Homemade Sherbet with Blackberries & Bananas (AKA Blackberry “Nice” Cream)

Homemade Sherbet with blackberries is the perfect healthy dessert! Made with just 4 real-food-ingredients, it's refreshing and delicious!

Oh my goodness, I could not be more excited to share this homemade sherbet recipe with you guys! It's made with just four ingredients – blackberries, bananas, lemon and whatever milk / dairy free milk you choose. Despite its simplicity, it's SO good!

Wondering what the heck sherbet is? It's basically like ice cream, but made with more fruit and less milk. My version actually contains only 3 tablespoons of milk so it's a bit like a cross between sherbet and sorbet. And it doesn't have to be cow's milk. You can use any milk you like – almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk. You do you!

The best part of this recipe (apart from the taste of course 😉 ) is that you do not need an ice cream maker. All you need is a good blender and a loaf pan.

You'll start by flash freezing your fruit, blackberries and bananas in this case. To flash freeze, simply chop your bananas and place alongside washed and dried blackberries on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the fruit is frozen. Then transfer the fruit to a freezer container.

I know it's tempting to skip the flash freezing step but don't! It prevents the fruit from freezing together in one giant clump and also minimizes freezer burn.

When you're ready to make your homemade sherbet, combine your frozen bananas and blackberries with lemon juice, lemon zest and a few tablespoons of your preferred milk in a good blender. Process on high until the mixture is completely smooth. If it's too thick to blend, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.

Finally, pour the mixture into a loaf pan and you're ready to enjoy! You can return it to the freezer first or eat it right away. Trust me, you're going to be making this on the regular all summer long, it's that good!

Tips for the Best Homemade Sherbet

Homemade sherbet is surprisingly easy. You only need a few simple ingredients and no special equipment. Still, to get the best results possible, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Make sure to freeze your fruit ahead of time (and don't skip that flash freezing!) To get that nice, thick, ice cream-like texture, you need to start with frozen fruit.
• If you make the homemade sherbet ahead to time and freeze the loaf pan, let it sit on the counter for ten minutes or so before serving. This will allow the blackberry sherbet to soften up enough to serve. This applies to leftovers as well!
• You may want to transfer leftover sherbet to a freezer container with a lid to prevent freezer burn. If you're going to eat it within a day or two, you can simply cover tightly with plastic wrap. If you're planning to keep the sherbet for longer though, it's best to store in a tightly sealed container.

Keep these tips in mind and you shouldn't have any issues! This really is quite an easy homemade dessert.

Variations and Toppings for this Fruit Based Ice Cream

One of the best things about a recipe this simple is that it's easy to mix it up and make it your own. Trust me, this fruit-based ice cream treat is totally delicious as-written but you know I love experimenting in the kitchen and I always encourage you to do the same! Here are a few variations you may want to try, as well as tasty toppings to add:

• Try lime juice and lime zest instead of lemon
• Use whatever berry you please – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries – any of these would be delicious!
• Add a few drops of vanilla extract.
• Add fresh herbs like mint. Make sure to do this towards the end of blending as over blending herbs results in a bitter taste.
• Top with something crunchy like slivered almonds or toasted walnuts.
• Top with fresh berries!

What's the nutrition like for this blackberry homemade sherbet?

Let's be real, we don't usually eat dessert for the stellar nutrition. But one of the benefits of a fruit-based dessert like this blackberry homemade sherbet is that it actually does offer some substantial nutritional benefits. Not only is it free from processed sugar, or any sweetener for that matter, it's made almost entirely with fruit! What could be healthier than that?

Here are a few of the nutritional benefits from this homemade sherbet:

Blackberries (Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese, Antioxidants)

Due to their mix of vitamins, blackberries are great for your immune system, collagen formation and blood sugar regulation. Like other berries, blackberries likely also support brain health due to their antioxidants. Finally, blackberries are one of the lowest carb fruits! (Not something I particularly care about, but good to know for anyone following a low carb eating style.)

Bananas (Potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C)

You've likely heard that bananas have potassium but did you know that they're also a great source of vitamin B6, manganese and vitamin C? Bananas also have a lot of fiber, which is good for healthy digestion. Potassium is important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels and supporting heart health and bananas are an excellent source.

Lemon (Vitamin C, Citric Acid)

Just one lemon provides 51% of the daily recommended vitamin C. This is important not only to fight colds, but for long term health as studies show consuming produce with vitamin C helps prevent heart disease and stroke. Consuming lemons may also help protect against anemia and kidney stones, likely due to their citric acid content.

I want more healthy “nice” cream recipes!