Light, creamy, and bright, this avocado sorbet will satisfy all your summer dessert cravings while being entirely dairy-free! This recipe is inspired by the much-lamented closing of Capogiro Gelato here in Philadelphia, whose avocado sorbet always blew everyone away (my mother still waxes poetic about it) and converted so many into believers of the wonder of avocado desserts. After Capogiro closed, I just couldn’t face a world without this sorbet. Trust me, the light fruity flavor of avocado (biologically a berry) is simply amazing when slightly sweet and contrasted with lemon. The healthy fats in avocado result in a vegan sorbet that is effortlessly creamy without having to resort to extra add-ins, making this the perfect exclamation point at the end of your lovely summer meals!
Avocado Sorbet
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 medium avocados – about 1 1/4 cup puréed
- Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Make a simple syrup by heating water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring gently until all the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Allow syrup to cool to about room temperature.Scoop avocados out of their skins into a food processor or blender. Purée the avocados and the simple syrup together until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add a scant pinch of salt and blend for a few seconds to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Over a medium bowl, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any avocado lumps.
Cover the avocado mixture with plastic wrap, laying the plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture (as with a custard) to prevent too much browning. Cool completely in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or until the mixture reaches around 40º F. If using a glass container to freeze the sorbet, place it in the freezer when you put the avocado mixture into the refrigerator (I often use a glass loaf pan, as it makes for easy scooping of the finished sorbet).
Once the avocado mixture is cooled, churn it in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 25-30 minutes. The temperature of the churned mixture should ideally get down to 21º F, although many of the cheaper ice cream makers (like mine, alas) don’t have strong enough motors to keep churning when the mixture gets too stiff, so get as close to 21º F as you can!
Spoon the churned sorbet out of the ice cream maker and into your chilled storage container. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and place in freezer to harden, ideally overnight. Serve by the scoop and enjoy!
The Flavorsmith 