Easy Blueberry Sorbet

Written by
Kimberly Kunaniec
A trained pastry chef and food writer who specializes in frozen treats like ice cream and sorbet.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Kimberly Kunaniec
Updated 06/18/20
Blueberry Sorbet

 
Alexandra Grablewski/Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
187 Calories
0g Fat
48g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 187
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 51mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Protein 1g
Calcium 11mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Blueberries lend their great flavor to many different frozen desserts. This easy blueberry sorbet recipe takes advantage of their natural sweetness to make a healthy and delicious dessert. It uses a little lemon juice and salt to enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness, so you will have sorbet that tastes like fresh, ripe fruit.

Making sorbet is one way of enjoying fresh blueberries while they are in season. You may have them in your garden, pick them at a local orchard, or buy them at the farmers' market. Blueberries that are just at the point of ripeness are best since they still have some acid and tannins. If you use overly-ripe blueberries, they have lost this complexity. When the blueberry season has passed, you can still make blueberry sorbet using fresh frozen fruit. Commercially frozen blueberries are picked at their peak and they will make a lovely sorbet.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. This should take about 5 minutes.

  2. Add the salt and lemon juice to the warm sugar syrup.

  3. Puree the liquid mixture with the blueberries in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. This will be your sorbet base.

  4. Chill your blueberry sorbet base in the freezer until it is cold. Chilling for at least an hour is a good estimate, although you can also put this together before bed and freeze it overnight.

  5. Once it's fully frozen, eat the sorbet immediately or store it in an air-tight container in the freezer until you are ready to serve it.

Tips

  • Decide what kind of texture you want. If you want your blueberry sorbet to be even smoother, strain it after you puree the ingredients together. Using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth will remove the seeds and skins, so you have a very smooth texture.
  • This recipe is a great way to use frozen fruit, especially when ripe fruit is not available. You won’t be able to tell the difference between using fresh or frozen blueberries for this sorbet recipe. Make sure that the frozen blueberries don’t have added sugar or you will need to adjust the recipe. Defrost the berries before you puree them so you get the right texture for the finished product.
  • Although this recipe can be made with less sugar, it will impact the finished product. Fresh sorbets can get especially hard in the freezer if they don’t have plenty of sugar or a little alcohol in the recipe. If you plan on reducing the sugar, make sure to eat it right away.