May 23, 2019

Strawberry Mojito Sorbet

Made with fresh strawberries, mint and a splash of rum, this slowly churned strawberry mojito sorbet boasts an ultra creamy, velvety texture. Plus, this sorbet recipe only requires a few ingredients, and it couldn’t be easier to make. If you’re looking for one refreshing summer dessert, you can’t go wrong with this strawberry mojito sorbet recipe.

Sorbet Vs. Ice Cream

Let’s be clear. I love ice cream, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. But ice cream is so stupidly delicious that we tend to forget about its tasty cousin — sorbet.

While ice cream is made from heavy cream, milk and egg yolks, sorbet is a simple mixture of water, sugar, corn syrup and fruit. We just cook the water and sugar together to make a simple syrup, blend it with the fruit and corn syrup, and we’re ready to turn that fruity base into a delicious frozen concoction. Of course, you can also add in other flavorings like we do in this strawberry mojito sorbet recipe, but that’s the gist of it.

Now, I know some people have a problem with corn syrup. If you want to leave it out, that’s fine, but it does make the sorbet a bit creamier and keeps it from turning too icy.

Sorbet’s small ingredient list also makes it an economical dessert, and it’s a great way to use leftover fruit to cut down on food waste. Who doesn’t appreciate that?

Besides sorbet’s low-key, simple preparation, it’s great if you need a dairy-free or vegan dessert option. I don’t know about you, but almost all of my desserts use dairy or eggs. Most of the time, it’s not a problem, but every now and then, those dietary restrictions come up when entertaining. Sorbet is the perfect easy and tasty option for those times.

How to Make

All right, let’s get started with this easy strawberry mojito sorbet recipe. We first make a simple syrup by cooking equal parts water, sugar, fresh mint and lime zest on the stove. Once we cook the simple syrup long enough to dissolve the sugar, we allow the mixture to steep for about 10 minutes and then stir in some fresh lime juice.

While the simple syrup steeps, we can prep our strawberries. All we need to do is slice off the tops and cut them in half. Easy enough, right?

Now we remove the mint from the simple syrup and pour into a blender with the strawberries and some corn syrup, which helps keep the mixture smooth once frozen. We give our blender a whirl and puree. If you have a small blender, you might need to blend the strawberries in two batches, but a big blender should be able to hold all the strawberries and simple syrup at once.

And just like that, we’re ready to chill our strawberry mixture. This step is important to make sure the sorbet properly sets in the ice cream maker, so don’t skip this.

I like to chill the mixture overnight to make sure it’s plenty cold. Plus, I love that this allows me to make the sorbet ahead of time for easy entertaining. If you don’t have enough time to wait overnight, I recommend first placing the strawberries in an ice bath and then transferring to the refrigerator for at least four hours.

After our strawberry puree chills, we’re ready to churn. I especially love my Cuisinart ice cream maker and definitely recommend the brand if you’re in need of one. The unit is easy to use and makes delicious frozen desserts with the perfect creamy texture. I’m a huge fan and think you will be too.

Of course, for that mojito kick, we need to add a little white rum. We take care of this step during the churning process, but we need to add the liquor at the end. Otherwise, the mixture will have a hard time setting.

Now we pour the sorbet mixture into an airtight container and store it in the freezer for a few hours to allow it to firm up. At this point, the sorbet will have a soft ice cream-like texture but don’t worry. Freezing the sorbet takes care of it.

Once the freezer works its magic, we’re ready to scoop and serve. If you’d like to get fancy, I recommend serving this strawberry mojito sorbet with a fresh mint sprig and more lime zest. Grab a spoon and enjoy this perfect summer dessert.

Perfect Pairing

With the delicate mint flavor, we want to keep our pairings light. Rather than a straight beer, I like pairing this strawberry mojito sorbet with a lemon shandy, which is a mix of half beer and half lemonade. Some breweries offer premade shandies, but I prefer to make my own with a homemade lemonade or high-quality store-bought lemonade. That said, if you have a premade shandy you enjoy, feel free to use that.

For a wine, I recommend a sparkling rosé. Those effervescent bubbles will keep your palate refreshed, letting the mint shine, and that fruity profile is a natural match for the sweet strawberries.

If you’re in need of a refreshing summer dessert, I hope you try this strawberry mojito sorbet. Please let me know how you enjoyed this strawberry mojito sorbet recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

Need More Frozen Desserts? Try These Burrata and Bubbles Recipes.