Raspberry Champagne Sorbet is the celebratory dessert to end all celebratory desserts. Think New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, graduations, showers, weddings ~ all of life’s big moments should end with a delicious treat like this.
Raspberry champagne sorbet is an easy 3 ingredient recipe
I’m not going to claim that raspberry champagne sorbet is an everyday dessert but oh my, everybody should experience it at least once a year. And come to think of it, with just 3 ingredients there’s no excuse to miss out. Sorbet is a healthy-ish indulgence, especially when you enjoy it in small amounts like this. So instead of your next champagne cocktail, why not treat yourself to a truly special sorbet.
The 3 ingredients you’ll need to make raspberry champagne sorbet
- raspberries ~ fresh or frozen will do. If you use frozen there’s no need to thaw. I used up the last of our frozen backyard raspberries from last summer.
- sugar
- champagne ~ don’t bother with the good stuff, buy a standard brand. You can also use Prosecco or other bubbly sparkling wine. White or rosé will work.
5 easy steps to making raspberry champagne sorbet
- Heat up a simple syrup of water and sugar, and add the berries
- Puree the mixture until smooth, then strain out the seeds
- Chill the mixture until cold
- Churn in your ice cream machine
- Once churned, freeze until firm
What does it taste like?
One of my favorite moments in making any ice cream or sorbet is when I get to dip my spoon into the machine as it churns, for a first taste ~ it’s always epic. In this case the raspberry flavor is brilliant, the color is stunning, and the background hint of bubbly champagne is perfect. Success!
Why does raspberry champagne sorbet stay soft and scoop-able?
Most homemade sorbets start out perfect but get hard and icy after 24 hours in the fridge: which means you need to gobble them up asap. Commercial products often use additives to help them stay soft, and store freezers are set at a higher temperature than home freezers, which keeps frozen ice creams and sorbets scoopable.
- This sorbet makes use of one of the best secrets in sorbet making ~ alcohol! Alcohol doesn’t freeze, so when you add it to a sorbet mixture, it effectively lowers the freezing point and keeps it soft.
- Sometimes adding alcohol to a recipe seems a little random, but in this case it’s part of the flavor profile and is added in a pretty large amount. This means it’s strictly for adults, and that it will remain gorgeously scoopable for days. (Don’t expect it to last that long, though.)
Whole fruit, not juice, gives this sorbet a vibrant flavor
Some sorbet recipes call for fruit juice, and while that works, I prefer to use pureed fruit in mine. Fresh raspberries have an incomparable flavor, and it really shines in this dessert. While this recipe can (and should!) be made all year round, there is something especially wonderful about the flavor of raspberries in winter.
how to serve your raspberry champagne sorbet
Put scoops of sorbet in small bowls or glasses, I love to use vintage glasses from the thrift store.
Add a little puddle of champagne.
Fresh mint leaves make color really pop.
A couple of shortbread cookies on the side wouldn’t go amiss.
More raspberry desserts
- Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
- Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Easy Raspberry Galette
- Raspberry Eton Mess
- Raspberry Lemon Cake
- How to Make Raspberry Sugar
Raspberry Champagne Sorbet
Equipment
- an ice cream machine
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 4 cups raspberries (you can use frozen)
- 1 1/2 cups champagne
Instructions
- Put the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the berries and bring back to a boil. Cook for a minute to soften the berries. Note: if you are using frozen berries this will take a little longer.
- Puree the mixture in a blender. I used my Vitamix. Note: be careful when pureeing hot mixtures, they have a tendency to explode out of the blender, so be sure to have the lid on and cover with a towel for added security. You may want to let it cool before blending.
- If necessary, strain the mixture to remove seeds. Make sure you get everything you can through the strainer, leaving just the seeds. Put the puree into a storage container and stir in the champagne. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold. You can also leave it overnight.
- Process the chilled mixture in your ice cream machine according to its instructions, mine takes about 20-30 minutes. Your sorbet will be on the soft side at this point. Spoon it into a chilled container and put in the freezer to firm up for a few hours. Note: the alcohol in this sorbet will keep it scoopable, so you can actually make this the day before if you like.
- Serve in small bowls. You can also add a little champagne to the bowls if you like.
Notes
How to make a non-alcoholic version:
If you don’t do alcohol, you can use one of the many good non-alcoholic sparkling wines on the market, here’s a good guide. Â And you can always fall back on Martinelli’s sparkling cider. Take note that while non alcoholic wines will work, they will not provide the softening benefit that alcohol brings to sorbet, so plan to enjoy it the day you make it. ÂNutrition
Hi Sue, can you substitute blueberries? I have blueberries from our garden frozen. If so. does it need to be strained because of the skins?
Thanks! Leslie
Yes, and yes I would strain them. It will be a beautiful color!
The pre recipe info talks about straining out seeds but that is not in recipe and really needs to be done. It is a beautiful color but I found that the champagne taste overtook the raspberry flavor. I think next time I will use 2 teaspoons of Chambordliquor in the sorbet to keep it scoopable and just pour a little champagne over the top as Sue suggested
Happy New Year! May the best of last year be the worst of this year.
Amen 🙂
I don’t have an ice cream machine. What else can I do?
I can’t wait to try this. What a great flavor combination and so simple to make. Just what we need to start the New Year off right. Thanks for the recipe. I’m off to buy a bottle of champagne.
Happy New Year to you and your readers!
Right back at you Tami <3