Canned Fruit Sorbet Is the Easiest One-Ingredient Dessert You’ve Never Heard Of

Kelsey Rae DimbergUpdated: Jan. 29, 2021

passion fruit sorbet in white cup with a wooden spoon

SherSor/Shutterstock

Your new favorite dessert is only a can opener away.

In the dog days of summer, nothing beats a frosty dessert. The pantheon of cool frozen desserts is impressive, from ice cream cakes to frozen pies, shakes to sundaes, and of course, ice cream sandwiches. But sometimes, you just crave something simple, sweet and cold. You want dessert minus the long recipe and sink full of dishes. Hello, canned fruit sorbet.

One ingredient. One kitchen tool. About 25 seconds to make. What are you waiting for? By the way, these canned fruit recipes are actually healthy!

How to Make Canned Fruit Sorbet

You’ll Need:

Canned fruit packed in heavy syrup, as many cans as you like, unopened

Directions

Step 1: Freeze the fruit

Pop the unopened can directly into the freezer. Let freeze for at least 12 hours before proceeding with the recipe.

Editor’s Tip: This is the only step in the recipe that requires time and forethought. Pop a couple extra cans of fruit in the freezer, so you can make fruit sorbet on the spur of the moment, whenever the mood strikes!

Bookmark these easy recipes, all made possible with canned goods.

Step 2: Pureé

Ready for dessert? Remove the can from the freezer and place in a bowl of hot water for about a minute, to loosen things up.

Open the bottom of the can. Pour any liquid into the bowl of a food processor. Most of the fruit should be frozen in a cylinder. Slice the cylinder in half, and then slice into smaller chunks, roughly the size of golf balls. Don’t worry—precision isn’t important. Pop into the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth and scoopable.

You can add frozen fruit or a liqueur like amaretto to the processor as well, for added flavor. (More on that below.)

Read about our hunt for the best food processor.

Step 3. Serve

The texture of your sorbet will be best if eaten immediately. Try a scoop plain for a true one-ingredient dessert, or top with fruit or preserves for a fresh twist.

More Fun Flavor Ideas

This recipe is only a blueprint. You can make tweaks to embrace your favorite fruits and flavors!

Experiment with different fruit: In addition to obvious canned fruits like peaches and apricots, consider something tropical like pineapple. The recipe will work for fruit canned it its own juice, like grapefruit, but the texture will be icier—more like a granita.

Blend add-on ingredients into the sorbet mixture for extra flavor and texture: Think chopped herbs like mint, lime or orange juice, lemon zest, frozen raspberries or strawberries or a frozen banana.

Try some toppers: The creamy sorbet tastes great topped with fresh berries, minced peaches or stone fruits, herbs, chopped pecans or walnuts, and chocolate or caramel syrups. The possibilities are endless!

Don't Miss Our Other Simple Frozen Desserts

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