contains rose water, which combines so beautifully with strawberries that its flavor seems like an extension of the fruit. Neither heavy nor perfume-y, it gives the sorbet a delicate, aromatic sweetness.

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Credit: Christopher Testani; Styling: Paige Hicks

Cut-up frozen fruit is the trick for lightning-quick sorbet. To make ahead, freeze in an airtight container and defrost at 30-second intervals in the microwave until soft enough to scoop (about 1 1/2 minutes total). For a pretty garnish, top with paper-thin mango slices and lime rind strips.

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Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

A traditional salt and ice electric freezer works best for this sorbet, as opposed to a tabletop freezer, which won't freeze the mixture firmly enough. Use sweet Italian or lemon basil.

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Credit: Iain Bagwell

Caliente Mango Sorbet gets its kick from red Fresno chile peppers. The fire and ice element to this cool scoop, makes it a favorite midsummer treat. Remove the seeds for a milder taste.

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