Rainbow Sherbet is the perfect frozen, fruity treat with raspberry, orange, and lime flavors all mixed together. Try it today!
We all love traditional Ice Cream, but sometimes you want something a little different. The next time you’re looking for the perfect dessert to cool you down, consider making Homemade Rainbow Sherbet. The sweet and tart fruity tastes are absolutely mouthwatering, and you’re sure to love how refreshing this creamy, frozen fruit treat is. Making homemade versions of your favorite Frozen Desserts is the perfect fun and delicious activity for spring and summer. Also, try classic recipes like Peach Ice Cream, Ice Cream Sundae, and Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Rainbow Sherbet Recipe
Our Rainbow Sherbet recipe is a fun, colorful treat that’s easy to make. It combines the tangy tastes of the fresh fruit of orange, raspberry, and lime in a creamy, sweet mix. Each flavor is simple to prepare with fruit juice, sugar, and cream. What’s really cool about this recipe is how the bright colors come together, making it look as good as it tastes. The flavors of sherbet are perfect for a sunny day or whenever you need a cheerful snack. Plus, it’s a great way to impress your friends and family with your homemade dessert skills!
What is Sherbet?
Like ice cream, Sherbet is a frozen dessert that uses a cream and milk base. However, sherbet is also made with fruit juice or fruit puree. Sherbet is mostly made from frozen fruit ingredients with a small amount of milk and cream to make it richer.
Ingredients
Orange Sherbet:
- 2 cups Orange Juice: For orange sherbet, use 2 cups of orange juice to flavor the fruit mixture. Orange pulp will disrupt the creamy texture of sherbet. To avoid this, use pulp-free juice or strain the pulp out. You can use freshly squeezed or store-bought orange juice.
- ½ cup Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to the sherbet and helps create a smooth texture. You can use granulated sugar or a sugar substitute if desired.
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a tart contrast to the sweetness of the orange sherbet, balancing the flavors.
- ½ cup Whole Milk: Whole milk contributes to the creaminess of the sherbet, making it smoother and richer. You can use lower-fat milk, but it may result in a less creamy texture.
- ½ cup Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the sherbet, giving it a luxurious texture. You can use a lower-fat cream, but it may affect the final texture.
- 3 drops Orange Food Coloring (optional): The food coloring is optional and is primarily used to enhance the visual appeal by intensifying the orange color. Opt for a natural dye or omit it for a more natural appearance.
Raspberry Sherbet:
- 12 ounces Raspberries: Raspberries are the main flavor and source of vibrant color in the Raspberry Sherbet. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries.
- ½ cup Sugar: Sugar sweetens the raspberry sherbet and balances the tartness of the raspberries. You can adjust the amount of sugar to taste.
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds acidity and brightens the flavor of the raspberries while also helping to preserve the color.
- ½ cup Whole Milk: Whole milk contributes to the creamy texture of the sherbet. You can use alternative milk options, but they may alter the final consistency.
- ½ cup Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the Raspberry Sherbet, enhancing its texture.
- 3 drops Red Food Coloring (optional): The red food coloring is optional and can be used to intensify the color of the sherbet. Opt for a natural dye or omit it for a more natural appearance.
Lime Sherbet:
- 1 cup Lime Juice: All sherbet recipes call for some form of citric acid. The citric acid gives sherbet a more tart flavor than most types of ice cream, setting it apart from other frozen treats. Both orange and raspberry sherbet call for fresh lemon juice to enhance the natural flavors in the recipe. However, lime sherbet already has citric acid from the lime juice, so lemon isn’t necessary.
- ¾ cup Sugar: Sugar sweetens the lime sherbet and balances the tartness of the lime juice. Adjust the sugar quantity to your taste.
- ½ cup Whole Milk: Whole milk contributes to the creaminess of the sherbet, ensuring a smooth texture.
- ½ cup Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the Lime Sherbet, creating a luscious mouthfeel.
- 3 drops Green Food Coloring (optional): The green food coloring is optional and can be used to enhance the sherbet’s visual appeal by intensifying the lime-green color. Opt for a natural dye or omit it for a more natural appearance.
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
- Ice Cream Machine: An ice cream machine is essential for churning and freezing the sherbet mixtures to achieve the desired creamy texture. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific machine, as different models may have varying freezing times.
- High-Speed Blender: A high-speed blender is used to puree ingredients like raspberries and achieve a smooth consistency. Make sure to strain out any seeds or solids for a smoother sherbet.
- 9×5 Inch Loaf Pan: This loaf pan is used to layer and freeze the sherbet in alternating colors, creating the rainbow effect. Ensure it fits in your freezer before starting the recipe.
- Plastic Wrap: Plastic wrap is used to cover the loaf pan before freezing the sherbet. It helps prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface of the sherbet and keeps it fresh.
How to Make
Time needed: 4 hours and 45 minutes.
- Orange Sherbet
Mix together orange juice, sugar, lemon juice, whole milk, heavy cream, and optional orange food coloring in a bowl. Place the mixture in an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to freeze it until it becomes hardened. Freeze the orange sherbet for 2 hours.
- Raspberry Sherbet
Blend raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, whole milk, heavy cream, and optional red food coloring in a high-speed blender until you achieve a smooth consistency. Strain the mixture to remove any seeds. Freeze the raspberry sherbet for 2 hours.
- Lime Sherbet
Combine lime juice, sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, and optional green food coloring. Use an ice cream machine to churn and freeze the lime mixture until it becomes hardened, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze the lime sherbet for 2 hours in a medium bowl.
- Layer the Sherbets
Remove the sherbets from the freezer and let them soften for 10 minutes. Scoop the sherbets into a 9×5 inch loaf pan in alternating colors without swirling them together. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface of the sherbet. Freeze the pan for an additional 2 hours. Then enjoy your Rainbow Sherbet ice cream in chilled bowls!
Can I Make This in Advance?
Absolutely! This is an ideal recipe to prepare ahead of time because the Sherbet needs a total of 4 hours in the freezer before it’s ready to serve. However, it won’t last too long. Over time, ice crystals form in the sherbet, ruining the creamy texture. Because of this, you don’t want to make this frozen treat more than 2 weeks in advance.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
Serving
Make sure that you give the Rainbow Sherbet Recipe at least 2 hours to set in the freezer before taking it out and serving it with an ice cream scoop. Just like ice cream, you’ll want to eat the dish immediately because it will melt quickly at room temperature.
Freezing
To keep leftover sherbet fresh, cover it in the loaf pan that you froze it in, or transfer the remaining mixture to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Kept sealed, the recipe will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Ideas to Serve Rainbow Sherbet
When ready to serve, let the sherbet soften just enough so it’s easier to scoop. You can spoon rounds of sherbet into a bowl to enjoy on its own or add fruit toppings to finish the dessert. You can also serve sherbet in an ice cream cone or scoop it into lemon-lime soda for a refreshing and fruity summer drink.
You can scoop sherbet into a bowl to enjoy the flavorful frozen treat on its own or use this recipe to make Rainbow Sherbet punch. Sherbet punch is a great drink recipe to serve a crowd at a potluck or summer party. You can make the party punch with different sodas and fruit juices, depending on your preference. A great drink mix to go with the rainbow sherbet is mixing equal parts lemon-lime soda and fruit punch in your punch bowl. Then scoop round balls of Rainbow Sherbet over the top to add an amazing creamy flavor to the drink.
Frequent Questions
This can vary depending on the brand of sherbet that you purchase. However, the most common flavors to find in storebought Rainbow Sherbets are lime, orange, and raspberry. This recipe includes the same three key flavors. Scroll to the variations section for more fruit flavor inspiration.
No, while sorbet is also a dairy-free, frozen fruit dessert, sherbet still contains dairy. This gives sherbet a creamier, richer consistency. It’s more similar to ice cream than sorbet is.
Although it’s often mispronounced as sherbert, sherbet is the original name of this dessert recipe. However, so many people pronounce it as Sherbert that some sources, such as the Merriam-Webster dictionary, consider Sherbert a viable variant of spelling and pronunciation.
No, although both frozen desserts include cream ingredients, ice cream is made with a much higher percentage of dairy products, as opposed to Sherbet, which is mostly made with fruit and only has some cream. Because of this, sherbet falls somewhere between sorbet and ice cream. It’s richer than sorbet but not as creamy as ice cream.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Orange Sherbet:
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 drops orange food coloring , optional
Raspberry Sherbet:
- 12 ounces raspberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 drops red food coloring , optional
Lime Sherbet:
- 1 cup lime juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 drops green food coloring , optional
Instructions
Orange Sherbet:
- Mix together the orange juice, sugar, lemon juice, milk, heavy cream and food coloring.
- Place in ice cream machine for 20-25 minutes until hardened.
- Freeze for 2 hours.
Raspberry Sherbet:
- Add raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, whole milk, heavy cream and red food coloring to a high speed blender.
- Strain out the seeds.
- Freeze for 2 hours.
Lime Sherbet:
- Mix together the lime juice, sugar, milk, heavy cream and food coloring.
- Place in ice cream machine for 20-25 minutes until hardened.
- Freeze for 2 hours.
To Finish:
- Remove the sherbets from the freezer and let soften for 10 minutes.
- Scoop in alternating colors into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Do not swirl the colors.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours.
Notes
- Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
- To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Variations
- Pineapple Sherbet: The amazing thing about homemade sherbet is that you can essentially make it with any fruit flavors you like. Another flavor that tastes delicious in Rainbow Sherbet is pineapple. You can add it to the original blend as a fourth flavor or use it to replace one of the original three flavors. Baskin Robbins uses pineapple, orange, and raspberry in its Rainbow Sherbet. To make pineapple sherbet, follow the same directions as the orange sherbet, only swapping orange juice for pineapple juice and orange food coloring for yellow food coloring.
- Mixed Berry Sherbet: Instead of the original rainbow mixture, try making a berry blend with blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry sherbet. Just like with the raspberry flavor, you’ll blend fresh berries into a fruit puree and mix with sugar, citric acid, and milk. Then strain to remove seeds and skin. After freezing, scoop the three berry flavors into a bread pan in alternating flavors and freeze again.
- More Flavor Options: There are so many different versions of sherbet. Some other popular options are lemon sherbet, peach sherbet, mango sherbet, cherry sherbet, and more. You can follow the same basic steps with the new flavor ingredients to make whatever type of sherbet you’d like best.
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