When fresh peaches are ripe and juicy, this Peachy Buttermilk Sherbet is a delicious way to turn them into a cool, creamy dessert. With just peaches, buttermilk, and sugar, it delivers bright fruit flavor balanced by the gentle tang of buttermilk. The texture is silky and refreshing, making it a lovely alternative to traditional ice cream on a warm summer day. Best of all, you don’t need an ice cream maker to make it.
The secret to this simple sherbet is freezing the fruit and buttermilk separately before blending them together. Start by peeling and slicing the peaches, then spread the slices on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Meanwhile, stir the sugar into the buttermilk and give it a few minutes to dissolve. Pour the mixture into a shallow, lined pan, cover, and freeze until solid.
When you’re ready to make the sherbet, let the frozen peaches sit briefly so they’re not quite rock-hard. Cut the frozen buttermilk into chunks, then add both to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and break up any remaining peach pieces. If your fruit isn’t quite sweet enough, blend in a little peach preserves or additional sugar to taste.
A food processor with a sturdy steel blade is the key tool for this recipe, helping turn the frozen ingredients into a smooth, scoopable dessert without specialized ice cream equipment. Work in stages and give the machine short breaks if the frozen mixture is difficult to blend.
This recipe takes about 30 minutes of preparation, with additional freezing time, and makes three servings. Enjoy the sherbet immediately for a soft, freshly blended texture, or transfer it to a container and freeze until needed. It stays easiest to scoop for a few hours; if it freezes solid, let it soften in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
Serve it in chilled bowls on its own or alongside a slice of peach pie or a simple summer cake. With its fresh peach flavor and tangy, creamy finish, this easy sherbet is a refreshing way to make the most of peach season.
Try these other sweet recipes: Luscious Lemon Squares, Easy Chocolate Ice Cream or Salted-Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
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Peachy Buttermilk Sherbet
- Total Time: 1:30
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) sugar
- 3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) peeled peach slices
- 1 to 3 tablespoons peach preserves or sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Freeze the peach slices on a shallow baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
- Stir the 1/3 cup sugar into the buttermilk and set aside for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar. Pour the buttermilk mixture into a foil- or plastic wrap-lined loaf or other shallow pan; cover and freeze until solid.
- Dump the frozen peach slices into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Assuming the peaches are rock hard, let them sit for 15 minutes so they are slightly less than rock hard, meanwhile leaving the frozen buttermilk in the freezer.
- After 15 minutes, remove and cut the frozen buttermilk into chunks the size of ice cubes. Add chunks to the processor and process until the mixture is completely blended and lightened in color. You will need to stop the processor from time to time to scrape the mixture from the side of the bowl or spread and redistribute it to better engage with the processor blades; inspect for lumps of peach when you do this. When the sherbet is smooth and free of lumps, taste and pulse in preserves or additional sugar, to taste, if necessary.
- Serve the sherbet immediately or scrape it into a container and store in the freezer until needed. Sherbet will retain its scoopable and spoonable texture for 2 or 3 hours before it hardens. Once it’s hard, you will need to soften it for 10 to 20 minutes in the fridge before serving, or zap it for a few seconds at a time in a microwave on defrost.
- Prep Time: :30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezer