Our homemade Mango Sorbet is lower in sugar than store-bought, made with whole foods and so simple to make. We love to enjoy a luscious scoop on its own or with the occasional tropical topping.

Why We Love This Recipe

This frozen mango dessert will be your new favorite go-to spring and summer cold treat! Low in sugar, easily customizable and it only requires 5 ingredients. What’s not to love?!

This recipe doesn’t use an ice cream maker, but if you’ve got one and want to use it, here are some ice cream and sorbet recipes that need a quick churn in an ice cream maker. 

  • Studded with poppyseeds, this Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Ice Cream tastes exactly like a lemon poppyseed muffin!
  • Decadent Green Tea Ice Cream gets its delightful flavor and color from matcha powder.
  • This homemade Honeydew Sorbet is made with mint, lime, and ripe honeydew melon—the perfect fruit dessert for the season!
  • Vegan and dairy-free Mint Ice Cream (used to make ice cream sandwiches!) is made with a creamy coconut and almond milk base.
frozen mango chunks, honey, a lemon, vanilla and vodka measured out and set on a counter

Ingredient Notes

Mango

Frozen mango chunks are best for this sorbet. Make quick work of this recipe by purchasing bags of frozen mango chunks.

Or, if you’ve got some ripe mangoes that need using, peel and dice them up, then give them a quick freeze. Simply arrange the pieces on a parchment-lined baking pan and freeze overnight or until solid. The pieces will easily pop off the parchment once solid. Transfer the frozen mango pieces to a resealable zipper-lock freezer bag and label it with the date. Viola!

Honey

Honey is an excellent substitute for refined sugar. Many homemade ice cream or sorbet recipes rely on corn syrup to create a smooth frozen dessert, but we find honey is just as effective with the additional benefit of adding flavor.

Lemon Juice

Fresh is always best! Just a splash of fresh lemon brights the sorbet and enhances the mango flavor. You can also use fresh lime juice for a more tropical twist.

Vodka

Just a couple of tablespoons of vodka are key to creating a luscious, creamy frozen treat. Because it doesn’t freeze, adding just a splash of high-proof alcohol prevents large ice crystals from forming in the sorbet. You can also use rum, tequila or gin.

Test Kitchen Tips

  • It’s important to combine the honey with the lemon juice and alcohol before adding it to the frozen mango. If you add the ingredients separately the honey will immediately stiffen and won’t blend into the sorbet smoothly.
  • We highly recommend chilling the empty loaf pan while you blend the sorbet up. This way, when the cold sorbet hits the pan it stays cold instead of instantly melting.
  • Play around with the different flavors you add! Here we use lemon juice and vodka. For a more tropical feel consider using lime juice and rum. If you love margaritas, use orange juice, lime juice and tequila.

What to Serve with Mango Sorbet

  • Serve a couple of scoops of this mango sorbet with our Margarita Cookies—a dessert for citrus lovers! Add a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt for even more margarita vibes.
  • Top with Orange Curd for a burst of sweet citrus flavor.
  • We like to make this Mango Sorbet recipe for the holidays and top it with Sugared Cranberries.
  • Yogurt chips pair well with this chilled dessert.

Variations

  • Mix in your favorite nuts for an added salty and crunchy texture. Fan favorites include: macadamia nuts, peanuts and almonds.
  • Prefer a lighter topping? Try a dollop (or two) of Homemade Whipped Cream on top.
  • One of the most common ways to elevate this frozen fruit sorbet is just by adding more fruits. We love adding fresh bananas, raspberries or strawberries and, of course, more mangoes.
  • Toss in some pineapple chunks then top with lime zest and coconut flakes for a tropical summer dessert.
  • Swirl some raspberry preserves into the sorbet right before freezing to create a delicious mango and raspberry sorbet.
scoops of mango sorbet in a green glass bowl topped with fresh raspberries

FAQs

How do you make mango sorbet?

Our method for making mango sorbet is very simple. 
Step 1:
Pulse the frozen mango chunks in a food processor or blender until minced (about 15 pulses). 
Step 2:
Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, vodka, and vanilla until smooth. 
Step 3: 
Add the honey mixture to the food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 4: 
Transfer the sorbet to a chilled loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with a layer of parchment and freeze until nearly solid, about 6 hours.

What makes sorbet creamy?

Mango is a starchy fruit with far less water content than most fruits. These two things make mango, and frozen mango chunks, ideal for blending into sorbet, smoothies and sauces. In order to keep the frozen sorbet smooth and creamy and not riddled with ice crystals, we rely on a splash of high-proof alcohol such as vodka or tequila. 
Why add a splash of booze? Alcohol won’t freeze when stored in your freezer at home because it has a lower freezing point than water. Adding just a splash of high-proof alcohol prevents large ice crystals from forming in the sorbet (aka making it creamier).  Here we add just 2 tablespoons of vodka but you can also use rum, tequila or gin.

If you prefer to leave it out altogether, we recommend adding a ¼ cup or so of heavy cream.

How do you keep homemade sorbet from freezing solid?

Without loading up a sorbet with corn syrup and cream, it’s pretty tough to prevent homemade sorbet from freezing solid. We recommend setting the sorbet out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. This should give it enough time to become scoopable. You can also run your ice cream scoop under hot water before every couple of scoops. If you do want the sorbet to be a bit softer and don’t mind it being creamy in a literal sense—add a splash of cream or coconut milk to the mixture.

Can I use corn syrup instead of honey?

You absolutely can use corn syrup instead of honey. We prefer honey for it’s flavor, but corn syrup is a great option as well. You can also use a rich simple syrup instead (2:1 sugar to water).

Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?

You certainly can use pure maple syrup instead of honey. We find mango sorbet made with maple syrup is slightly less creamy and has a few more ice crystals than mango sorbet made with honey. However, either way it’s delicious!

Mango Sorbet

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Yield 6 servings
Category Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Zestful Kitchen

Description

Homemade Mango Sorbet that's lower in sugar, made with whole foods, and simple to make. Enjoy with your favorite toppings for a healthy dessert!

Ingredients

  • 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen mango chunks (5 cups)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons vodka, or other high-proof alcohol
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Line an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides; place in freezer.
  • Pulse frozen mango in bowl of a food processor until minced, about 15 (1-second) pulses.
    frozen mango pulsed into chunks in a food processor
  • In a small liquid measuring cup, combine honey, lemon juice, vodka, and vanilla.
    honey and lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup
  • Add honey mixture to mango and process until completely smooth; 4 minutes.
    mango sorbet in a food processor
  • Pour mango sorbet into chilled loaf pan, smooth top then fold parchment paper overhang over top of sorbet.
    mango sorbet in a parchment-lined loaf pan
  • Freeze sorbet until nearly solid but still scoopable, 4–6 hours. Alternatively, freeze until solid then, when ready to serve, remove sorbet from freezer and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes until scoopable.

Notes

Mango sorbet will last up to 2 months in the freezer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of recipeCalories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gSodium: 4mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
scoops of mango sorbet in a green glass bowl topped with fresh raspberries

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 This recipe and article was originally published on January 9th, 2014.

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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