Easy Homemade Coconut Sorbet Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What is coconut sorbet made of? ›

Pour coconut milk into a container. Add water to the empty can, swirl, and pour into the container. Whisk in sugar until dissolved, then stir in coconut flakes. Cover and freeze until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Without fat from dairy or eggs, it's the suspension of sugar within the fruit purée that allows the sorbet to churn into something with a creamy mouthfeel. You need 20-30% sugar in your sorbet, which will come from your fruit plus some added sugar.

Some are very sweet, others are more mellow, tart, or even savory. Some boast floral, herbal, or spicy notes. There are even adult-only boozy sorbets. Too little sweetener and your sorbet will be icy; too much sweetener and it will be mushy.

Coconut cream tends to yield creamier results due to the higher fat content. We DO NOT recommend using Trader Joe's coconut milk or cream – the formulation has changed in recent years and is now more prone to separation and oiliness.

What makes sorbet different from sherbet? Sorbet is strictly fruit juice and sugar while sherbet is fruit juice, sugar, and a bit of milk. That gives sorbet a brighter, more vibrant flavor and sherbet a creamier consistency.

Sorbet has less calories than ice cream and other frozen desserts, and no fat. It's fruit content also makes it rich in vitamin C. Any downsides? That fruit content also means it contains a fair bit of sugar, and if we're comparing it with ice cream and gelato, it has less calcium, vitamin A and iron.

The Master Ratio

If you don't know the exact sugar content of your fruit, the best thing you can do is play it safe. A sugar concentration between 20% to 30% will generally produce a scoopable, creamy sorbet. * Add less and your sorbet is too icy to scoop; add more and it may never freeze.

"Sorbet is made with fruit but no dairy (eggs or milk/cream) so it's generally vegan-friendly and suits those with egg or dairy allergies, too," she says.

The optional egg white helps to stabilize, emulsify, and preserve the texture of the sorbet if you are going to keep it in your freezer for a few days.

Lemon Water

It may seem like an overwrought step but it really helps. It gives the sorbet even more lemon flavor and just a touch of bitterness which nicely balances the sweet and sour. There is so much flavor in lemon peel it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

Why is my homemade sorbet not freezing? ›

Too much sugar will not only make for a sickeningly sweet dessert, it also reduces the freezing point so that firstly, your sorbet will take ages to freeze, and secondly, it will crystallize as it freezes. Too little sugar and you end up with loads of crunchy ice crystals.

What is this? 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur (this is for flavor, but it also prevents the sorbet from freezing solid. Alcohol won't freeze, so it is great insurance that you will have a soft sorbet. BUT, if you add too much sorbet won't freeze at all and you will basically have a margarita or daiquiri!)

One of the first frozen treats ever developed were ices (or sorbets), which essentially are a mixture of smooth ice, sugar, flavoring and other refreshing ingredients like fruit purees. A sorbet does not contain any dairy products and is more acidic, which results in tart flavors.

The difference between ice cream and sorbet is also based on whether or not dairy is used. Technically speaking, ice cream always contains cream and/or milk as its main ingredients, while sorbet traditionally never includes dairy or eggs, instead being primarily made from fruit juice or fruit purée.

"Sorbet is made with fruit but no dairy (eggs or milk/cream) so it's generally vegan-friendly and suits those with egg or dairy allergies, too," she says. The pureness of the fruit makes it icy and refreshing, and it won't be silky or rich in its texture as some other kinds of ice creams and sherberts may be.

The Island Way tropical fruit sorbets come ready-to-serve in a REAL half-shell coconut, lemon, grapefruit or orange – and they taste good (not just adorably packaged!).