Sorbet is a frozen dessert similar to ice cream. It’s usually, but not always, vegan. Honey and milk products may make an unwelcome appearance, so always check the ingredients.
The main ingredients of sorbet are frozen pureed fruits, water, sugar, and perhaps other sweeteners. You may also encounter chocolate sorbet, although it’s less common than fruit-based varieties. Many supermarkets carry it, and ice cream parlors often serve one or two flavors—often to customers looking to avoid the fat content of regular ice cream. Both Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs make vegan sorbets that are sold at their ice cream parlors and at supermarkets. Unfortunately, both brands currently contain corn syrup, which is a low-quality sweetener that has no place in a premium-priced product.
Other vegan sorbet brands include:
Don’t confuse sorbet with sherbet or gelato—both those frozen desserts traditionally contain dairy products.
Making Homemade Sorbet
If you own an ice cream maker, whipping up a batch of vegan sorbet is every bit as easy as making dairy-free ice cream. There are all sorts of vegan sorbet recipes online. Here’s a nice one from the Simple Vegan Blog.
