Dark Chocolate Sorbet Recipe (Dairy Free)

Rich and smooth, this dark chocolate sorbet is a chocolate lovers dream dessert. It's easy to make with just a few ingredients. And because it's a sorbet, it's dairy-free for your dairy-sensitive friends and family. It’s my go-to chocolate “ice cream” recipe, always enjoyed with rave reviews and cleanly–licked bowls.

When a cookbook automatically opens to a certain page, you know that recipe is often made and well loved. Such is my copy of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz  (the best ice cream book). To David Lebovitz's genius recipe I add espresso powder and Chinese Five Spice, but you can make it perfectly without. It's hard to believe it is dairy-free.

Recipe Ingredients

With a simple ingredient list and good quality chocolate in the pantry, the base for this sorbet takes just minutes to make. Please see the recipe card for measurements.

• Sugar: Use organic cane sugar or substitute monk fruit blend for part to reduce sugar. You can also add chocolate stevia drops.
• Cocoa powder: You'll need unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
• Dark chocolate: High quality bittersweet chocolate provides the best flavor, choose 72%-85%.
• Vanilla extract: Get the real stuff, not fake. Here is my favorite brand.
• Espresso powder: It's optional, but it brings out the best in the chocolate and you won't taste it.
• Spice: Another option. Try Chinese Five Spice or cinnamon.

Recipe Instructions

The base comes together quickly, followed by a chill down in an ice bath and chilling in the refrigerator until cold. Finally, process in your ice cream maker and allow it to firm up in the freezer.

• First, set up an ice bath (note below). Get all ingredients ready and near the stove as the cooking goes quickly.
• Whisk together water, sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.
• Bring the base mixture to a boil in a large pot. The chocolate expands and rises very quickly as it comes to a boil so be aware and watch for it. Control the heat, whisk, and don't take your eyes off it. Cook for 45 seconds.
• Immediately remove the pan form the heat, stir in the chopped chocolate, espresso and spice if using, and vanilla extract.
• Add the rest of the water, pour the base into a stainless steel bowl and place the bowl into the ice bath to chill.

Chef's Tip: Set up an ice bath by filling a large wide bowl half full of ice and cold water. It needs to be large enough to get another bowl inside for cooling after cooking.

Tips on Making the Sorbet Base

When cooking the base use a large pan of at least 5 quarts. At boiling, the chocolate base bubbles fiercely and rises quickly in the pan. Keep whisking. You do not want it to boil over. If it starts to get away from you, remove the pan from the heat briefly, keep whisking, and it will calm down. With a large enough pan you should not have a problem.

Choosing Dark Chocolate

This is a recipe that calls for high quality bittersweet chocolate (70% or higher). Chocolate stored in a cool pantry, well wrapped, lasts a long time. To order in quantity, or if good chocolate is not available where you live, shop online at Chocosphere. Use raw, natural, unsweetened cocoa powder.

How to Reduce or Eliminate Sugar

If you want to reduce sugar in this chocolate sorbet, use a monk fruit blend like this one or liquid chocolate stevia drops.

Tool Tips

If you don’t have a digital kitchen scale, I highly recommend you get one. Weighing ingredients like chocolate is always more accurate. You will also need an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, here is your excuse to buy one.

More Recipes

For more ice cream, try the lemon recipe below. It's amazing if you love the flavor of lemon. And for more chocolate, try this super easy chocolate pudding called Pots de Creme.

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📖 Recipe

Spiced Chocolate Sorbet with Espresso

Sally Cameron

Rich, smooth and a chocolate lovers dream, I adapted this recipe from David Lebovitz’s marvelous ice cream book, The Perfect Scoop by adding espresso powder and Chinese Five Spice for a surprising twist. To reduce sugar, try liquid chocolate flavored stevia drops and monk fruit blend. You’ll need an ice cream maker and a digital scale for tools.  

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 255 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups water divided use
• ▢ ½ cup organic cane sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 pinch salt
• ▢ 6 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, 72%-85% chopped fine
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice or cinnamon
• ▢ 2 droppers chocolate flavored liquid stevia

Instructions

 

• First prepare an ice bath in either a large bowl or the sink. Fill a large bowl about half full of ice and cold water and set aside. Or, if you have a double sink, plug and fill the small side with ice and cold water as your ice bath. Measure out all ingredients, chop your chocolate and set aside. The cooking goes quickly.
• In a large saucepan (5 quarts), whisk together 1½ cups of water, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil, whisking. Do not walk away from the pan as the mixture boils up and expands rapidly while cooking. Boil and whisk for 45 seconds then remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the chocolate, vanilla, espresso and five spice, and if using, the chocolate stevia drops. Whisk until smooth.
• Stir in the balance of the water (¾ cup). Pour into a stainless steel bowl and place in the ice water bath. Stir occasionally until completely cool, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour.
• Pour chocolate base into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturers directions. It will be soft when finished. Freeze for several hours to firm up, then serve.

Notes

The original recipe uses 1 cup of sugar. To reduce sugar, use ½ cup of sugar and ¼ cup granular stevia or two droppers full of chocolate flavored liquid stevia drops (which is what I use). Made by Sweet Leaf and available at many stores in the baking section and online.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 332mgFiber: 6gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg

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