Creamy Mandarin Orange Sherbet Is Just 3 Easy Ingredients Away

If you find yourself nostalgically craving a bowl of creamy, tangy sherbet (and know what it is), odds are you enjoyed your childhood sometime during the last half of the 20th century. Popular across North America from the 1940s through the 1990s, sherbet is basically a cross between sorbet and ice cream. Like sorbet, it uses a base of fruit puree that's mixed with milk or cream like ice cream. Though it comes in a range of flavors, orange is by far one of the most popular, though grocery stores don't always carry the best brands of orange sherbet these days.

Fortunately, it's very easy to make a velvety, refreshing replica of this retro dessert at home with just three ingredients — canned coconut milk, mandarin oranges, and maple syrup or honey. Canned coconut milk is naturally thick and rich, and often used as a vegan alternative to heavy cream. When frozen and blended, mandarin orange sections become a one-ingredient sorbet; add some fatty coconut milk and you'll end up with a creamy, smoothie-like base.

Maple syrup or honey are excellent sweeteners for this frozen treat because they're liquid and won't make the mixture gritty, unlike sugar which won't dissolve properly at cold temperatures. You can whip up a quick and easy simple syrup if you prefer the more neutral taste of sugar though. A brief stint in the freezer or trip through your ice cream maker (if you have one) makes the mandarin orange sherbet scoopable and ready to enjoy.

Simple recipes like this are great to have for when that sweet tooth hits and you're out of your favorite sugary treat. It does take a bit of planning if you don't have an ice cream maker, as the sherbet mixture will need to solidify in the freezer. However, while you wait, you can put together a little buffet of toppings to create a delicious mandarin sherbet sundae. Dark chocolate syrup is a great choice, as orange and chocolate are a classic pairing. You can also keep things tropical with options like sliced bananas, coconut flakes, candied ginger, or dried pineapple slices.

You're also definitely not limited to mandarins when it comes to whipping up a batch of homemade sherbet. Sure, that's a super popular flavor, but making your own means you can use the frozen fruit of your choice, whether you're in the mood for strawberry, mango, blackberry, or even watermelon sherbet. You may also enjoy mixing flavors together, such as blueberry lime, mango banana, strawberry lemon, or even lemon lime. Freeze whatever's in season at your local farmers market, or peruse your grocery store's frozen section to see what selection of frozen fruit they have in stock.

It's also a lot of fun to use homemade desserts like this to make a few different treats. Sure, there's the classic two-ingredient ginger ale punch everyone loves, but you can also portion your sherbet into popsicle molds for a pretty, whimsical presentation.