Chocolate Sorbet (Dairy-Free)

This chocolate sorbet recipe is perfect as a delicious dessert, but also suitable for dairy free diets. Because it’s made without cream or milk, this sorbet is very light and the taste is amazing.

Whist the preparation time is very simple, you need to leave the sorbet to freeze for quite some time, so make sure you start your sorbet making the day before you want to serve it.

Since the flavour in this recipe comes from the main ingredients – the chocolate, make sure that you use the best chocolate you have ( minimum 60-77% cocoa solids), use the strongest cocoa powder and add intense coffee to enhance the flavour.

So, here is my favourite – a very easy and delicious recipe for chocolate sorbet, which doesn’t even need ice cream maker. 

Refreshing twist on traditional chocolate ice cream, this recipe is perfect for dairy free diets.

Why make this recipe?

• Vegan & Dairy free
• Simple ingredients
• No need for ice-cream machine
• Perfect light dessert

My top tips on making this recipe successfully the first time round

Use the best quality chocolate with high cocoa solids content to get rich chocolate flavour

Keep breaking & whisking the sorbet at regular intervals to make it really smooth

Add coffee to bring out the chocolate flavour

Make sure you use a pinch of salt to bring all the flavours together

If you want to make your chocolate sorbet smother add a tablespoon of glucose

Use a large freezable container with a lid, that you can use as a mixing bowl. I find it easier to just whisk the sorbet in the same bowl as I’m freezing it. This saves on constantly moving the sorbet from it’s freezer container to a mixing bow to whisk the mixture every 30 minutes or so.

Any specialist equipment needed?

You are welcome to use an ice-cream maker if you have one, but I’ve designed this recipe, so that you can make it without ice-cream maker.

I find hand-held whisk really useful when breaking up the half-frozen mixture as it creates lighter texture and it breaks down the ice better than just a fork.

• Mixing bowl
• Large freezer suitable container with a lid
• Hand-held whisk (or fork)
• Freezer

Ingredients & Possible Substitutions

Caster sugar

White caster sugar is best as it’s plain in flavour.

You can also change the flavour of your chocolate sorbet by changing the type of sugar you use.

For example, using soft brown sugar will give you a richer darker flavour, whilst using 100g caster sugar and 100g molasses sugar will give you nearly liquorice taste, which of course, can never be a bad thing!

Cocoa powder

You can use dark or milk chocolate bar, to replace cocoa powder and to suit your taste. You could also use white chocolate or white chocolate substitute, but then I would leave out the coffee mixture and added more vanilla essence.

Salt

The pinch of salt is also very crucial part of getting the flavour right. If you make this recipe without it, it will be just very sweet and a little bit bland. The salt balances out the sweetness of the sugar.

To make sure this chocolate sorbet is the best one you’ve ever eaten, taste the mixture before you start the freezing process and add tiny bit more of salt if you need to.

Coffee

Coffee helps to enhance the chocolate flavour. Mix one teaspoon of instant coffee granules with tiny amount of boiled water and add it to your chocolate sorbet.

Chocolate

Use dairy free chocolate to make sure this desert is truly ‘dairy free’. You can also chop up some extra chocolate to decorate the sorbet to serve.

Water

No need for milk, but we do need to add some liquid. I use water, but you could use leftovers of coffee or dairy free milk shake.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract really helps to bring out the chocolate flavour and round things up nicely.

Chocolate liqueur or similar for extra flavour and to help the sorbet to come out better from the tub. This is totally optional and you can make this sorbet alcohol free (don’t change the recipe ingredients, just don’t add it in)

Other flavourings

Other alternatives to bring out the chocolate flavours include few chilli flakes, tiny pinch of ground pink, white or normal peper or pinch of cinnamon. Obviously don’t all all of these at the same time!

The method – Instructions

Add the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, coffee extract, chocolate and water in a medium size saucepan and start heating over medium heat.

Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar and chocolate have disolved. Make sure you stir the pan continuously to prevent the mixture catching (burning).

Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and alcohol (if using). Transfer to a plastic tub with a lid and leave to chill in the fridge for few hours.

At this point, if you have a ice cream maker add the mixture to your machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you haven’t got a ice cream maker, leave out the alcohol at the last stage, put the mixture into a large shallow plastic tub (or use something like a shallow cake tin) to a freezer and set your watch to 60 minutes.

Basically for the next few hours, take the tub out of the freezer and with a fork mash up and rake up the sorbet and then put back to freezer.

This replicates the ice cream maker churning the sorbet and preventing it from just freezing in one solid block. By ‘raking up’ the chocolate sorbet you are keeping the ice in small flakes, which makes is so lovely and soft.

After about 4-5 hrs, the chocolate sorbet is ready and you can add the alcohol and then either serve it or leave it in the freezer and use at a later stage. Because you’ve done all the fluffing up and raking of the sorbet, it won’t set solid.

Variation on this recipe, allergies & dietary requirements

• Dairy free, gluten free, nuts free
• Add nuts, extra chopped chocolate or swap the dark or milk chocolate for white to get different flavour

How to serve chocolate sorbet

Serve it as it is or with raspberries or blueberries for extra fruity flavour.

This chocolate sorbet compliments perfectly my chocolate brownies recipe , chocolate buttermilk loaf cake or chocolate roulade.

You can also drizzle it with Brown Sugar Syrup or other flavoured syrups and coulis.

Can I scale up or down this recipe?

Yes, you can make less or more, just double or triple the amount of ingredients. Make sure that you have large enough container and you add extra time for freezing.

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes, make this chocolate sorbet any time and keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.

How to store sorbet

Sturdy freezable container with a sealed lid is the best. The sorbet normally last good 3-6 months, but the longer you leave it the more chances you have that the sorbet will start to develop ice.

More deserts & pudding recipes >>

• Marmalade & Chocolate Brownies >>
• Cake pops >>
• Chocolate Pudding in a Mug >>
• Chocolate & Pear (no bake cake) >>
• Banana, Chocolate & Butterscoth Cake >>

Why not stay in touch…

I hope you enjoy making this recipe and if you do, I’d love to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or find me on Instagram or Facebook and add the hashtag #cocoaandheart so that I can see your post.

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Magdalena