Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet

Name: Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 558 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds frozen strawberries; 1 cup water; .9375 cup granulated sugar ((3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons)); 1/4 cup lemon juice + zest (~ 2 mediums lemons or 1.5 large lemons); 2 tablespoons vodka (optional)

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This Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet is the perfect dessert to cool you down on a hot day. This sorbet is the perfect balance of sour and sweet. Plus it's super easy to make and requires just a few ingredients.

A large scoop of Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet on a sugar cone in a tin with more sorbet and sliced lemons. The tin sits on aw cement background.

Summer is just around the corner, and what better way to beat the heat than with a refreshing treat? This Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet is the perfect dessert to cool you down on a hot day. This sorbet is easy to make and only 5 ingredients!

The result is a light and refreshing sorbet that's perfectly balanced from the sweetness of the strawberries with the tartness from the fresh lemons. It's the perfect treat to enjoy on a hot summer day, whether you're lounging by the pool or hosting a backyard BBQ.

If you're looking for more strawberry recipes check out my Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes, Strawberry Cucumber Salad and Spinach Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad.

2 scoops of strawberry lemonade sorbet on a sugar cone. A hand is holding the cone. In the background is a pink marble wall.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Perfectly Balanced - This sorbet is a delicious balance of sweet and sour!

Only a Handful of Ingredients - water, sugar, strawberries, lemons and vodka. That's it!

Delightful and Refreshing - This frozen treat is amazing on a hot summer day or to cleanse the palate in between meals.

Ingredient Notes

Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet ingredients on a stone background. Each ingredient is labeled with a white rectangle box with black font in all caps.

Vodka - I just use a small amount of vodka. Because alcohol doesn't freeze, it ensures our sorbet doesn't completely freeze solid so it'll be easier to scoop later.

Frozen Strawberries - I prefer using frozen strawberries in this recipes because they are frozen at peak season so they are much more flavorful and you can take the guess work out of using fresh berries. Sliced frozen strawberries will thaw much faster than whole frozen strawberries so keep that in mind when you are defrosting.

Water - heated with sugar to create our simple syrup

Lemon - Fresh lemon is the way to go. We use both the lemon juice and zest for maximum lemon flavor.

Granulated Sugar - while strawberries are definitely sweet on their own, a simple syrup made with the sugar, lemon and water really is needed in this sorbet recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sliced frozen strawberries in a blender body on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '1' in the center.

In a high powered blender or food processor, add your frozen strawberries. Set aside for strawberries to defrost at room temperature.

A small sauce pan with simple syrup on the burner. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '2' in the center.

In a medium saucepan, add water and sugar. Heat over high heat and stir or whisk occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved.

A sauce pan with lemon simply syrup on a mini copper wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '3' in the center.

Set aside simple syrup, whisk in fresh lemon juice and zest and allow to cool (30 minutes).

Note: I suggest 30-40 minutes if using sliced strawberries and 45 minutes - 1 hour if your using whole strawberries. The sliced strawberries will thaw much quicker than the whole strawberries.

Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet Base in a blender body on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '4' in the center.

Add cooled simple syrup to the blender. Blend until completely smooth. (30 seconds at low speed, 30 seconds at medium speed and 1 -2 minutes at high speed).

An ice cream maker on a stone background with Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet churning in the ice cream machine. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '5' in the center.

Follow the instructions included with your ice cream maker and churn sorbet.

Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet in a metal tin on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '6' in the center.

Pour sorbet into your ice cream container, press a piece of parchment paper on top and freeze for 6-8 hours to overnight. Before serving, let it sit out at room temperature for a few minutes, scoop and enjoy!

Expert Tips

A little bit of alcohol goes a long way! - Because alcohol doesn't freeze, just adding a tablespoon (or two) to our sorbet base means our sorbet doesn't freeze completely solid.

Use for a boozy brunch cocktail - Scoop the sorbet into champagne flutes or coupe cocktail glasses and top it with Prosecco or champagne for a special brunch treat!

Discourage ice crystals - Ice crystals can form on the surface of ice cream and sorbet after its thawed. Placing a sheet of parchment paper (or wax paper) directly on the surface of the ice cream can be used to help keep the ice crystal from forming and safe from other odors in the freezer.

Add flavor with herbs - Mint, basil and even rosemary are a couple of herbs that can be added to the simple syrup with the lemon juice and zest to add another depth of flavor. Just make sure to remove the herbs before adding to the blender.

A large scoop of Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet on a sugar cone angled in a tin with more sorbet and sliced lemons. The tin sits on aw cement background.

Recipe FAQ

What's the difference between ice cream, sorbet, gelato and sherbet?

Ice cream is made from a custard made of milk, cream, sweetener, and egg yolks.

Sorbet is made from fruit puree or juice with some type of sweetener.

Gelato is a frozen Italian dessert made from milk, cream and sweetener.

Sherbet is made from fruit puree or juice, sweetener and a bit of milk.

If you want to read more about the differences check out this article.

Can I use fresh strawberries instead? Why do you use frozen strawberries in this recipe?

I recommend frozen strawberries because they are frozen at peak season. But, you can use fresh strawberries instead. You will want to refrigerate the sorbet base in the fridge overnight before churning it.

Why do you use vodka in your sorbet?

Water can freeze but vodka can't. When you think of that in terms of sorbet, adding a bit of vodka helps prevent large ice crystals from forming in the sorbet and results in a softer and smoother sorbet texture.

Storage

After churning sorbet, store your sorbet in an airtight container in the back of the freezer.

Press parchment paper on top of the sorbet and that will help with any freezer burn.

Enjoy sorbet for 1 week to 1 month.

If you plan on making a LOT of homemade ice cream, sorbet and sherbet maybe invest in a reusable ice cream container (like this one).

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinteres t, Facebook or Instagram.