Looking for a refreshing homemade dessert? This easy Orange Sorbet is a sweet, citrusy treat that’s perfect for summer.
Sorbet is one of the easiest summer desserts to make in that it requires just a few ingredients, depending on the flavor you are going for. This time around, I opted for orange sorbet. It makes for a delicious, refreshing treat!
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What is orange sorbet?
Orange sorbet is a dairy-free frozen dessert made from fresh orange juice, sugar, and water. It’s known for its bright, refreshing flavor and silky smooth texture. Unlike sherbet, sorbet contains no milk or cream, so it's naturally vegan and gluten-free.
What makes this orange sorbet so awesome
- Just 3 ingredients
- Bursting with tangy orange flavor
- Dairy-free and vegan-friendly
- Perfect for summer, parties, or as a palate cleanser
- Done in 30 minutes
Ingredients for homemade orange sorbet
- Fresh orange juice
- Granulated sugar
- Water
Pro tip: Use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor.
A note about sugar: Some sorbet recipes call for 6 cups of sugar (6! Whole cups of sugar! That's crazy talk, people!) You don't need to use that much. Just 1 ¼ cups of sugar in this recipe results in a sorbet that's the perfect of blend of ice, slush, sweetness, and citrus.
How to make orange sorbet
- Make the simple syrup
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil. Then turn down to low and let it simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then allow it to cool. - Mix the ingredients
In a bowl, combine the orange juice and cooled syrup. Mix with a whisk gently until well-blended. - Transfer to the ice cream maker
Turn on your ice cream maker, pour the mixture through the top opening, and allow it to do its magic according to the manufacturer's instructions. My ice cream maker turned the mixture into a lovely orange sorbet in 30 minutes.
Serving suggestions
- Serve in chilled bowls or hollowed-out orange halves.
- Add fresh mint or orange zest for a gourmet touch.
- Pair with shortbread cookies or serve between courses as a palate cleanser.
- Recipe FAQs
In an airtight container, sorbet will stay good for up to 3 weeks.
Absolutely. Just pour the combined orange juice and cooled simple syrup mixture into a shallow pan and freeze. Once frozen, break up the sorbet with a spoon and place it in a blender. Blend until smooth. Return the sorbet to the shallow pan and freeze again before serving.
The difference is dairy. Sorbet contains no dairy while sherbet uses a bit of cream or milk to produce a richer texture.
More delicious dessert recipes
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Orange Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- 2 ¼ cup orange juice
Instructions
- In a small sauce pot over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. This takes about 3-5 minutes. This creates a classic simple syrup that you can use in almost any sorbet recipe.
- Remove simple syrup from heat and allow to cool.
- Pour orange juice into a large bowl.
- Once the simple syrup is cool, add to the bowl of orange juice and mix with a whisk gently until the sugar and orange juice are well blended.
- Turn on your ice cream maker, pour the mixture through the top opening, and allow to do its magic according to manufacturer instructions. My ice cream maker turned the mixture into a lovely orange juice sorbet in 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Erika says
Hello,
Would the ratio change if you needed to make the simple syrup out of honey instead of sugar?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Erika! We have not tried this in our recipe testing, so I cannot say for sure whether it would work with this recipe or not. In general, you'd need to account not just for the content difference but also the difference in sweetness. Some honeys are sweeter than others, and some are thicker than others; both differences would affect the final result. If you do try it, please comment back here and let us know what honey & ratios you used and how it turned out!
Sam says
I will try this at the weekend. Do you think adding orange extract will enhance the flavour?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Sam - wonderful! I haven't added orange extract so I can't say for sure how it will turn out. If you do try it, please comment back here and let us know how it goes!