Delicate, floral and creamy, this Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet recipe is not just delicious, it’s vegan, too. Churn up a small batch to enjoy throughout the week or serve as a refreshing finish to a perfect summer dinner on the deck.
As soon as the weather turns warm, I start to crave cold desserts. Give me this Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet, a scoop of Mexican Street Corn Gelato or even a bold Fernet Branca ice cream and I’m in heaven!
Jump to RecipeNothing but lychee love for this Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet recipe
My husband and I often have the, “I wonder who first decided to try to eat that?” discussion when it comes to certain roots, fruits and vegetables. The lychee falls under that category. I am absolutely intrigued by them. A pink, bumpy skin hides a white, almost translucent flesh that clings to a dark, nut-like seed. When you crack open the skin, the sweet, floral notes are like perfume.
When fresh, they are fun to peel, and eat. They are juicy, sticky and a little messy. And they are absolutely delicious!
Native to China, the lychee tree thrives best in tropical conditions. However, there are some areas in the United States – Florida and California – where they can be successfully cultivated. If after nibbling your way through some fresh lychee you decide you’d like to try your hand at growing them, check out this article from The Spruce on How to Grow Lychee Trees. And let me know how it goes!
Where can I find good lychee?
Getting good lychees in Michigan can be a challenge. I typically try to steer clear of the canned fruit because I find the tin taste off-putting. I’ve had spotty luck finding them in local markets. But when I do, I usually buy as many as I can so I can peel, remove the seeds and freeze them for later. If using fresh lychee in this recipe, you will need roughly one pound of fresh lychees to yield the two cups of fruit this recipe calls for.
Last year, I stumbled upon Tropical Fruit Box when I was searching for exotic fruits for a family Christmas dinner. Each year, our family chooses a food theme. One year we chose Polynesian and so I was on the hunt for taro root to make poi and pink pineapples – which were absolutely amazing! It’s worth getting a pink pineapple and a golden one to do a side by side comparison.
I was pleased to be able to secure fresh lychees through Tropical Fruit Box. If you’re looking for something a little different, and of good quality, check ’em out. You won’t be disappointed.
Emulsify for best results
There are two important steps to the success of this recipe for Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet. The first is to use coconut cream and not coconut milk. You need the fat content of the cream for this recipe to add that silky mouth-feel we all crave in an ice cream. The extra fat also helps with the overall texture of this recipe. Unlike other sorbets that are heavy on the fruit with a little sweetener and water to pull the ice together, there is not a lot of fruit in this recipe. The coconut cream provides the necessary body to this frozen dessert.
The second important step is to re-emulsify the coconut cream before adding it to the lychee puree. Coconut cream is, well, a lot of fat. And the solids and liquids will often separate in the can. You want to whip back together the solids and liquids so that you have one homogenized, creamy product.
The second step is also important because the solids will not break down completely on their own in the mixing process. I learned this the hard way the first go-around. Some of the solids didn’t break down and although the sorbet tasted wonderful, it was a little off-putting to bite into a large piece of the solid coconut fat. Follow these tips for guaranteed success with this recipe.
No ice cream maker? No problem. Do this instead.
Even if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make this Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet at home. You just need to make a few small adjustments.
Follow steps 2-6 as directed below. However, once the sorbet is fully blended, immediately place the sorbet mixture in a container in the freezer to chill. Every 30 minutes, give the sorbet a quick stir with a spatula and return it to the freezer. Repeat the process 3 more times. Allow the sorbet to rest overnight before serving.
The ice cream mixer incorporates a little air into the sorbet as it churns – delivering a lighter, creamier texture. You’ll lose a little volume when freezing and stirring by hand. And the sorbet will take longer to firm up, but it will still taste just as delicious!
Easy 4-Ingredient Lychee Coconut Sorbet
Course: DessertCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy6
1/2 cup servings20
minutes25 minutes
2 hours
Floral notes of lychee and creamy coconut milk are churned to perfection in this chilled vegan dessert.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh lychee, peeled and pitted. You can substitute frozen or canned if unable to find fresh lychee.
1 cup coconut cream that has been re-emulsified.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Directions
- Prep your ice cream maker
- Prepare your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Prepare the sorbet
- In a blender or food processor, first re-emulsify your coconut cream to ensure the solids and liquids have come back together into one smooth cream. Remove and set aside 1 cup.
- Add to the blender or food processor 2 cups of lychee fruit and puree until smooth. This can take between 3 – 7 minutes.
- Using a mesh strainer and spatula, press the lychee puree through the strainer into a bowl. Make sure to extract all the liquid. You should only have between 1-2 Tbsp. of fiber left after pressing. Discard the fiber.
- Rinse out the blender or food processor (you don’t want any of the remaining fiber bits to discolor the sorbet).
- Combine the lychee puree, the sugar, coconut cream and lime juice in the blender or food processor. Blend together on high until fully combined and smooth. Approximately 3 – 5 minutes.
- Place the sorbet mixture in the ice cream maker and mix for 25 minutes. Remove the sorbet from the ice cream maker and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- No ice cream maker? No problem. Do this instead.
- Follow steps 2-6 as directed.
- Once the sorbet is fully blended, place the mixture in a container in the freezer to chill. Every 30 minutes, give the mixture a quick stir with a spatula and return it to the freezer. Repeat the process 3 more times. Allow the sorbet to rest overnight before serving.
Notes
- After resting overnight, the sorbet can be quite firm. Allow it to sit on the counter at room temperature for easier scooping.
This simple recipe made one of the most delicious sorbets I’ve ever made! Everyone loved it. Both the flavor and the texture were exceptional. I will be making this again. I used canned lichee and added the syrup. Next time I made it I will cut down the sugar. But it was really excellent!!
Hi Judy! Thank you for the kind words, and so happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe! 🙂