Strawberry Basil Sorbet Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/3/22
Tested by
Young Sun Huh
Young Sun Huh
Tested by Young Sun Huh
Young Sun is a freelance recipe developer, tester, and food stylist with over 15 years of experience in the food industry.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Strawberry sorbet
liaminou / Getty Images
Prep: 17 mins
Cook: 6 mins
Chill/Churn/Freeze: 2 hrs 42 mins
Total: 3 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 2 1/4 cups

This garden-fresh strawberry basil sorbet provides a delicious twist on classic, sweet strawberry sorbet. It’s equally welcome as a warm afternoon refreshment or a shocking palate cleanser in the dead of winter. The small amount of vodka in the recipe helps keep the sorbet from getting too icy or hard. To ensure a fresh from the berry patch flavor, make sure to use fresh berries for this recipes, as frozen strawberries are often lacking in flavor.

“Although my strawberries came from the supermarket and not the farmers' market, the strawberry flavor really shines in this simple sorbet. It’s lightly sweetened, so I would consider increasing the amount of sugar from 1/3 to 1/2 cup and adding twice as much basil for a more assertive basil flavor.” —Young Sun Huh

Strawberry Basil Sorbet/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil leaves, more to taste, plus leaves for garnish

  • 3 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled, pureed, and strained

  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons vodka, or berry wine

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture reduces in volume and thickens, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the basil to the syrup and chill the syrup until slightly cool, at least 30 minutes.

  4. Pour the basil-infused syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the basil.

  5. Process the infused syrup, strained strawberries, lemon juice, and vodka in a blender until the mixture is smooth.

  6. Churn the strawberry-basil puree in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

  7. Serve the sorbet garnished with a fresh basil leaf, if desired.

Serving Suggestions

How to Store and Freeze

  • The sorbet will set up further in the freezer after churning. It's best served after two hours in the freezer.
  • The sorbet will keep for a month in an airtight container in the freezer. Let it warm up for a few minutes on the counter before scooping.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
162 Calories
0g Fat
37g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 90mg 450%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 237mg 5%
*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.)