Sin-free Vanilla Cardamom Berry Sorbet

A sin-free dessert was never so simple.

I love dessert. I get it. Even though you won’t find refined sugar in my house, and only low glycemic sugars, they are still sugar. As much as I want to gobble down dessert like a vampire chomping on a fairy (any True Blood fans besides me??), I dig deep for self-control.

Using fruit in dessert helps. It contains natural sugars, and fruits like berries and apples are higher in fiber and antioxidants than other fruits. If you use a smaller amount of a low glycemic sweetener in your recipe, you are well on your way to a sin-free dessert. I wish I had better news for the fairies. 🙂

Refined Sugar-free Vanilla Cardamom Berry Sorbet Recipe

Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Refined Sugar-free, Vegan, Soy-free, Nut-free

Print Recipe

Vanilla Cardamom Berry Sorbet

Prep Time4 hrs

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Author: Angela Marinelli, M.S., M.Ed.

Ingredients

For the Applesauce base

• 4 cups chopped apples
• 2 cups blueberries
• 3-4 whole green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract OR 2/3 of one fresh vanilla bean
• 2 tsp water
• pinch sea salt

For the Sorbet

• 1/4 cup maple syrup raw honey, light agave nectar, or coconut nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3-3 1/2 cups Vanilla Cardamom Berry Applesauce

Instructions

Prep

• Make a simple syrup by combining your 1/2 cup liquid sweetener with 1/2 cup water in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Heat until the two combine, making a clear liquid (2-3 minutes, or just until liquid starts to bubble). Set aside.
• Wash and chop apples into uniform pieces (large dice), leaving skins on. You can put your lemon juice on your apples as you chop them so they don't brown.
• Wash blueberries.
• Remove outer shell from cardamom pods, remove seeds, and whiz them in a spice or coffee grinder until finely ground and fragrant. You will smell the cardamom!
• Slice the vanilla bean (if using) and remove the seeds from the bean.

Cook

• In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the apples, blueberries, lemon juice, vanilla bean or extract, cardamom, water and salt.
• Stir often so the fruit doesn't brown.
• Once the fruit begins to soften and release moisture, raise the heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a strong simmer/light boil so the fruit can break down.
• Cook partly covered (I cock the lid) and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until fruit is broken down and soft, and flavors have come together.
• Immediately put your mixture AND THE SIMPLE SYRUP into a high powered blender and whiz until completely smooth and creamy. (If you have a strong blender, like a Vitamix, the skins will pulverize fine.)
• Let completely cool in fridge, usually 4-6 hours.

Make the Sorbet

• Follow instructions of your ice cream/sorbet maker. Mine works faster the colder my base is when I put it in the ice cream maker.

Notes

Copywright: Angela Marinelli, M.S., M.Ed., Nourishment Connection 2013

How to Make the Base of this Berry Sorbet

This sorbet is built off my Vanilla Cardamom Berry Applesauce. Flavorful, healthy, this applesauce is easy to make, and a great side or snack to have on hand for kids and adults. For the sorbet, you just add the simple syrup and follow the instructions of your ice cream/sorbet maker. How easy is that?