Peach Sorbet

Luscious and refreshing, this simple peach sorbet is whipped up in 10 minutes with the help of store-bought frozen peaches. (You can use your own frozen peaches if you have them.) Like biting into a creamy, whipped peach, this sorbet is a little tart, the perfect summer treat—or the best way to bring a little summer into any season.

After chilling, let the sorbet sit on the counter for a couple minutes if it's too stiff to scoop, or let it soften longer for a soft-serve consistency. Try it with a splash of Prosecco for a grown-up float.

What Makes Sorbet So Creamy?

The secret to creamy sorbet is in your fruit; specifically, fruit with a lot of pectin (peaches, nectarines, and berries) or fiber (mangos or bananas) are ideal. Pectin and fiber act as thickeners, mimicking the creamy, thick texture we associate with other frozen favorites, like ice cream, frozen custard and more.

Another key to creamy sorbet is the addition of light corn syrup. Despite the small amount, this ingredient helps keep the peach sorbet lush and not icy. If you skip it, expect this sorbet to be hard to scoop.

What Are the Ingredients in Peach Sorbet?

Only five ingredients are required to make peach sorbet, and we're betting you already have most of them in your pantry and freezer.

Frozen Peaches
The starring ingredient in this recipe is bagged frozen peaches. You can also freeze fresh peaches to make use of the season's bounty.

To freeze fresh peaches, wash and slice the fruit into segments and place them on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for two hours to chill. Place chilled slices in a zip-top bag for two to three months.

Alternatively, the freezer section of your grocery store should carry bags of sliced frozen peaches for an easy shortcut year-round. And the best part? Frozen fruit is frozen at the peak of ripeness, so it'll taste like a bit of summer no matter when you make this.

White Sugar
Like any dessert, we need a little sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the peaches. Sugar also plays an essential role in adding structure to frozen desserts.

The first step in this recipe is to make a simple syrup in which white sugar is dissolved in water and heated. The sugar changes the freezing point of the fruit, making it sorbet and not peach-flavored ice.

Light Corn Syrup
The key to creamy sorbet is in the corn syrup, so don't forget to add the two tablespoons this recipe calls for. With a thick texture, corn syrup gives a lush and soft mouthfeel.

Lemon (Zest and Juice)
Sour and tangy lemon juice can help balance out the sweetness in recipes. Lemon zest provides an additional hit of concentrated citrus.

Water
Tap water is perfectly fine for this recipe.

How to Make Peach Sorbet

The beautiful thing about this peach sorbet recipe is that it's made and ready for the freezer in just a few minutes. The longest task on your list (besides the freezing time) is making the simple syrup and letting it cool.

Grab the ingredients, a saucepan, a blender, and a loaf pan. Let's make some peach sorbet.

1. Make simple syrup

Simple syrup is a great way to add sweetness to any number of dishes where sugar crystals won't be able to dissolve. For example, it's used to sweeten cocktails and lemonades.

Dissolving the sugar in water before blending it with peaches keeps ice crystals from forming in the freezer, which will make the texture of the sorbet better.

To make simple syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat gently until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the stove, and let the syrup cool to room temperature. That'll take about 30 minutes. Or you can make this simple syrup in advance, and keep it stored in your fridge until it's time to blend the sorbet.

2. Blend peaches

In a blender jar, combine the cooled simple syrup with the frozen peaches, lemon zest, lemon juice, and corn syrup. Blend on medium-high until smooth. High-powered blenders will take less time, so keep an eye on the consistency of the mixture as it blends. Stop when it's well blended and creamy.

3. Prepare for freezer

As soon as the peach sorbet mixture is blended, pour it into an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan.

No loaf pan? Any deeper metal pan will work, like an 8- x 8-inch pan (but not a sheet pan). A glass loaf pan will work, too. Just make sure it's safe to use in the freezer.

4. Freeze until hard

Wrap the loaf pan with plastic wrap, and stash it in the freezer for four hours, or until the sorbet has firmed up.

You can eat the sorbet sooner than four hours. It'll have a consistency closer to soft-serve ice cream or a frozen smoothie bowl.

How to Serve Peach Sorbet

Top your favorite pound cake, sandwich peach sorbet between two lemon cookies for a zingy sorbet cookie, and scoop some into this sorbet slushie for a refreshing summer bevy.

Or create an impressive homemade cocktail; into a coupe glass, scoop one spoonful of peach sorbet and top with Prosecco and a sprig of rosemary, crushed.

How to Store Peach Sorbet

Store peach sorbet in the freezer in a covered airtight container. Alternatively, leave the peach sorbet in the shallow container or loaf pan and cover it with plastic wrap over the surface. Seal the loaf pan in an airtight zip bag. Peach sorbet will last in the freezer for two to three months.

Editorial contributions by Alexandra Emanuelli.