Mixed Berry Sorbet With Lemon & Basil

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Mixed berry sorbet is the perfect refreshing dessert for hot summer days. This frozen treat is made with a handful of simple ingredients and bursting with fruity flavor.

Looking for more refreshing recipes? Try my Indonesian avocado shake, frozen yogurt granola bars with fruit, no churn rainbow sherbet ice cream, or cherry mango popsicles.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Flexible – Homemade sorbet can be made with fresh or frozen fruits. Use only one type of fruit or a mix, different fresh herbs, etc.
Not too sweet – This summer treat is the perfect balance of sweet and tart and is made with a handful of simple ingredients.
Great for using up frozen berries – This sweet treat is a great way to use up an abundance of frozen berries.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy fruit sorbet:

Mixed berries – I used a mix of strawberries and raspberries. But you could also include blackberries and/or blueberries.
Fresh lemon juice – the fresh juice brightens up the flavor.
Organic cane sugar – for the basil simple syrup.
Fresh basil – nicely complements the flavor of the berries.

How to Make Berry Sorbet: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

Freeze ice cream bowl. Place the bowl of an ice cream maker in the freezer 24 hours prior to churning.
Make basil simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
Add basil. Add the basil leaves and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Let steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain out the basil and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
Blend. Add the thawed chilled berries to a high-speed blender with lemon juice and cooled simple syrup. Blend until smooth. Then run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (for seedless sorbet).
Chill. Chill the pureed mixture for at least 2 hours.
Churn. Pour the sorbet mixture into the ice cream maker bowl and process according to your machine’s instructions until thick, typically around 15-20 minutes.
Freeze. Spoon the sorbet into a freezer-safe container and cover with a lid or tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours. Take the sorbet out of the freezer a few minutes before scooping.

Helpful Tips

Taste the puree before churning to adjust the sweetness if needed.
Use a metal loaf pan for faster freezing.
For a smoother texture, strain out the seeds.

Quick Tip: No ice cream machine? Pour the fruit puree into an ice cube mold and freeze. Once frozen, blitz in a food processor until you have a sorbet-like consistency.

Storage

Cover with parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping. Alternatively, you can dip the ice cream scoop in hot water to make it easier to scoop.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this homemade berry sorbet recipe using what you already have?

Berries – use any mix of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or all one berry.
No organic cane sugar? – you can also use maple syrup to make the simple syrup.
No lemon juice? – use lime juice instead.
No fresh basil? – fresh mint is also delicious and super refreshing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make berry sorbet without a blender?

You need to use either a blender or a food processor.

How do I make this sorbet creamier?

To make this mixed berry sorbet more of a sherbet, you can blend in a few tablespoons of dairy free yogurt or full fat canned coconut cream.

Do I need to strain the mixture?

If you don’t mind seeds, you don’t need to strain the fruit mixture.

More Summer Desserts

I hope you love this Berry Sorbet! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!