Light and refreshing, this simple lemon sorbet recipe is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It’s an absolutely wonderful frozen summer dessert!
It only takes three ingredients to make your own lemon sorbet at home.
Serve it in bowls as a simple weekday treat. Or scoop the sorbet into hollowed out lemons and top with basil or mint, for a fancy dinner party.
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A light summer fruit sorbet recipe
The lemon sorbet can be dairy free, egg free, vegan, gluten free, fat free, and keto. Serve it as an easy dessert or a low calorie palate cleanser between courses at dinner.
If you’ve never tried making your own lemon sorbet at home, prepare to be completely shocked at how much better it tastes than store bought versions.
The lemon flavor is more pronounced, the sweetness is more balanced, and there’s no corn syrup or concentrated lemon juice, no guar gum, and no carrageenan!
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Above, watch the step-by-step recipe video
Homemade lemon sorbet ingredients
To make the recipe, you need lemon juice, water, sugar, and lemon zest. That’s it!
You can squeeze fresh lemons, discarding the seeds. Or buy 100% lemon juice in a bottle at the store from brands such as Whole Foods, Wegmans, or Santa Cruz.
The recipe works with white sugar, unrefined coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice. For sugar free lemon sorbet, try granulated erythritol or xylitol.
Do not omit or cut back on the lemon zest, as this is what will give the sorbet much of its tangy lemon flavor.
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Prefer a chocolate version? Try this Chocolate Sorbet
How to make lemon sorbet
If using an ice cream maker, prepare the machine ahead of time according to the instruction manual for your specific brand and model.
Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves. Let cool, then refrigerate this simple syrup until cold. To save time, this step can be done the night before or even days ahead.
Add the chilled sugar water, lemon juice, and lemon zest to your ice cream machine, and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions for your machine.
After fifteen minutes, it should look like lemon slush. Feel free to serve it now in glasses. (Hello, frozen lemonade!) For sorbet, transfer to a large container and freeze for about an hour.
Stir the thick and frosty lemon mixture. It is often ready at this time. If yours is still slushy, let it chill in the freezer for another half hour, then stir again.
For authentic presentation, use an ice cream scoop to serve. Garnish with fresh mint leaves or basil if desired.
Sorbet without an ice cream maker
No ice cream machine? No problem!
There are two methods for making sorbet with no ice cream machine. The first one calls for a blender, and the second option needs just a large container and spoon.
Blender option: For no churn sorbet, pour the liquid mixture into two ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Let the lemon ice cubes thaw just enough to be easily processed in a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Use a tamper to blend until smooth and creamy.
Container option: Chill a large shallow container overnight in the freezer. Pour the liquid lemon mix into the cold container, and freeze for a half hour. Stir very well to break up ice crystals and whisk air into the concoction. Return to the freezer.
Repeat this stirring process each half hour for about three hours in total. The texture should be somewhere between granita and ice cream.
Tips & storage instructions
Some brands and models of ice cream makers need to be frozen for 24 to 48 hours so that the base is frozen solid before use.
Be sure to thoroughly chill the sugar syrup after boiling the sugar and water. If the liquid is still warm, it will never thicken in the ice cream machine. I like refrigerate the lemon juice as well, although this is not as important.
Because alcohol does not freeze solid, I sometimes like to add a tablespoon of vodka to the sorbet before churning. This helps keep the finished sorbet from freezing rock hard. Do not add more than a tablespoon unless you want a slushy texture.
Lemon Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sugar (or granulated erythritol)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- optional 1 tbsp vodka
Instructions
- Prepare ice cream machine according to the instruction manual for your specific machine. (If you want to make the recipe without an ice cream machine, see above.) Heat water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold. Add all ingredients (including the sugar water) to the ice cream maker. Churn 15 minutes. It should look slushy. Either serve the frozen lemonade in glasses now, or transfer to a container and freeze for an hour. Stir the now-thicker sorbet. It is usually done at this time, but if yours is still slushy, simply let it chill in the freezer for an additional half hour, then stir again. Repeat until it has a sorbet texture. Serve with an ice cream scoop.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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More Easy Frozen Dessert Ideas
Anne Kalich says
My own tip for making ice cream that does not freeze rock-hard: Rather than add vodka or another alcohol, instead use allulose as the sugar substitute. It will freeze perfectly, unlike erythritol, monkfruit (which is usually blended with erythritol) or stevia.
Melanie says
Sounds yummy! Just curious though, what is the purpose of the vodka? Does it serve a purpose in the recipe, or only to add alcohol?
Flower says
Hey, it keeps the ice cream soft, but don’t put too much as it might actually prevent it from freezing properly.
Bethy says
Would this recipe work using xylitol instead of the sugar?
Thank you!
Flower says
Hello, in the notes she said, you can substitute xylitol.
Julia says
This is my new favorite!! It is so lemony and delicous! Highly recommend. It was super easy to make.
nestaway says
Anyone use this recipe in the Ninja Creami?
Vi Krau says
“Just so Good! I Just CANNOT STAY AWAY FROM MY LEMON SORBET! I want to praise you as high as possible! Thank you, cooking geniuses!”
Michelle says
This recipe was absolutely delicious!
Janet says
I’d love to make this but I have a pint of blueberries that I also have to use up, so wondered if that would be a good idea, and if so, when to add them. Would appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Rae says
Amazing texture! Crazy how it froze up to a creamy, fluffy velvet. I’m sure it was the vodka (-: Also using an ice cream maker probably helped.
The pucker power was too much though: for my family the ratio of lemon juice was too high. I ended up melting the batch, adding more sweetener/water and refreezing a couple of times. Each time I remade the batch it got more mellow and to us more delicious. However the texture ended up changing to more like a lemon ice. Still good though and we ate it all up.
It could be that my lemons were extra tart or that my sweetener of choice didn’t do the job; I used 1/2 allulose and 1/2 erythritol.
Lezlie Rabine says
I would like to make this for Easter. Can it be made a week ahead of time?
LRR says
I need about 14 scoops of sorbet, so would tripling it be enough?
Alanna says
So delicious and easy! I didn’t have any vodka on hand, so I added a little bit of white rum to prevent it from freezing too hard and the texture was much easier to serve! I’m not a fan of sour flavors, and this was just the right mix of sweet and tart.
Jean says
Terrific recipe. So refreshing. And super easy!
Heidi says
This came out PERFECT. Just like an Italian Ice. I did the recipe with 3/4 c brown sugar (thats what I had on hand)and added a dash or two of salt. I didn’t have any lemon zest, and I wonder if it would have been a bit too sour if I did. Of course it came out a slightly brownish-yellow color b/c of the brown sugar, but it wasn’t too off-putting. I can’t believe how good this was with only a few ingredients! Loved it!!!