Strawberry Sorbet
Published June 22, 2021 • Updated March 7, 2026
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This keto strawberry sorbet uses just three ingredients and comes together in a food processor. I make it all summer long because it's the closest thing to real sorbet I've found that keeps my carbs low.
I started making this sugar free strawberry sorbet a few summers ago when I realized most store-bought sorbets have more sugar than ice cream. Three ingredients, no ice cream maker, and about five minutes of hands-on work. No churning, no custard base, no waiting around.
The base is frozen strawberries, a sugar-free sweetener, and lime juice. I blend everything in my food processor until it’s smooth, then freeze it for about 30 minutes. The trick I’ve learned is to not over-freeze it. Pull it out at that 30-minute mark and the texture is soft and scoopable, almost like Italian ice. Go much longer and it firms up solid (more on how to fix that below).
One thing readers keep telling me about is adding vodka to the mix before freezing. I tried it after seeing Jackie’s comment, and she was right. A teaspoon lowers the freezing point just enough to keep it from turning into a brick overnight. No flavor difference at all. Then my reader Jordan pushed it to a full tablespoon and says he no longer needs the 5-minute counter thaw. I still use a teaspoon, but his version works too. I add it every time I plan to store leftovers. If you skip the vodka, just pull it out 10 minutes before serving and let it soften on the counter.
Strawberries are one of the few fruits I eat regularly on keto. A full cup has about 8.7 grams of net carbs, which is low enough that I can enjoy a generous serving and stay on track. I’ve also swapped in raspberries and blueberries. Both work, but straight strawberry is still my favorite for color. I blind-tested strawberry against raspberry with lime last summer, and the raspberry version was sharper with more depth. The strawberry batch had better color and a cleaner finish, so I keep coming back to it.
If you want more frozen treats, my keto strawberry ice cream is richer and creamier. My bomb pops are in rotation all summer. And my mint chocolate ice cream bars are what my family reaches for when they want something more indulgent.
I love this dairy free frozen dessert because it fits so many situations. Weeknight treat after dinner, something cool when friends come over, or a palate cleanser between courses if I’m feeling fancy. I’ve spooned it into glasses with a splash of sparkling water for a float that tastes like a berry Italian soda. No one has ever guessed it’s sugar free.
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Ingredients
12 ounces frozen strawberries -
1/3 cup powdered sugar free sweetener
-
2 tablespoons lime juice
-
2 tablespoons water
-
pinch of salt
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my sorbet get rock hard in the freezer?
I dealt with this too. Sugar-free frozen desserts freeze harder than regular ones because sugar acts as a natural softener. What I do now is add a teaspoon of vodka to the mix before freezing. It lowers the freezing point just enough to keep things scoopable. My reader Jordan uses a full tablespoon and says he skips the counter thaw entirely. I also pull mine out 5-10 minutes before serving and let it sit on the counter if I skipped the vodka.
Can I make this in a Ninja Creami?
I've made it both ways. Blend the strawberries, sweetener, and lime juice, pour into the Ninja Creami pint container, and freeze overnight. Run the sorbet program and it comes out incredibly smooth. I still prefer my food processor method because I can eat it in under an hour start to finish, but the Ninja Creami gives a slightly creamier texture if you already have one sitting on your counter.
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of frozen?
I've made this with both. Fresh strawberries work, but I always freeze them for at least two hours first. If I skip that step, it comes out too thin and takes much longer to set in the freezer. Frozen strawberries straight from the bag give me a thicker, almost ice-cream-like texture right out of the food processor. I keep a few bags of frozen strawberries stocked specifically for this.
Which sweetener works best for frozen desserts?
I've tested powdered erythritol, Swerve confectioners, and allulose in this recipe. Allulose is my top pick for anything frozen because it doesn't crystallize the way erythritol can. It keeps the texture softer straight from the freezer. Swerve confectioners is my second choice. My reader Jordan uses it and says it disappears completely into the cold puree with no gritty finish. If I'm using a powdered erythritol blend, I make sure it's finely ground so I don't get that grainy texture in the final scoop.
How do I store leftover sorbet?
I store mine in a shallow, airtight container in the freezer. Shallow is key because it freezes more evenly and thaws faster when I want to serve it again. If it freezes solid overnight, I let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes, then break it into chunks and pulse it in my food processor for 30 seconds. I've done this three or four times with the same batch and the texture holds up fine. My batches last about two weeks, but I usually finish them within a few days.
Can I turn this into popsicles or keto sherbet?
I've done both. For popsicles, add a splash more water so the mixture pours easily into molds, then freeze overnight. My reader Kiley asked about this and I told her it works even as written if you spoon it in. For a low carb sherbet, whip about a cup of heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the blended base before freezing. The cream makes it richer and more scoopable, almost like soft serve. I answered Terri's question about this in my comments years ago and keep meaning to build it into the recipe.
What if I don't have a food processor?
I've used my Vitamix when my food processor was in the dishwasher. A high-powered blender works, but I need to add a splash more water to get everything moving. A regular blender works too, just blend in smaller batches. The texture comes out slightly less smooth than my food processor, but it's still good. I wouldn't try this with an immersion blender though. Frozen strawberries are too hard for it.
Can I add other fruits to this?
I've blended in raspberries and a handful of blueberries with the strawberries. Both work, though I find straight strawberry gives me the best color and smoothest texture. If I mix fruits, I keep strawberries as at least half the total so the flavor stays bright. My favorite combo is strawberry and raspberry with the lime juice. The lime makes the raspberry version sharper and more interesting. My reader Dani swapped the lime for lemon and added mint before blending. I'm trying that next.
Quick tip that made a noticeable difference: pull the frozen strawberries out about five minutes before you start so they soften just slightly. I learned this after my food processor kept stalling on the first batch (ran fine after that). The puree comes out smoother and you get a better consistency when you pack it into the container. I've also found that an extra small squeeze of lime right at the end brightens the whole thing in a way that makes it taste less like a frozen fruit cube and more like real sorbet. Made two batches this week because the first one disappeared faster than I expected for a March evening. This is going to be a summer staple for sure.
Never made sorbet before, wasn't sure I could. Three ingredients and a food processor felt too simple, like I was definitely missing something. Almost skipped the lime juice because it seemed out of place, but so glad I didn't. It cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes it taste like an actual shop sorbet, not something sad from a health food store. Got distracted and froze mine closer to 45 minutes, still scooped cleanly right out of the container. Didn't think my first attempt would go this well. Doubling the batch this weekend.
The lime is what makes it taste like something you bought. Made it without once just to see. Not the same.
I made this tonight because I had a bag of frozen strawberries sitting in the back of my freezer and honestly didn't expect much (I am not a confident cook at all), but the food processor made it look so easy I kept double-checking if I was missing a step. When I pulled it out after 30 minutes it had this bright pink color that looked way more put-together than anything I've made myself. I almost skipped the lime juice because I thought it was a weird thing to add to a strawberry dessert, but it gives everything this little sharpness that makes you want another spoonful before the first one's gone. I am currently standing at my kitchen counter eating it straight out of the container and a little shocked this is only 7g net carbs. Double batch next weekend, no question.
My daughter stood at the freezer the whole 30 minutes it was setting, which told me something. Mine came out slightly icier than I expected, so I'll blend it longer next time, but the lime is what makes it actually taste like sorbet and not just frozen fruit.
Longer blend will help. I'd also try allulose if you used erythritol, it doesn't crystallize the same way and stays scoopable. And yeah, the lime is the whole thing.
Brought this to a spring potluck and a friend spent ten minutes asking where I bought it. When I said frozen strawberries and a food processor, she looked genuinely offended. Making a double batch for her birthday dinner next month.
That reaction is the best. Frozen strawberries and a food processor and somehow it reads as catered. For the birthday batch, scoop it ahead and refreeze in individual cups so you're not wrestling a container at the table.
Solid four stars from me. The lime juice does something really nice to the strawberry, but I'd push the freeze time past 30 minutes. Mine needed closer to 45 before it held its shape well enough to scoop.
45 tracks. Mine's closer to 40 in a shallow dish but I've had batches go longer depending on how cold my freezer runs. 30 minutes gets it starting to set, not scoopable.
Swapped the lime for lemon and added a little mint before blending. Tastes like a spa drink. No idea why I tried this in February but no regrets.
Lemon makes sense with the strawberry. Mint is the one I hadn't thought of. Trying it.
I've been making this with one small addition and the texture is noticeably better for it. A tablespoon of vodka before the freeze (trick I picked up from a gelato method years ago) keeps it soft enough to scoop straight from the freezer without the 5-minute counter sit I used to need. I also switched to Swerve confectioners because it disappears completely into the cold puree, no trace of gritty finish in the final scoop. Made a batch last Sunday after the snow and the lime-strawberry combination tasted sharper than I remembered from summer batches, more tart and bright somehow. Maybe the contrast with the cold air outside makes the acidity read differently. Either way, going back for another batch this weekend.
Tablespoon instead of a teaspoon, hadn't thought to push it that far. Mine scoops fine at a teaspoon so I never went further. Swerve confectioners in a cold puree is worth noting for anyone who's had that gritty issue.
Batch four and I finally stopped adding extra lime juice (a habit I brought over from other sorbet recipes). The strawberry flavor comes through so much cleaner without it. Still making this in February because apparently frozen fruit doesn't know it's winter.
Four batches in and you figured out the thing I should have said in the recipe. The lime is there for balance but not everyone needs the full two tablespoons. Strawberry-forward is better anyway.
Want to make this the night before a dinner party so I'm not scrambling at the last minute. The recipe says 30 minutes in the freezer, but if it sits overnight does it freeze completely solid or does it stay scoopable?
It'll freeze solid overnight, yeah. Add a teaspoon of vodka before you freeze it and it stays scoopable. If you skip that, just pull it out 10 minutes before and re-blend for 30 seconds.
First time making homemade sorbet and I didn't think frozen strawberries and lime juice could taste this bright. Texture out of the food processor was smoother than I expected. Making a double batch before I let myself finish the rest of this one.
The lime does most of the work on that brightness. Frozen berries alone don't get there. Store it in a shallow container for the double batch, it freezes more evenly and comes back scoopable faster when you pull it out.
Tried this with raspberries from the freezer and the lime juice made it SO bright. Honestly better than I expected from a three-ingredient sorbet.
Raspberries with lime is actually better. Sharper. I keep strawberries as the base for color but that combo makes a more interesting sorbet.
I made this with a teaspoon of vodka, which helps keep the sorbet from becoming rock hard! No flavor difference!
I do this now too. One of my readers mentioned the vodka trick a while back and I've added it to every batch since. You're right, no flavor difference but the texture stays way more scoopable even after a few days in the freezer.
If I wanted to make this into a keto sherbet, would I just add some heavy cream…like maybe a cup?
Yes, just whip it to whipped cream consistency and mix it in and then freeze.
I did. It was wonderful!
If the sorbet recipe were to be used to make popsicle bars instead would you use a little less liquid or a little more?
Probably a little more liquid so they would pour into the mold better, but this should work even as written if you are able to spoon the mixture into the mold.