Easy Homemade Orange Sherbet

Why you'll love this orange sherbet recipe

• Simple Method: Homemade ice cream has never been easier! All you need to do is gently warm up the sherbet base to dissolve the sugar and meld the flavors together, then churn it before freezing overnight.
• Creamy Texture: By churning the sherbet nice and slow in an ice cream maker, you get the creamiest texture! But you can absolutely make this without an ice cream maker and still get a very good homemade sherbet.
• Bright Orange Flavor: By using the juice of nearly 10 oranges, we've really packed in as much orange flavor as possible. But it doesn't come across as purely orange. With the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract elements, you get milky and warm vanilla undertones that round out this sherbet in a delicious way.

For more orange flavored recipes, try my Glazed Orange Pound Cake, Mini Chocolate Orange Cheesecakes, and Chocolate Orange Cake.

Ingredient Notes

• Dairy: The combination of whole milk and heavy cream creates a rich, velvety sherbet base.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar not only provides sweetness, but also stabilizes the sherbet so it remains smooth and creamy when frozen.
• Vanilla: A touch of vanilla extract rounds out the citrus flavor and brings the flavors that much closer to those we recall from that favorite childhood treat.
• Oranges: You can use any type of orange, but navel oranges will give you that classic orange sherbet flavor.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

STEP 1: Gently warm ingredients. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Place over low-medium heat and bring it to just shy of a simmer (about 180 degrees F) and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat, and stir in the orange zest and juice. Place in the fridge to cool for at least one hour or until it’s below room temperature.

STEP 2: Churn the sherbet. Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. At this point, the sherbet will be a soft-serve consistency and can be enjoyed immediately or frozen overnight for a thicker consistency.

STEP 3: Freeze. To freeze overnight, add the sherbet to a freezer safe dish (I used a metal square baking pan) and smooth out the top into an even layer. Press plastic wrap up against the top and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x