Easy 3-Ingredient Cantaloupe Sorbet Recipe
You won't believe just how much this simple, sophisticated 3-ingredient cantaloupe sorbet tastes like the purest, ripest cantaloupe. This recipe is your ticket to a clean sorbet that tastes like summer's most fragrant fruit.
According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, besides canning and preserving, ice cream is one of the best ways to encapsulate fruit at its peak. True, it may not last as long as jam and requires more freezer space. But it can capture the essence of the fruit at its purest form, without much adulteration — and this sorbet recipe demonstrates that perfectly.
With just a bit of sweetness from simple syrup and a touch of orange liqueur that's meant to add tartness and smooth the ice cream's texture, a-la Ina Garten, this easy 3-ingredient cantaloupe sorbet has no frivolous notes. It's just good, ripe cantaloupe flavor that won't weigh you down and makes the perfect light, juicy, and elegant dessert after a good dinner.
Gather the ingredients for this cantaloupe sorbet
You really only need three ingredients, plus water, for this delicious cantaloupe sorbet. Sugar, fresh ripe cantaloupe, and Triple Sec or your favorite orange liqueur. It doesn't get easier than this! Of course, you'll also need an ice cream machine, though you can also do without.
Step 1: Combine the simple syrup ingredients
In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water.
Step 2: Heat the simple syrup
Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely.
Step 3: Let cool
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Step 4: Makethe cantaloupe mix
In a blender, puree the cantaloupe with the cooled simple syrup until very smooth.
Step 5: Add the orange liqueur
Stir in the Triple Sec.
Step 6: Chill
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours, or until very cold.
Step 7: Churn the sorbet
Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn until thick, about 20–25 minutes.
Step 8: Freeze the sorbet
Transfer the sorbet to a container and freeze for 2–4 hours until firm enough to scoop.
Step 9: Garnish and serve the cantaloupe sorbet
Serve immediately, garnished with diced cantaloupe.
What can I serve with cantaloupe sorbet?
Easy 3-Ingredient Cantaloupe Sorbet Recipe
With only 3 ingredients and a slight boozy kick, this simple and sophisticated canataloupe sorbet captures the true essence of summer's most fragrant fruit.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups ripe cantaloupe, cubed and chilled
- 2 tablespoons Triple Sec (or another orange liqueur)
- Diced cantaloupe, for garnish
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water.
- Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- In a blender, puree the cantaloupe with the cooled simple syrup until very smooth.
- Stir in the Triple Sec.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours, or until very cold.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn until thick, about 20–25 minutes.
- Transfer the sorbet to a container and freeze for 2–4 hours until firm enough to scoop.
- Serve immediately, garnished with diced cantaloupe.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 89 |
| Total Fat | 0.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20.4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 20.2 g |
| Sodium | 13.9 mg |
| Protein | 0.7 g |
What other liqueurs can you use in this sorbet?
Ice cream and booze are actually a sacred combination, because the alcohol helps to add flavor and keep the texture of your frozen concoction smooth and soft. There are certain liquors that go especially well with ice cream and even ice cream cocktails, and while we love Triple Sec in this recipe, there are several other options you can try that will add their own special flavor notes to the sorbet.
Limoncello is one excellent choice for this 3-ingredient cantaloupe sorbet, adding bright citrus notes without overpowering the delicate fruit. Campari would offer a sophisticated bittersweet edge that adds complexity and herbal tones, for a very adult-tasting dessert that would go well after a heavy meal or alongside a richer dessert like a brownie or cake.
For another profile altogether, try St-Germain, a popular elderflower liqueur. It has floral notes that really accentuate the cantaloupe's summery fragrant character. Whatever you do, just avoid going overboard and making some common mistakes with your boozy ice cream, like using too much alcohol or alcohol with too high a proof, which will stop the ice cream from freezing properly, or not balancing the flavor of the liquor with the taste of cantaloupe.
Can you make this sorbet without an ice cream machine?
Good news, you don't need an ice cream machine to make this cantaloupe sorbet. Instead, you can use the freeze-and-stir method, but keep in mind it'll require you to be a bit more hands-on with the process.
While ice cream machines are really important for making creamy ice cream, where the churning helps the cream whip and creates little ice particles in the mixture, it's less crucial in a sorbet. Instead, you can use a fork and some elbow grease to give your sorbet a granita-like texture.
To make this sorbet without a machine, make the mixture as per the recipe and then freeze it in a shallow dish. Every 30 minutes, remove the dish and stir it with a fork, breaking up the ice crystals as they form around the edges. Do this about 8 times in 4 hours, and you should end up with a good, smooth sorbet that is just like the one made in an ice cream machine.