This Easy 2-Ingredient Orange Sherbet Has Nostalgia Written All Over It

Is there anything that takes you back to your grandma's kitchen quite like the taste — and oh-so-perfectly-summery sweet, citrus smell — of orange sherbet? While you can certainly pick up a half gallon of orange sherbet at the grocery store, it's incredibly easy to whip the dessert up in your own kitchen. All you'll need is orange juice and a can of sweetened condensed milk. After combining the two ingredients in a blender or food processor, toss it into an ice cream maker (or the freezer — your call), and you'll be left with a delightfully sweet, citrusy treat that'll taste just like the sherbet you used to enjoy from a Flintstones-branded cardboard tube (fellow '80s and '90s ice cream truck treat connoisseurs, you know what we're talking about).

While you can make a ton of varieties of sherbet, there's something about the combination of sweet, syrupy condensed milk and tart orange juice that works together perfectly. The slight tartness of the orange juice is offset by the sugar in the condensed milk, and you can adjust the recipe to suit your tastes. If you prefer your sherbet with more intense citrus flavor, you can use orange juice concentrate instead of orange juice (stock up if this is your preferred method — not many people buy frozen orange juice anymore, and Minute Maid is starting to phase out their juice concentrates). You can also go in the other direction if you prefer a sweeter sherbet, loading up on the sweetened condensed milk until you create the perfect taste of sweet nostalgia.

The combination of sweetened condensed milk and orange juice is an absolute win on its own, but there are a few ways you can take it to the next level. First, you can brighten up the original recipe by adding some other citrus flavors. A squeeze of lemon juice or a bit of pineapple juice can add a tropical twist. You can also elevate the flavors in your sherbet by going the extra mile by adding fresh-squeezed juice instead of the stuff you buy at the grocery store. While the end result is delicious either way, it's tough to compete with the taste of freshly squeezed orange juice (just be sure to put it through a strainer before adding if you're not a fan of pulp in your sherbet).

There are a ton of other variations you can put on homemade sherbet depending on your tastes, as well as what fruit or juice you happen to have in the fridge. A strawberry-orange or strawberry-lemon sherbet can be a fun, sunset-colored twist. After you blend the sherbet (but before you pop it into the freezer), you can always stir in pieces of fresh fruit to create a pop of flavor and an interesting textural component. While we wouldn't recommend adding actual pieces of oranges (their fibrous texture wouldn't mesh well with the smoothness of the sherbet), adding finely chopped pineapple, mango, or strawberries can be the perfect way to put your own unique twist on the old-school dessert.