Prepare for the most nostalgic recipe to hit the internet this summer: rainbow sherbet(!!). This DIY, no-churn, dairy-free version is fresh, perfectly sweet, and packed with allll the creamy, fruity flavor of the classic. Refreshing is an understatement!
It features a naturally sweetened frozen fruit base with creamy coconut milk and tangy lime. We even snuck some spinach in there, but we promise you can’t taste it — just wholesome deliciousness here. Let’s make sherbet!
This DIY, no-churn rainbow sherbet begins with two frozen fruits that, when blended, create a creamy texture: mango and pineapple! The sweet, creamy duo joins with coconut milk, maple syrup, lime juice, and vanilla to create a flavor that reminds us of rainbow sherbet (it’s magic!).
That mixture forms the base for all three layers of this ice cream.
While most of the mixture is used to create the yellow base layer of the rainbow sherbet, we create the pink layer by blending in frozen raspberries.
The green layer is optional because it doesn’t change the flavor, but it creates the multicolored appearance that’s a major highlight of the classic ice cream! And the secret, wholesome ingredient for the green layer? SPINACH (the kids will never know)!
After spreading the three layers into a loaf pan, we swirl them together and set it in the freezer to let it firm up into a scoopable texture with beautiful swirls of color!
We can’t wait for you to try this rainbow sherbet! It’s:
Refreshing
Fruity
Easy to make
Naturally sweetened
Perfect for summer
& SO nostalgic!
It’s a fun, wholesome snack or dessert for kids and adults alike! Enjoy it in bowls or cones to cool down on hot summer days or to satisfy the rainbow sherbet craving in a new way.
More Summery Treats
- Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars
- Banana Cream Pie (Vegan + GF)
- 5-Minute Pineapple Sorbet (Dole Whip Dupe!)
- Grain-Free Berry Crisp
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Rainbow Sherbet (Vegan, No-Churn!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen mango chunks
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (a smooth, creamy brand!)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 cup tightly packed baby spinach (optional — exclude if you don’t want to use your blender)
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and leave enough overhang to cover the top of your sherbet later.
- MANGO BASE: Place frozen mango and pineapple into a food processor and pulse until you achieve small shreds. Scrape down the sides and add the coconut milk, maple syrup, lime juice, and vanilla. Mix again until the food processor begins to run smoothly, scraping down the sides as needed. Once there are very few mango pieces visible, leave the processor on for at least 1 minute to achieve the creamiest consistency possible!
- Remove about 2/3 of the mixture and place into the loaf pan. Place the loaf pan into the freezer while you proceed with the recipe.
- RASPBERRY SWIRL: To the mango-pineapple mixture that remains in your food processor, add the raspberries and process until completely smooth.
- GREEN SWIRL (OPTIONAL for tricolor appearance — doesn’t change the flavor): Remove the loaf pan from the freezer and add half of the mango/pineapple mixture to a blender with the spinach and blend until the spinach is completely incorporated. This step can also be left out and you’ll still have delicious swirled sherbet, it just won’t be “rainbow.”
- Now layer the sherbet. Top the mango-pineapple layer with the optional green spinach layer and add the raspberry sherbet on top of the green (or directly on top of the mango-pineapple base if skipping the spinach). Give it a gentle stir to swirl the layers together slightly.
- Cover the sherbet with the excess parchment paper and place into your freezer for at least one hour to firm up. We enjoy the texture best after 1 hour of freezing because it’s a little firm but not frozen solid; however, you can enjoy the sherbet before freezing if you don’t mind a soft-serve consistency!
- If you let the sherbet freeze solid, remove it from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15-20 minutes until scoopable. It’s best eaten the day it’s prepared but will keep for up to 1 month!
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with spinach.
Lupe says
Made the following changes:
Fresh Lemon juice
Mixed Frozen Berry fruits (raspberry, blueberry): store absolutely didn’t have any frozen pineapple nor mango.
Strawberry
Avocado & spinach
Honey instead of maple syrup
It was absolutely AMAZING & will be, when I get mango & pineapple!
Amazing! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Lupe! xo
Bethany says
I was pleasantly surprised by this yummy no-churn option! Texture and flavor of the raspberry and mango were stellar. I didn’t add spinach because I didn’t have it on hand. Refreshing and not too sweet and for that my man and I were grateful!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Bethany! Thank you for sharing! xo
Patricia says
We made the following substitutions based on what we had on hand,
Lemon instead of lime
Coconut cream instead of milk
Base mango and pineapple + 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
Base mango and pineapple + 1/2 cup frozen cherries
My very picky 5 year old was over the moon happy to make and eat her rainbow sherbet! Husband approved as well.
Thanks for another winning recipe ❤️
Aw, we’re SO happy you and your family loved it, Patricia! Thank you so much for another lovely review! xo
melissa says
This was OUT OF THIS WORLD! I am amazed how this tasted just like sherbert- I will never again buy store bought. It was so easy to make. The taste was bright, fruity, fresh, creamy, sour- and I only had samples of each ” flavor” as I used it in 12 popsicle molds. I worked fast and was able to blend the raspberry and spinach mixture without putting the original mango-pineapple base in the freezer- I just poured each color in the popsicle mold- I cannot wait to see how they look after they freeze solid! My nephew is visiting and is dairy free and he will love these!
Aw, love that you enjoyed it AND your nephew will get to enjoy rainbow sherbet! Thanks so much for sharing, Melissa! xo
Kara says
Easy to make and a satisfying treat!
It’s def worth finding good frozen fruit, if possible. I was limited to the weird frozen fruit at my local grocery store— so I ended up with strawberries pretending to be raspberries.
If on the fence about the spinach, I say go for it! It doesn’t add too much flavor and the color is worth it :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kara! We love the green that spinach adds too!
Becky says
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Unsweetened
Dawn Slater says
I made this for my Grandson’s 1st birthday party. It went down a storm with the kids and the adults and no one suspected it had spinach in it!
For the pineapple layer, I used a bag of frozen breakfast topper (pineapple, strawberry, peach & mango because they had no frozen pineapple chunks in stock and it worked a treat,
A new family summer must for the freezer!
AMAZING! What a great idea to make for a 1st birthday. Thank you so much for sharing, Dawn! xo
Dianne Terrasi says
This sounds wonderful! I’m wondering if the spinach is fresh? Or can you use frozen spinach?
Thank you!
Yes, fresh! We don’t think frozen would work well here.
Renee Brennan says
Is it possible to use something other than pineapple as part of the base? We have an allergy at our house.
Hi Renee, we’d suggest using more mango and a little more lime. Hope that helps!
Keilah says
Absolutely loved this recipe!
Easy to make and very refreshing.
Definitely making this again and again.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Keilah. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Eden says
This was amazing! We couldn’t wait for it to freeze, so it was a little soupy, but still tasted amazing. Can’t wait to try it again once it’s been frozen a bit more.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Eden. Thank you for sharing! xo
Andryea Natkin says
I wonder…could blueberries add another color in the rainbow…say instead of or in addition to the spinach layer?
Looks so good and sounds so easy I’m excited to try it!
Totally! Let us know if you try it!
Hilary says
What might have a similar consistency to mango? Maybe avocado? (Mango allergy, sadly. Banana, too.)
Hi Hilary, we’d recommend trying more pineapple!
jacquie says
oh this so yummy and refreshing but i don’t really like mangos. Is there something i could substitute? or maybe i should just give mangos another chance…..
thanks.
jacquie
Hi Jacquie, you could try subbing more frozen pineapple. But we do think mango might be worth another shot :)
Connie Jenkins says
Can we put this in an ice cream maker if we want to?
Thank you!
Hmm, good question! We’re not sure if this one would be a good fit for an ice cream maker, but it might work. Let us know if you try it!
Laura says
What would be the best to use instead of lime juice? I am allergic to all citrus products.
Maybe pineapple juice? Or perhaps another tart juice, but nothing else is coming to mind.
Mel White says
If your looking for some acidity, maybe you could substitute a vinegar–white or white wine vinegar or maybe vermouth or vodka.
Morgan says
I used a mix of ripe and slightly unripe kiwi to make the green layer and just skipped the citrus juice altogether!
Smart! Thank you for sharing, Morgan!
Ana says
Wow! I haven’t tried this yet but I can’t wait. Rainbow sherbet was definitely my favorite childhood flavor for the longest time. I love all of the recipes that I have tried of yours and I’m constantly recommending your website and recipes to all of the people who have tried the dishes I’ve made and shared with them or those who just ask me about plant based recipes. Even if they mostly eat meat as I let them know you have recipes for everyone.
Aww, we’re SO glad you enjoy our recipes, Ana! Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing the blog with others! xoxo