Lemon Sorbet

This lemon sorbet is the most refreshing dessert. It’s only 4 ingredients, and so easy to make for a sweet, and tart summer dessert.

When I think of summer dessert I think of s’mores, lemons, and ice cream and this lemon sorbet combines two of those. It’s the perfect refreshing, and cold dessert that is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. It’s such a smooth and refreshing frozen treat. I love the tanginess of the lemons and lemon juice, mixed with a little sugar of course to give it the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  This lemon sorbet is the most refreshing summer treat, and perfect for a hot day. I think you’ll also love our key lime pie ice cream, or strawberry pineapple sorbet too! It’s also a great palate cleanser, if you want to serve a small scoop in between courses for a fancy dinner. It’s so easy to prepare, with just a few simple ingredients, and only a few kitchen tools.

Ingredients Needed:

• water – this will help dilute the flavor or the lemon juice to keep it from being too sour, and perfectly flavored
• granulated sugar – this will sweet your sorbet.
• lemons – you will need lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to flavor your lemon sorbet.

You will also need an ice cream machine, a sauce pan, or pot, and a 2 Quart container. 

How to make Lemon Sorbet?

Add some of the water and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat to make a simple syrup. Let it heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally as it heats.  Add in the remaining cup cold water, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix it all together. Then let it chill until it’s no longer warm. Add the mixture into your frozen ice cream maker bowl, and let your machine run until the mixture is thick, according to manufacturer’s instructions.  I actually love the sorbet straight from the ice cream maker, it’s kind of like a thick slushy, and it’s so soft, and tart, and delicious right then. But if you want it thicker, more scoopable – then transfer the sorbet a 1.5QT airtight container and cover it to place it in the freezer until it’s hard enough to scoop.  Make sure to cover it tightly to prevent ice crystals from forming. 

Tips and Tricks: 

• If you don’t have a fancy ice cream maker you can still make this lemon sorbet. Pour the base into a freezer safe container and place it in the freezer. Remove the pan from the freezer every 30 minutes and stir it up as much as you can until the whole mixture is frozen. This will take about 2 to 3 hours total.
• I prefer Meyer lemons for this sorbet as they are sweeter than other lemons, and are really juicy, so it will be easy to get enough lemon juice for the recipe.
• A splash of vodka added to the sorbet helps prevent it from getting icy. About 1 TBS should be enough.
• Add some chopped basil, mint or rosemary to the sugar water as it steeps for a refreshing herb flavor added to your sorbet.
• Remove your sorbet from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving if it’s been in the freezer for a while to help it soften enough to scoop it up. It’ll be harder to scoop and more icy otherwise.

How to store sorbet?

Store the lemon sorbet in a freezer in a container with a lid for up to 2 to 3 weeks. After that time the sorbet will get too icy.  This lemon sorbet is such a refreshing dessert. It’s zesty, tangy, sweet, and a must make to help you cool down this summer. 

More lemon recipes:

• Simple Lemonade
• Lemon Loaf
• Lemon Sheet Cake
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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This lemon sorbet was first published on August 7, 2013. The photos and text were updated for clarity on July 18, 2022.