Strawberry Chocolate Chip Sherbet- A Dairy-Free Vegan Recipe

Now is the time for a sherbet recipe- because June is lush and abundant in strawberries. And how do I love these ruby gems? Any way I can get 'em. Popped sweet and simple into my mouth straight from the colander. Rolled in brown sugar and nibbled. Baked into scones (have you tried my Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones recipe?). Macerated in Patron Citronge. And this week- transformed into a bliss inducing frozen confection. Sherbet!

Sherbet that is berry pink and creamy and just sweet enough. Studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips. (All right, I confess. I love strawberries and chocolate and I commingle the two every chance I get.)

Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Chip Sherbet Recipe

The best part of this recipe is- it is vegan. That means no dairy. For those of you lapping up your moo-cow milk like there's no tomorrow, that's probably no big deal. You get to reach for Ben and Jerry's any time you have a craving. [Mazel to you!]

But for my fellow dairy allergic Sisters (and Bro's- I didn't forget you!), not to mention my fellow GF/CF pals from Planet Aspergia, and the dedicated GFCF Moms who hunt for tasty dairy-free ice cream alternatives for their beautiful Aspie and Autie Angels, it can be tough finding frozen treats that are safe and delicious.

And if, Dear Reader, you happen to be a gluten-free vegan (by necessity or personal preference) and you happen to have additional food allergies, you'll be interested to note that this yummy strawberry goodness is also soy-free, egg-free, corn-free and nut-free.

What isn't free of? Big strawberry flavor.

I used creamy vanilla hemp milk in this sherbet. Hemp is chock full of Omegas, and a richer alternative than rice milk. But if you prefer rice milk, it will work in this recipe- though it may not be quite as creamy (as it is lower in fat).

This is the ice cream maker I use. It's a simple, not-too-expensive Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Maker. Once it is churning, the ice cream is ready in about 30 minutes- at a soft-serve consistency. If you prefer a harder ice cream, scoop, freeze and store it in freezer containers.

Macerate your berries ahead of time:

1 pint fresh ripe organic strawberries, gently rinsed, stemmed, and sliced
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice- or use lemon if you prefer
3-4 tablespoons agave nectar- ororganic sugar

Combine the sliced strawberries with the lime juice and agave; toss to coat; cover and chill for two hours.

In the meantime:

In a medium-large saucepan, combine:

1 cup vanilla hemp milk
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract

Whisk well to combine. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the tapioca has thickened the mixture. Remove from heat.

Whisk in:

2 cups ice cold vanilla hemp milk

Pour the custard base into a mixing bowl and placed it in the fridge to chill. The colder the mixture is before you add it to the freezing cannister of the ice cream maker, the better.

When the strawberries have macerated for two hours, add them to the chilled base mixture and combine.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream cannister and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Near the end of churning add in:

1/2 rounded cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

Churn till stirred through.

Scoop the sherbet into freezer containers; cover and freeze. For best flavor, soften sherbet slightly before serving.

Makes about 6 cups.

Printer-friendly recipe.

Sherbet Pops!

I think this mixture would make fabulous sherbet pops. For pops, I might blend the strawberries into the mixture, however, to create a smoother custard.

For those of you with Popsicle forms- if you try this recipe as frozen pops, would you be so kind as to stop back and share?

A Note To Dairy Lovers:

Yes, if you would like to try making this sherbet with actual, real moo-cow milk- by all means, do. You can skip the tapioca and the xanthan gum part; and use a blend of cream and milk, to your milk fat level preference.


More Strawberry Recipes:

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones
Strawberry Banana Muffins
Strawberries Citronge
Strawberry Hemp Smoothie- Dairy-Free
Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie- Dairy-Free