Easy Plum Amaretto Sorbet ~ this epic summer fruit sorbet is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, it’s like biting into a ripe juicy plum, exploded tenfold. To be honest, a fresh plum never tasted so good!
Never tried anything from this blog? Start here!
This recipe is a great example of what I do here at tvfgi…it’s simple, vibrant, beautiful, and mindblowingly delicious. In fact this plum sorbet might spoil you entirely for fresh fruit out of hand…sorry!
The main ingredient in this sorbet is ripe plums. I add a touch of Amaretto because it gives depth to the flavor, and that little bit of alcohol encourages the sorbet to remain more scoop-able as it chills. A dribble of honey tones down any tartness in your plums, and actually brings out the flavor. Both are optional but highly recommended.
This is why I love to play in the kitchen ~ you just can’t buy this stuff in your local grocery store.
If you stay attuned to the seasons and trust Mother Nature, you’ve got some good eating awaiting you…
Plums are just starting to show up at our farmers markets in Southern California, we’re a little bit ahead of the rest of the country, so keep an eye out for them. There are so many varieties of plums (and their cousins, pluots) to choose from, and all of them can make a great sorbet.
When you eat a fresh plum you might notice that the majority of the flavor is in the peel, so one of the keys to this sorbet is to resist the temptation to peel your fruit 🙂 The peels add color, flavor, and nutrition, so don’t toss them.
How to make easy plum sorbet
- It starts with delicious plums. Choose carefully, they’re your main ingredient and your sorbet will only be as delicious as the plums you start with. Choose firm but ripe fruit, and avoid overly soft or bruised specimens.
- Wash and give them a rough chop. I don’t remove the skins, there’s lots of flavor and nutrition there.
- Puree the fruit in a high speed blender like Vitamix, or a good food processor like a Cuisinart.
- Add flavorings or sweeteners to taste and then chill.
- Pour into an ice cream machine and process according to your machine’s directions. Mine takes about 20 minutes.
- Spoon into a loaf pan or ice cream container and freeze until scoop-able, about 2-4 hours.
Which ice cream machine do I recommend?
I get asked all the time about what machine I use. I use and recommend Cuisinart. I’ve had my machine for years without any issues, I think that’s because there are no fussy electronic parts to break down ~ it’s a simple motor that turns the freezer bowl for churning the ice cream and it works quickly and perfectly every time. I love the easy on/off switch!
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- The machine I use is the base model. It works great for ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbets, and makes all of them in about 2o minutes. Click HERE or click on the image for more info.
How to make plum sorbet without an ice cream machine ~
- If you’d like to make this without an ice cream machine, you can, but you will need a food processor or sturdy blender.
- Pit and chop the plums into bite sized pieces, and spread them out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure the pieces of fruit are separated from each other so they freeze individually. Put the tray (or trays) in the freezer for about 2 hours or until the fruit is frozen solid.
- Puree the frozen fruit in a food processor quickly, along with any flavorings you’re using. Transfer the soft sorbet to a container and freeze until scoopable, about 2-4 hours or more.
Other variations of this easy plum sorbet
There are so many ways you can make fruit sorbet, it could keep you happily experimenting all summer long.
- Any stone fruit will work, and I don’t bother to peel any of them, although you can if you like.
- Berries like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries work great. If you have access to unusual berries like currants, huckleberries or gooseberries, go for it!
- Use cherries, melons, kiwi, pineapple… the list is really endless. Pomegranate makes a wonderful sorbet, and my guava sorbet is one of my favorites. I can’t think of a fruit that wouldn’t work.
- Mix fruits for even more options. Try peach/raspberry, mixed berry, or strawberry/kiwi.
- I sometimes add hot peppers to my sorbet for a nice kick. I add chile powder to my pineapple sorbet and we love it!
- You can change up the alcohol element to any flavor you like. Use vodka if you don’t want any flavor. Remember, the alcohol helps to keep the sorbet a little bit softer and helps prevent it from freezing rock hard. I use cognac in my Black Grape Sorbet.
- Experiment with spices, vanilla bean, herbs…get creative! I’m testing a tomato basil sorbet today 🙂
Easy Plum Amaretto Sorbet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds, or 931 grams, fresh plums
- 2 Tbsp Amaretto
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Wash, pit, and chop the plums. I don't peel them.
- Add the plums to a food processor or blender and blend until they're finely pureed. Blend in the Amaretto and the honey, and taste to adjust either one of them.
- If you have time, chill this mixture in the refrigerator until cold. I'll be honest, I don't have the patience for that, so I process my puree in my ice cream maker right away.
- Process according to your machine's directions, mine takes about 20- 30 minutes.
- Spoon the soft sorbet into a loaf pan or ice cream container of your choice, and freeze for at least 2-4 hours, until it gets to a perfectly scoop-able consistency.
Can I make this without an ice cream maker? How would you recommend going about this?
Thank you 🙂
You might check out my How to Make No Churn Ice Cream ~ 3 Methods post, Kira. Method 3 uses a food processor and might work with this. Otherwise you’d have to make a kind of ‘granita’ type dessert, which involves freezing the mixture for short periods and then scraping it with a fork repeatedly to loosen the crystals. It’s time consuming.