Homemade Strawberry Basil Sorbet Recipe

This Homemade Strawberry Basil Sorbet is so fresh and flavorful plus it’s incredibly easy to make. It’s the perfect light dessert.

Cool Treats on Hot Summer Days

As we come out of the long, winter months, we look forward to those long, hot summer days. And, while refreshing drinks like this Skinny Margarita or this Rosemary Orange Ice Tea are great ways to cool down, sometimes you need something a little more substantial.

That’s when my mind goes towards a delicious frozen summer treat. Ice cream, sorbets, sherbets, popsicles, fudge bars – I love them all! So, I thought why not make a tasty frozen treat for myself!?

Recipes Using What You Have On Hand

Now, when I start to think about new recipes, I often like to get inspiration from the season we’re in, ingredients I may have around the house and occasionally, appliances I haven’t used in a while. In this case:

1. It was a great time to access lots of fresh fruit. In particular, it was strawberry season and sweet summer strawberries were cheap and available.
2. I was thinking about a pretty simple recipe that didn’t use a lot of ingredients and could easily be found at the local grocery store.
3. I had an ice cream machine I hadn’t used in forever.

I wasn’t looking for a very heavy frozen treat, so thought a light fruit sorbet would be awesome. And, since strawberries were in season, a strawberry sorbet recipe sounded perfect.

Combining Fruits and Herbs in a Sorbet

I had been thinking about making a homemade sorbet for some time. As I mentioned, as fresh berries were in season, a homemade strawberry sorbet sounded like a pretty good idea!

But, if you follow me here at Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish, you know I always like to add a little something extra to most recipes to try and make them a bit more interesting and a bit more delicious. In this case, it’s basil.

Why basil? Well, for one, it smells absolutely wonderful and can add a little bite as well as freshness to a recipe.

And, two? My next door neighbor is a master herb grower (in all seasons) and has more basil plants than she knows what to do with. I always have access to fresh basil leaves (as well as so many other herbs), so if I need that extra basil flavor, I know who I can count on!

Making the Homemade Strawberry Basil Sorbet

This is a very simple, delicious recipe that combines a few ingredients and a few easy steps. This first thing you do is create a basil-infused simple syrup by boiling sugar, water and a little salt until everything dissolves. You then stir in the basil and let it sit to take on the flavor.

Second, you create a fruit puree. In this case, a strawberry puree. Simply cut up the strawberries and use a blender or food processor to puree.

Third, add in the remaining ingredients plus the basil-infused simple syrup, strain to remove any solids and transfer mixture to your ice cream maker. In just a few minutes you have your own batch of homemade strawberry basil sorbet!

Easy to Make and Supports Your Own Creativity and Tastes

I’m really excited about this sorbet. It’s so refreshing, it’s just bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and has just a hint of basil to keep it from being too sweet. It’s a perfect treat to cool you off on a hot summer day.

This was my first attempt at sorbet and I found it to be so easy to make. What I learned was that it’s really a method, so you can switch this up to be whatever flavor you want. All you do is keep the ingredient proportions the same.

I see so many different flavor combinations like a blueberry mint sorbet, watermelon sorbet, mango sorbet – it’s all about what you like. Use your creativity and see what you can dream up!

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Since everything gets pureed you only need to quarter the strawberries before processing.
• If strawberries are not in season, frozen can be substituted, just thaw them before pureeing to get the best results.
• Make sure you allow for enough time for the can of the ice cream maker to fully freeze before using. If not, it can negatively affect the consistency of the sorbet.

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Strawberry Basil Sorbet

Full Instructions Can be Found Below in the Recipe Card

• Water
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is what you want to use.
• Pinch of salt
• Fresh basil – I highly recommend using basil, it adds a wonderful depth of flavor. If you prefer not to use basil, you can substitute fresh mint.
• Fresh strawberries – In a pinch you can use frozen strawberries, but fresh are going to add better flavor in my opinion.
• 100% pineapple juice – This will add more flavor than using only water for the liquid.
• Lime juice – This adds a bit of brightness to the flavor.

How to Make Homemade Strawberry Basil Sorbet

• Combine water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved.
• Remove from heat and stir in basil.
• Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Process strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth.
• Add sugar mixture, pineapple juice and lime juice. Process until everything is blended together.
• Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard solids.
• Pour liquid sorbet mixture into the can of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Spoon into a freezer safe container and freeze until firm.

More Easy Fruit Dessert Recipes

• White Chocolate Blueberry Crisp
• Easiest Ever Lemon Bars
• Blueberry Streusel Dessert Pizza
• Peach Cobbler with Bourbon Sauce