Tangerine Sorbet Is the 1-Ingredient Dessert of My Dreams

I’m not a huge dessert person. Because of this, there’s usually not a bunch of choices lying around my kitchen when that hankering for something sweet does hit. I’m just not the type of person who always has a pint of ice cream in the freezer. 

I am, however, someone who loves a dessert hack, especially if it’s for a recipe that only uses a few ingredients that I already have in the house, and is ready in under an hour. So, naturally, I was super intrigued when I came across this hack for 1-ingredient(!) tangerine sorbet. This ridiculously easy dessert has it all: It comes together quickly, uses an ingredient I almost always have on hand, and satisfies my sweet tooth. I had to try it immediately. Here’s how it went.

1. Peel tangerines and separate the segments. The first thing you need to do is peel a few tangerines. I used three, which wound up making just over a cup of sorbet, enough for 1 serving. If you’re making dessert for two, I would recommend using at least 6 tangerines. Separate the fruit into individual segments and spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking.) Remove as much of the pith as you can. You don’t want the tougher texture in the sorbet. 
2. Freeze. Place the segments in the freezer. The segments need to be fully frozen before you make the sorbet, which took about 30 minutes for me. 
3. Process. Transfer the frozen tangerine segments to a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. This took just over 1 minute in my case, but timing will vary depending on how many tangerines you’re processing.

This was so good. I was kind of shocked at how good it was, though perhaps I shouldn’t have been because I love tangerines and clementines. I almost always have a bag of them in my kitchen for quick snacks and breakfasts, but I never thought to use them in a dessert. 

It’s also super flexible. You can easily make enough sorbet for just one person, four, or even more than that. I have a 14-cup food processor, which I’m confident can accommodate more than twice the amount of fruit I used here. If you’ve got a smaller capacity processor, it would be very easy to make the sorbet in batches. 

Though this had great flavor all on its own, I sprinkled a little Aleppo pepper on top because citrus and spice are a great combination. I loved the added depth of flavor from the spice. This is the perfect frozen treat for heading into warmer weather, and I can’t wait to make it all spring. 

• Don’t skimp on the processing time. It may seem like the tangerines have been pulverized within 10 or 15 seconds, but it takes a full minute for the texture to really change into what you would call “sorbet.”
• Use the best fruit you can find. This sorbet is only one ingredient, so the best results are going to come from the sweetest, juiciest tangerines you can find. This isn’t a great way to use up subpar fruit. If you’ve got a bag of anemic-tasting tangerines, don’t use them for this. You’ll just wind up with disappointing sorbet.
• Add some toppings. I topped my sorbet with Aleppo pepper for a hint of spice, but if you don’t have it, try a pinch of cayenne or gochugaru! Some fresh mint or dark chocolate chips would also be great.