The 17 Best Sherbet and Sorbet Recipes to Make This Summer

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.

RELATED: 20 No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes That Don’t Require an Ice Cream Maker

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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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