Easy three-ingredient orange sorbet served in citrus shells. All you need is fresh orange juice, sugar, and water for a bright, refreshing frozen treat.
This simple sorbet can be made in a traditional ice cream maker or in a Ninja Creami. If you don’t have either appliance, the same mixture can be frozen and scraped with a fork to make a granita — a coarse, flaky Italian-style frozen dessert made from the same basic ingredients.
Ingredients
Just three pantry essentials produce a sorbet with a creamy mouthfeel similar to ice cream, without any dairy. Sugar in the form of simple syrup helps keep the sorbet scoopable rather than freezing into a rock-hard block.
- Fresh-squeezed orange juice works best, especially with some pulp; high-quality store-bought 100% orange juice (not from concentrate) is a fine substitute.
- Sugar is dissolved into water to make simple syrup; it softens texture and enhances creaminess.
- Water used to create the simple syrup.
Recipe Variations
This base works beautifully with other citrus — for a dramatic color and flavor, try blood orange sorbet. You can also adapt the three-ingredient approach to create other light summer sorbets like cucumber, strawberry-blackberry, or blueberry sorbet; each uses the same method with different juices or purees.
Sorbet in a Fruit Shell
Serving sorbet in hollowed fruit shells makes for a memorable presentation. Cara cara oranges, lemons, grapefruits, or even a hollowed pineapple create charming vessels. To make orange cups:
- Slice off the top third of the orange to create a lid and allow more filling.
- Scoop out the flesh with a knife or grapefruit spoon.
- Fill with sorbet, freeze until firm, and serve chilled.
Fruit shells not only look elegant but help insulate the sorbet and add a hint of fresh aroma when served.
Expert Tips
Ice cream maker: When churned, sorbet will be loose and soft—enjoy it right away as a soft-serve or transfer to the freezer for 90 minutes to 2 hours to reach a creamy but firm consistency. Longer freezes will produce a harder, icier texture.
Ninja Creami: Combine orange juice and simple syrup, pour into the Creami container to the fill line, freeze until solid, then process on the sorbet setting for a ready-to-serve result.
To adjust texture: increasing the amount of simple syrup yields a silkier, creamier sorbet, while using less will create a more granular, icy finish.
More Recipes with Orange Juice
- Orange Juice Cake
- Blood Orange Limeade Popsicles
- Orange Donuts
Orange Sorbet
Yield: about ½ quart
Equipment
- Ice cream maker or Ninja Creami (or a freezer and fork for granita)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fresh squeezed orange juice
- ⅓ cup simple syrup (see notes)
Instructions
- Mix the orange juice and simple syrup until well combined.
- Freeze the mixture according to your ice cream maker’s directions. When it reaches a soft-serve consistency, transfer to hollowed oranges or a freezer-safe container.
- Chill in the freezer for about 2 hours to firm up. The sorbet will be scoopable at this point; freezing overnight yields a firmer, icier texture. Allow slightly to soften before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh-squeezed juice or packaged 100% orange juice (not from concentrate, no added sugar).
- To make simple syrup: heat equal parts water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate. It keeps for several weeks.
- For a silkier sorbet, add more simple syrup. More sugar creates a creamier texture; less sugar yields a more crystalline, icy sorbet.
Nutrition
Calories: 116 kcal; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 0.2 g; Sugar: 27 g; Vitamin C: 62 mg. (Nutrition is an estimate.)
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