Strawberry Daiquiri Sorbet Lime

There's something about summer that makes you want to freeze a cocktail and call it dessert. One particularly hot afternoon, I was standing in my kitchen with a colander full of strawberries, knowing they had maybe a day left before they'd start softening, when it hit me: why not turn them into something that tastes like a daiquiri but feels like eating a cloud? The lime zest caught the light as I zested it over the counter, and suddenly I wasn't making sorbet, I was capturing an entire season in a bowl.

I served this to friends last summer during one of those evenings where the sun refused to set properly, hanging in the sky like it had nowhere else to be. When I pulled the container from the freezer and started scooping, that first spoonful was so cold it practically crackled against their teeth, and the lime zest on top caught their attention before the flavor did. One friend actually paused mid-conversation, which in my experience is the highest compliment a dessert can receive.

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (500 g): Look for berries that smell sweet and feel firm without being rock hard, because they'll be the entire personality of this sorbet and there's nowhere to hide.
• Lime zest (from 2 limes): Use a microplane if you have one, since it creates those delicate, flavorful pieces that catch light and taste rather than big chunky bits.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice (60 ml from about 2 limes): Bottled juice will work in a pinch, but fresh makes all the difference in that bright, almost sharp finish.
• Granulated sugar (150 g): This isn't just sweetness, it's what helps the sorbet stay scoopable instead of turning into an ice brick in your freezer.
• Water (120 ml): Cool filtered water is ideal, since tap water can sometimes carry flavors you don't want competing with the fruit.
• White rum (60 ml): The rum dissolves completely during freezing but leaves behind this sophisticated warmth that makes people wonder what you did differently.
• Extra lime zest and fresh mint (for serving): These garnishes aren't just pretty, they're reminders that you made something restaurant-worthy in your own kitchen.

Instructions

Create your simple syrup base:

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally as the sugar slowly disappears into the water, creating something that looks clear and feels slightly warm to the touch when done. Let it cool completely while you prep the fruit, either by leaving it on the counter or setting the pan in a bowl of cold water if you're impatient like I am.

Blend everything into smooth color:

Toss your strawberries, lime juice, lime zest, cooled syrup, and rum into a blender and let it run until the mixture is completely smooth and that gorgeous pink-red color is even throughout. The whole thing will smell intensely of strawberries and lime, which is honestly the best part of this step.

Strain if you prefer a seedless result:

Pour the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl if you want to remove the seeds and any bits of pulp, pushing gently with the back of a spoon but not forcing it, which keeps things smooth. Skip this step entirely if you don't mind a little texture, because honestly, those seeds add nothing but flavor.

Churn into the right consistency:

Pour everything into your ice cream maker and let it work according to the manufacturer's instructions, which usually takes around 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches that thick, slushy state where it looks like a frozen daiquiri. You'll notice it going from liquid to something you could actually scoop, and that's your signal to move forward.

Freeze solid until service:

Transfer the sorbet to a freezer-safe container, cover it well so it doesn't absorb other freezer flavors, and let it sit undisturbed for at least four hours or preferably overnight. This waiting period is when it transforms from slushy to that perfect texture where your spoon glides through easily.

Serve with flair:

Scoop directly into chilled bowls or glasses, top with that extra lime zest and a mint leaf if you're feeling fancy, and serve immediately while it's still properly frozen. Melted sorbet is delicious but loses that ethereal moment when it's cold enough to really surprise your palate.

Save

There was a moment, the first time I made this, when my eight-year-old nephew asked if he could have some, and before I could explain it contained rum, he took one tiny spoonful and declared it "the taste of summer," which is honestly how I describe it to everyone now. It's become less about the cocktail inspiration and more about capturing that precise feeling of being outside when the heat finally breaks and everything feels possible.

The Magic of Lime Zest

Lime zest is what separates this from tasting like regular strawberry sorbet and transforms it into something that tastes like a daiquiri's sophisticated older sibling. The zest carries the essential oils that create that bright, almost sharp flavor that lime juice alone can't quite deliver, and it adds visible texture that makes every spoonful feel intentional. I learned this the hard way by once skipping the zest entirely and ending up with something that tasted fine but felt somehow incomplete.

Working With an Ice Cream Maker

The ice cream maker is what turns this from a frozen slush into something with actual body and texture, churning constantly so ice crystals stay small and the whole thing becomes creamy rather than grainy. Don't walk away from the machine while it's running, because that's when things go from perfect to slightly over-churned, which sounds minor until you taste the difference. Most machines take 20 to 30 minutes and will signal when they're done, but I usually check around the 20-minute mark just to be sure.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

This sorbet is endlessly adaptable, which I discovered by accident when a friend arrived without rum one evening and I simply added extra lime juice instead, creating something that tastes equally good just different. It pairs beautifully with sparkling wine, works as a palate cleanser between courses at a dinner party, or honestly just stands alone as the entire point of dessert on a hot day. The beauty of sorbet is that it doesn't pretend to be something it's not, it's simply frozen fruit made sophisticated.

• For a non-alcoholic version, omit the rum and add two extra tablespoons of fresh lime juice to maintain that bright flavor.
• If your strawberries taste particularly tart, add an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to the syrup before cooling it.
• Serve in chilled glasses rather than bowls, because the narrower opening keeps it cold longer and somehow makes the experience feel more intentional.

Save

This sorbet has become my answer to the question of how to serve something that tastes like a party but feels like you actually had time to prepare. Every time I make it, that first bite takes me right back to that afternoon with the colander full of strawberries, which I think is exactly what good food is supposed to do.