Sweet and tangy, citrussy and minty, my refreshing, easy no-churn vegan mojito sorbet is made with just five simple ingredients, and requires no special equipment. Of course, if you do have an ice cream maker, it will cut down on the freezing time. Either way, this sorbet is the perfect way to cope with a hot and humid summer.
About three minutes' walk from our old apartment in Belgrade, there's a gelateria on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra (King Alexander Boulevard), where they make and sell the most mouth-watering gelati I've had outside Italy.
One such gelato was a mojito-flavoured one, and honestly, were it vegan, I'd have been all over it like a cheap suit. Fortunately for my waistline, it was very firmly out of bounds. However, as the temperature continued to rise, my thoughts turned toward making something me-friendly that isn't banana ice cream.
My mojito sorbet was born!
My First Mojito
The first time I had a mojito wasn't in Cuba - it wasn't even in the Americas... it was in India!
It was actually a nojito, on account of there not being any rum in it (as I've spoken about before, alcohol is strictly controlled in Kerala). It was gorgeous; juices from sugarcane and limes, loads of mint (which would usually be strained out before the nojito arrived at the table, lest it clog up the straw), and topped up with club soda. And tons of ice, of course.
Our go-to sugarcane juice guy near the beach in Fort Kochi
I probably drank more than my bodyweight in nojitos while we lived in Fort Kochi. Those aren't slices of lemon, by the way, they're lime. Limes turn yellow when they're fully ripe.
Although alcohol is freely available in Serbia, I wanted to make a non-alcoholic dessert - not least because amato mio is a lifelong teetotal. However, if you want to, there's nothing to stop you serving mojito sorbet with a slug of white rum drizzled over it.
¡Ay, caramba!
(Yeah, I know it's more Bart Simpson than Cuban but my Cuban only extends as far as knowing to ask your greengrocer for a frutabomba, and not a papaya!)
easy no-churn vegan mojito sorbet
I've made enough sorbet, of all colours and flavours, to create the sorbet mountain of Europe, but I'd never dabbled in cocktail sorbets.
Until now.
Peeps, I have to tell you that this is what summer was invented for.
My vegan mojito sorbet
Is...
- creamy
- sweet
- tangy
- refreshing
- dairy-free
- soy-free
- nut-free
- gluten-free (duh!)(bandwagon, much?)(Eheheh.)
- fat-free
Trust me, this needs to be a part of your summer repertoire.
And you know what other great Cuban export you need in the summer? Pérez Prado.
Dig those crayzeee sleeves, man!
Enjoy your mojito sorbet!
📖 Recipe
Easy No-Churn Mojito Sorbet
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 400 g caster sugar
- 8 limes (zest and juice)
- 50 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Optional equipment
Instructions
- Place the sugar, water, and half of the lime zest into a heavy-based pan over a low heat.
- Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, and there is no grittiness.
- Turn up the heat, and allow the syrup to boil for a minute or so, to thicken.
- Add the rest of the zest, the lime juice, and the mint leaves.
- Set aside to cool.
- Once it's cooled, strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, or piece of muslin, into a freezerproof container. Freeze for an hour.
- Remove the sorbet from the freezer, and whisk to break up any ice crystals.
- Return to the freezer, and whisk every half an hour or so, to prevent ice crystals forming. It should take around four to five hours to set properly.
- Once set, remove from the freezer 10-15 mins before you want to serve.
- If desired, drizzle a glug of white rum over the top when serving.
Notes
- Caster sugar in the US is also known as bar sugar or superfine granulated sugar. If you don't have any, you can grind your own in a coffee or spice mill, or small food processor attachment. A blender might work too.
- Prep and cook times do not include passive time for cooling and freezing.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Jill Colonna
This is perfect for our heatwave in France. I adore Mojito, especially disguised in desserts and this is just perfect!
Nico
You are a woman after my own heart, Jill! I hope you're managing to stay cool and hydrated over there. xx
Jo Allison/Jo's Kitchen Larder
I love your post and the inspiration for this wonderful sorbet! I absolutely love mojitos as they are so refreshing but so so dangerous as alcohol doesn't hit you until you had (hmmm) too many 🙂 Your brilliant frozen version is perfect for enjoying all the flavour of this gorgeous drink without consequences of overindulging 😉 I better go and get some mint! x
Nico
Oh, I know only too well the consequences of lazy summer afternoons and too many mojitos. Ditto Margaritas! When I lived in Chiang Mai, Thursday afternoon was happy hour cocktail time with my girlfriends... dangerous times! LOL!
Have you made the sorbet yet? What did you think of it? xx
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Ok Im sold! with our 3rd day of glorious sunshine I cant help myself. May just add a drizzle of rum to mine though - no self control 😉
And those sleeves are something else!
Nico
Funny you should say that about the rum, Jacqui - I've just bought a bottle of white rum (for kitchen experimentation, of course!), and I have a sorbet in my freezer. Heheh! I shan't be wearing anything remotely resembling those sleeves though... there's not enough rum in the world to make that happen! xx
Tracey
I love all things lime, especially Mexican key limes, the best in the world.
Nico
You and me both, Tracey - limes are the best! xx
Monika Dabrowski
Such a good idea to put these amazing mojito flavours into a sorbet! 🙂
Nico
It just seemed so natural, Monika! I love sorbets, and have been working on other cocktail-flavoured ones too! xx
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
Wow, that looks sooo refreshing Nico, it'd be perfect for the hot weekend we have forcasted here! I have to say too, that I love the images that you've captured- very inviting 🙂
Angela x
Nico
Thanks so much for your kind words, Angela - I really appreciate them. I hope you're enjoying the lovely weather! xx
Corina
This looks and sounds so refreshing for summer! I'm craving one now!
Nico
I know what you mean... and I don't have any room in my teeny tiny freezer at the moment! LOL! xx
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
This sounds so delicious and refreshing! Perfect for hot summer days!
Nico
It's incredibly refreshing, especially after a chilli or a curry, Kat! xx
Mandy
Oh wow this just sounds AMAZING! Did you ever get served beer in a tea pot in Kerala? One of my favourite memories.
Nico
Ha ha ha, I remember those! I got offered them plenty of times but never availed myself - mostly because a) I just adored the lime and soda there, and b) there was a dodgy backstreet bar near my apartment, where I bought my booze to drink at home! The experience was always.... interesting - like that scene in American Werewolf in London, when they walk into the pub, and it all goes quiet! LOLOL! xx
Louise Fairweather
Now this is my kind of sorbet - love the flavour of mojitos #recipeoftheweek
Nico
I'm a huge fan of mojitos... and nojitos too, Louise - sorbet seemed to be the natural progression! xx
Jon
Where's the alcohol?
Nico
Hi Jon, thanks for stopping by! As I say in the blog post:
"I wanted to make a non-alcoholic dessert - not least because amato mio is a lifelong teetotal. However, if you want to, there's nothing to stop you serving mojito sorbet with a slug of white rum drizzled over it."
Also, in the ingredients and instructions, it says to use rum if you want to.
Becky Striepe
This looks amazing, and I'm definitely going for that optional rum drizzle!
Nico
You are a woman after my own heart, Becky! 😉
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Oooooh mojito sorbet! Genius! Looks so summery and fresh, just the thing for this hot weather!
Nico
Absolutely, Becca! xx