An easy refreshing summer dessert. Vegan & gluten free.
This is the dessert I’m going to make all summer. With just 5 ingredients, it’s so easy! The best part is that (if you have a decent blender) no ice cream maker is required here. Just blend and freeze. It’s tart, sweet, and so so lovely with the little unexpected hint of mint.
Jack and I both love Montmorency tart cherries for many reasons (see that use them). They have some wonderful superfood qualities, they’re known to help soreness after a workout, and they’re a natural source of melatonin which helps regulate sleep. We love them most of all, of course, because they taste good!
Tart Cherry & Mint Sorbet
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen Montmorency tart cherries
- ½ cup maple syrup* (see note)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- â…› teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the tart cherries, maple syrup, lemon juice, mint, coconut milk, water and salt in a high speed blender. Blend on low and gradually work up to high speed. Blend until the fruit is very smooth and thick, like the texture of soft-serve. (Don't overmix or your sorbet will start melting from the heat of the blender). If your cherries are too hard to blend, let them thaw for just a few minutes until your blender blade will move.
- Serve as soft-serve immediately or pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 2-3 hours or overnight. If the sorbet firms up overnight, let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes until it's scoop-able.
Notes
*I suggest not reducing the syrup, it's necessary for a non-icy scoop-able texture once it's frozen overnight. If you DO reduce the syrup, it's best to serve this as soft-serve right from the blender, or better yet, use this flavor combination to make a smoothie bowl.
A high speed blender, like a Vitamix, will work best for this recipe.
I find tart cherries (sometimes called sour cherries) at Wheatsville Coop in Austin, and occasionally at Whole Foods.
A high speed blender, like a Vitamix, will work best for this recipe.
I find tart cherries (sometimes called sour cherries) at Wheatsville Coop in Austin, and occasionally at Whole Foods.
Â
So I use coconut milk from a can, like a Thai milk, or coconut milk from a carton?? Just want to make sure I use the correct one. ?
Hi Stefan, coconut milk from a can like Thai coconut milk.
Awesome recipe!! I am still gonna try it out once i get the right ingredients. Thank you for making my lunch so good!!
Can I substitute maple syrup with honey? Thanks
You can – you might need less honey since it’s sweeter than maple syrup.
Do you know if the jarred tart cherries would work for this (provided they were frozen beforehand as per the recipe)? I’ve only ever seen jarred sour cherries in my area.
Hi Klaus, I think it’ll work great if you drain whatever liquid they’re in first. To freeze, lay them on a baking sheet on parchment in the freezer (so that they don’t freeze in a big clump). Once frozen, use them in the recipe. I’d also check to make sure there’s not sugar in the water or brine. If there is, I might lessen the maple syrup in this recipe. Hope that helps!