8 Frozen Treats To Try Out This Summer !

Keep cool all summer long with these homemade treats, straight from your freezer.

What comes to mind when someone says, “Let’s go get ourselves some frozen treats, it’s hot like hell!”

For some they might picture a sorbet, a few of you might go with sherbet, if you are like me then definitely Ice cream, while some of us might give it an Italian spin and ask for Gelato.

Or would you like a Granita, instead?

How about Frozen Yogurt, that sounds like fun or perhaps a creamier version of Frozen custard ?

An Ice Pop anyone ?

Well, well before you get all mixed up with what to choose from, let’s explain what each one means, so you get to pick your best choice to choose exactly what your need.

How different are they from each other?

Learn more about each one below.

Here goes…

Sorbet :

• A frozen treat containing just fruit and sugar/honey.
• Dairy free.
• Can be made at home easily in an ice cream churner or blender.
• Is not creamy.
• Can be scooped like ice cream.
• The fruit flavor in it makes it very refreshing, hence often used as a palate cleanser during multi course meals.

Try out my Honeydew Sorbet, this summer.

Sherbet :

• A frozen treat halfway between sorbet and ice cream.
• It contains dairy, fruit and sugar/honey.
• May also contain gelatin , egg whites.
• The addition of milk/dairy makes it creamier than sorbet.
• Always fruit based.

Check out my Watermelon Mint Sherbet, sure to cool you down this summer.

Ice cream :

• A frozen all time favorite treat with umpteen flavors to choose from.
• Contains 10% milk fat ( yes you read it right, fat from milk!)
• It is sweet.
• Made by churning in an ice cream maker when frozen.

Gelato :

• ‘Gelato’ simply means ice cream in Italian.
• Has less milk fat (3.2%) compared to its American cousin (10%), the ice cream, though the custard base is similar in both.
• Gelato has less air churned into it during freezing, which makes its texture denser compared to the ice cream.
• Served at a slightly warmer temperature than the ice cream, hence it feels softer and appears more glossier than the ice cream.

Granita :

• ‘Granita’ aka Italian Ice, is similar to sorbet, in that it contains fruit, water & sugar.
• They differ from sorbet in texture.
• Sorbets are smooth churned, while granitas are scraped repeatedly during the freezing process, which gives them their flaky appearance.
• Originated in Sicily in a coarser, crystalline texture
• Varied in texture based on different freezing techniques: smoother if done in a gelato machine, coarser when frozen with only occasional agitation.
• They are then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals.

Frozen Yogurt :

• The creaminess for this dessert comes from the yogurt, instead of milk or cream.
• It is similar to ice cream in texture.
• More tart and lower in fat than ice cream.
• May contain live and active bacteria cultures.

Frozen Custard :

• Similar to ice cream in its creaminess, except that it contains egg yolk added to its base.
• Has cream and sugar in addition to egg yolk.
• Kept at a warmer temperature compared to ice cream.
• Dense and soft in texture.
• Mostly served in the Midwest & South.

Popsicle :

• The original frozen treat since 1905.
• Known as ice pop .
• A water or milk based frozen snack on a stick.
• Made with fruity flavors.
• An ice pop is frozen while at rest unlike ice cream or sorbet which are whipped while freezing.The stick is used as a handle to hold it. 

Check out my Homemade Watermelon popsicle recipe.

List of homemade frozen treats for summer

• Homemade Watermelon Popsicles
• Mango Kulfi
• Watermelon Mint Sherbet
• Honeydew Sorbet

You might also check out the following posts, if you are interested in knowing about the different frozen summer treats

• 8 Frozen treats to try out this summer
• Sorbet vs Sherbet

The Bottom Line

Are you ready to roll? Which one of our frozen treats are you going to try this summer?

Share your feedback in the comments below.