Pumpkin Sherbet

Warning! Over the next several weeks you will see lots of pumpkin recipes. I love pumpkin and am going to trying to use it in many ways. Got to get in the pumpkin goodness while I can!

Let me tell you about sherbet. I love it. That is all. Just kidding. Sherbet is more or less a sorbet with a little bit of dairy in it. My all time favorite kind of sherbet is rainbow sherbet. There is just something about it that is so delicious and comforting. Whenever I had surgery, my mom would always get me some. It just make me always feel better. Not sure why, it just did. I'm pretty sure the next time I have surgery, my mom will be there after with a big bowl of rainbow sherbet (yes, my mom is better than yours. Sorry). I can even remember the first time I had it. The day care that my sister and I went to always had a day during the month (during the summer) where we would go on a long adventure walk to Thrifty to get an ice cream cone. All of the other kids got chocolate or vanilla, but I always got rainbow sherbet. I love when you get to the end of the cone and you can push all the sherbet in the grid and then eat it. YUM. I so want a big bowl of that now. I guess the cup of fat free hot cocoa will have to do for now. Darn.

Back to pumpkin sherbet. I was looking for a low fat and rather low cal creamy pumpkin recipe and came across the perfect one. Pumpkin sherbet. Sherbet and pumpkin together? I was sold! It was creamy, it was spicy, it was a pumpkin pie party in my mouth. If you love pumpkin and are looking for a healthy alternative to pumpkin pie ice cream or to that big slice of pumpkin pie, try this one out. Totally refreshing and totally delicious.

forgot to take a picture of the ingredients oops. here is the milk. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but use whatever milk you have in your fridge.

milk and pumpkin

spices!

adding spices to the bubbling pumpkin and milk

swirling spices. mmm.

ready to chill

churning sherbet

mmmm!

Pumpkin Sherbet (from skinnytaste.com)

2 1/4 cups almond milk (or whatever milk you have)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of clove
pinch of salt

Directions: In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, pumpkin, and heat over medium heat. Bring to a full boil while whisking, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for thirty seconds. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, and stir. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold, about an hour.  When chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The best part of this is a 1/2 cup serving is just about 153 calories and 1 gram of fat. I wish I still had some of this in my freezer. If you want to add a little topping to this, try crushed up graham crackers for extra crunch!