Learn how to make a bright, refreshing Italian lemon sorbet inspired by the Amalfi Coast. This simple sorbetto al limone uses just three basic ingredients—lemons, sugar and water—and delivers a tart, sweet and icy treat perfect for hot days.
The Amalfi Coast is famous for its lemons, and many cafés sell sorbetto al limone in hollowed-out lemons. I fell in love with the intense, clean lemon flavour and recreated it at home. The result is an easy, authentic-tasting sorbet that’s zingy, balanced and incredibly cooling.
Traditional Italian recipes sometimes use egg whites, but this version is streamlined: a fragrant lemon-infused sugar syrup stirred with fresh lemon juice and churned until pale and smooth. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, there are simple no-churn alternatives described below.
Scroll down for ingredient notes, step-by-step photos, tips and the full recipe card at the bottom.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Recipe Tips
- More Italian summer treats to try
- Full Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Lemons – Use unwaxed, preferably organic lemons for the best flavour and because the peel is used to infuse the syrup. Large lemons with leaves are pretty for serving but not necessary.
- Sugar – White caster (superfine) sugar dissolves fastest, but regular granulated sugar works fine.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Prep the lemons – Remove the lemon zest with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the bitter white pith. Juice the lemons through a sieve to remove pulp and seeds.
- Make the sugar syrup – Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the lemon peel and let the syrup cool completely so it becomes infused with lemon aroma.
- Add the juice – When the syrup is fully cooled, discard the peel and stir in the lemon juice. Chill the mixture if needed, then churn in an ice cream machine until it reaches a soft, pale sorbet texture.
- Freeze – Transfer the churned sorbet to a freezer-proof container and freeze until firm. Serve scooped or spooned into hollowed lemons for a classic presentation.
Recipe Tips
- No ice cream machine? Two easy alternatives are provided in the full recipe: freeze-and-stir (stir every 1–2 hours) or freeze in ice cube trays and blitz frozen cubes in a food processor to a sorbet texture.
- Use unwaxed lemons so the peel can safely flavour the syrup.
- Temperature matters — make sure the syrup is completely cold before churning or freezing to ensure a smooth sorbet.
- Adjust to taste — before churning taste and tweak sweetness with more syrup or acidity with extra lemon juice, then chill before processing.
More Italian summer treats to try
Italian Desserts
Ricotta al Caffè
Italian Desserts
Pistachio Ice Cream (Gelato al Pistacchio)
Italian Desserts
2 Ingredient Orange Sorbet
Italian Desserts
Stracciatella Gelato (No Churn)
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to make the dish successfully.
Amalfi Lemon Sorbet
By Emily
Equipment
- Ice cream machine (optional)
- Freezer-proof container
Ingredients
- 450 ml (15.2 fl oz) water (1 and ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons)
- 360 g (2 cups) caster sugar (can also use granulated)
- 12 unwaxed lemons (about 550ml/18.6 fl oz of zest and 600ml/20 fl oz juice total)
Instructions
- Peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to include the white pith. Set the peels aside.
- Juice the lemons through a sieve to collect about 600ml (20 fl oz) of juice, discarding seeds and thick pulp.
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat, add the lemon peels to infuse, and allow the syrup to cool completely. To speed cooling, place the pan in a bowl of ice.
- Once cooled, remove the peels and stir the lemon juice into the syrup.
- If using an ice cream machine, churn the chilled mixture until it becomes a pale, soft sorbet. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.
Alternative methods if you don’t have an ice cream machine
- Pour the chilled mixture into a freezer-proof container. After 3–4 hours, remove and stir vigorously with a fork or whisk to break up ice crystals. Repeat every 1–2 hours until the texture is sorbet-like, then freeze until needed.
- Ice cube method: Pour the cooled mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. When solid, blend the cubes in a food processor until smooth and sorbet-like.
Notes
- Adjusting the recipe – Taste the chilled mixture before churning and balance with extra syrup or juice if needed, then ensure it is completely cold before processing.
- Temperature – Make sure the lemon mixture is fully cooled before churning or freezing to get a smooth texture.
- Nutritional information is for the full batch and is an approximation.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I typically use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium-sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.