If you’re looking for a quick and refreshing vegan summer treat, this Lime Sorbet Recipe is perfect. With just 4 simple ingredients and just a few minutes of prep time, you’ll be able to put this bright and citrusy summer dessert together. Best of all, you don’t even need an ice cream maker for this recipe! Your trusty blender should work just fine!
Over the last few years, I’ve experimented with quite a few vegan summer dessert recipes, frozen desserts in particular.
Try my watermelon sorbet or watermelon popsicles if you want to start with something simple and easy, or whip up a nice key lime pie if you’re in the mood for something citrusy and indulgent.
And of course, if you have fresh limes and kiwis at hand, you’ve got to give this recipe a shot.
Why You’ll Love This Lime Sorbet Recipe
- Light and delicious: A sorbet is much lighter than traditional ice cream, and this one in particular has a bright, zesty flavor you don’t want to miss.
- Easy to make: You’ll need no fancy gadgets or complicated cooking techniques to put this sorbet together. It’s just simple, effortless, and easy.
- Perfect for summer: It has just the right balance of sweet and tangy flavors in a refreshing and creamy base, making it perfect for the hot summer months.
- Gluten-free: The sorbet is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free too!
Ingredients
- Limes: Choose regular or key limes, whatever you can get your hands on. They both work wonderfully for this recipe. However, if you will be using the skin of the lime to store the sorbet in like I did, I recommend using regular limes and not key limes, as they have sturdier skin.
- Kiwis: Kiwis have a natural sweetness that beautifully complements the tanginess of the limes. And of course, that pop of color is amazing!
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk tones down all those flavors with its creaminess.
- Maple syrup: For added sweetness. You could use agave too, if that’s what you have at hand.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Berry time: Berries and limes make a wonderful no-fail combination you can try. Use fresh or frozen berries of your choice. Raspberries and strawberries are my favorite!
- Lemon lime: Turn this into a simple lemon-lime sorbet recipe by using a mix of both lemons and limes and skip adding the kiwi.
- Herby fun: Jazz up your classic lime sorbet by adding a few chopped mint or basil leaves into the mix towards the end.
- Pina colada: Add some frozen pineapple chunks into the mix and skip the kiwi to make a nice vegan pina colada sorbet.
How to Make Lime Sorbet
To make the sorbet, simply get all your ingredients ready.
Step 1: Prep the limes. Wash and slice the limes lengthwise.
Step 2: Remove the pulp. Use a knife and carefully remove the flesh of the lime, leaving the outside skin to use as a vessel for the sorbet.
Step 3: Blend time. Add the skin to a high-speed blender along with the kiwi, coconut milk and sweetener of your choice and blend for a few minutes.
Step 4: Pour and set. Pour this mixture into the lime cups and transfer them to a freezer-safe container or arrange them on a baking sheet. Freeze them for 4-6 hours.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this cold and refreshing dessert anytime during the summer months. It’s great to make for parties and get-togethers too!
Whenever I’m hosting, I love prepping the sorbet a day in advance, and serving it as a dessert after some light summer sides like strawberry summer salad, grilled peach salad, and a nice vegan seven layer dip.
Sometimes, I also like to make my vegan frozen yogurt fruit cups, which work so well as a bite-sized treat or snack, especially for the hotter months of the year.
Expert Tips
- Cut it right: Make sure you scoop out the flesh of the limes correctly and don’t add any of that white pith into the mixture, as it can be quite bitter. Also, remember to remove any seeds that you might find.
- Storing: This easy lime sorbet can be stored for up to a month, if not longer. Make sure you use a good quality freezer-safe container to store it to prevent freezer burn.
- Line the storage container: Place a piece of parchment paper in the container before adding the sorbet. This way, when you get it out, scooping and getting the sorbet out of the sides of the container will be easier!
Video
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use bottled lime juice too, if you don’t have fresh limes at hand. That said, the flavor and deliciousness you’ll get using fresh limes is unmatched, so if you have them, I would highly recommend using them.
Allow the sorbet to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly before you scoop it out and serve.
More Delicious Vegan Lemon Desserts
Fresh Lime Sorbet
Ingredients
- 4 limes
- 2 kiwis
- 1 can of coconut milk I froze mine ahead of time
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave
Instructions
- Wash and slice the limes lengthwise.
- Use a knife to cut out the flesh of the lime. *Be careful not to cut into the rind because it's very bitter and will give your sorbet a bitter taste! Then scoop out the flesh of each lime and set it aside. Save the lime skin as you will use that as the vessel for your sorbet.
- Cut and peel the kiwis and add them to a blender along with the lime flesh, canned coconut milk, and maple syrup. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Note: I froze the canned coconut milk into ice cubes ahead of time, but that is optional.
- Pour the lime & kiwi mixture back into the lime cups. You will have some mixture leftover, so add that to a freezer-friendly container. Freeze both the lime cups and the remaining mixture for 4-6 hours.
- When taking the sorbet out of the freezer, allow it to slightly thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Then dig in and enjoy!
Notes
- Cut it right: Make sure you scoop out the flesh of the limes correctly, and don’t add any of that white pith into the mixture, as it can be quite bitter. Also, remember to remove any seeds that you might find.
- Storing: This easy lime sorbet can be stored for up to a month, if not longer. Make sure you use a good quality freezer-safe container to store it to prevent freezer burn.
- Line the storage container: Place a piece of parchment paper in the container before adding the sorbet. This way, when you get it out, scooping and getting the lime sorbet out of the sides of the container will be easier!
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