There’s a reason why this a vegan, lactose-free sorbet.
Back in the 1980s, everybody recited the slogan, “Milk…it does a body good.” That slogan almost ruined an entire decade of my lactose intolerant life.
Every breakfast, sleep-over, and birthday party included a ritual of an adult trying to give me a milk product and me explaining why I didn’t want it.
Every time I politely said no thank you to ice cream, a parent would respond, “What type of kid doesn’t like ice cream?” Birthdays were like a never-ending series of microaggressions against people who refused to consume dairy. I would humbly tell parents I was lactose intolerant over and over again.
Thus, when the Comprehensive Care Program at the University of Chicago asked me to come up with a healthy dessert, it was my duty to lactose-sensitive people to come up with a lactose-free option.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose is the sugar that naturally provides sweetness to dairy products. What are dairy products? Dairy products are produced from the milk made by the mammary glands of mammals. Dairy includes milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. Dairy does not include eggs. I repeat… dairy does not include eggs.
Lactose intolerance is the condition in which people lack sufficient amounts of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Due to a deficiency in this enzyme, people may have symptoms ranging from bloating to rip-roaring diarrhea (check out my article on bloating).
Lactose intolerance is not a food allergy. Hence, some people with lactose intolerance may tolerate a decent amount of lactose, whereas someone with a milk allergy can suffer from minuscule amounts of milk.
Raspberry Sorbet. It’s vegan and lactose-free— also known as ‘a win’ for marginalized foodies everywhere.
Ice cream, sherbet, and sorbet span a spectrum of creaminess. Ice cream is the creamiest (hence the name), and sorbets are mostly just fruit and sugar. Technically, this recipe is more of a sorbet since it has coconut milk in it. Honestly, I’m calling it a sorbet because the term sorbet is more Google-friendly (full disclosure).
I recently demonstrated a version of the recipe during a cooking demo at the hospital. Since the recipe doesn’t require an ice cream maker, I made it fairly quickly for a crowd of hungry Medicare recipients. It seemed to go over well, so I decided to share the recipe on my blog.
First, here’s a few facts and disclaimers about the recipe.
Raspberry Sorbet- facts and disclaimers about my recipe.
- Yes, it has raspberries, but it’s still a dessert.
- You can gain weight if you eat too much of it (don’t eat this every day after every meal). You are better off just eating plain raspberries as a dessert.
- It’s plant-based and lactose-free (in case you needed a reminder).
- The recipe won’t make you taller.
- It will satisfy your vegan and lactose-free friends who secretly think you don’t care about them even though you invited them over for dinner.
- It tastes pretty good. I used apricot preserves for pectin. This adds to the body of the sorbet.
- Raspberries are healthy. You can exchange them with blackberries, strawberries, blueberries if you like.
- Yes, it has coconut oil in it. Although it’s plant-based, chemically it’s not too different than butter.
- My wife liked it. Not that you care, but you never know when you have to pull the “remember that time I made you a vegan raspberry sorbet” card.
- You don’t need an ice cream maker.
- If you like chocolate, add a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- If you don’t want it lactose-free, use condensed milk instead of condensed coconut milk.
Raspberry Sorbet the Recipe. Technically, you can also call it a Vegan Lactose-Free Raspberry Apricot Coconut Sorbet or Sherbet.
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