Banana Mango Sorbet with Lime

Here is a light, refreshing, and healthy dessert that is deceptively rich tasting. It’s also a great way to use up bananas when you have too many ripen at once. Just slice them up and freeze – if you don’t use them for this sorbet, they’ll make your smoothies extra creamy.

Adding yogurt to this sorbet lends some creaminess to the dessert, while providing protein and calcium. Technically this dessert should be called a “sherbet” because it contains dairy, but since fruit is the main ingredient I prefer calling it a sorbet.

Ingredients

2 medium bananas (very ripe), frozen
1 cup frozen mango chunks
½ cup Greek yogurt (I used nonfat plain, any variety will do)
3 tbsp. maple syrup (or other sweetener)
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Peel bananas and cut each into 3-4 pieces. Freeze bananas for at least 8 hours.
Shortly before serving, place the frozen bananas in the bowl of your food processor.
Add the frozen mango, maple syrup, and lime juice.
Process until smooth. Stop the processor as needed to break up large chunks of frozen fruit. Try not to overprocess (you want the sorbet to be the consistency of a soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt). If too thick, add a little milk or juice, but be careful not to add too much liquid, which will make the recipe more like a “smoothie” than a sorbet (it will still taste delicious!).

Berries and fresh mint are a terrific garnish for this dessert. This sorbet will taste best if served immediately, but if you have leftovers store in your freezer and let stand until softened a bit after removing.

Makes about THREE Cups (four 3/4-cup Servings)

Variations

Substitute other frozen fruit for the mangoes. Blueberries or strawberries are delicious!
Even with nonfat yogurt, the recipe tastes rich and creamy, but if you want a more decadent dessert (and can afford more calories), use a higher fat yogurt or vanilla Greek yogurt.

Nutrition Notes

Yogurt is a good source protein and calcium. High yogurt consumption (> 7 servings/week) is linked to lower weight (especially in people who eat more fruit), and lower risk of diabetes.
Bananas are rich in fiber, and an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral that most people don’t get enough of in their diets. Bananas also contain plant lectins, a type of protein being studied for disease-fighting properties.
Mangoes are full of protective nutrients. The vivid orange flesh reflects their high beta-carotene content, and they are also a good source of vitamin C and fiber.

Nutrition Per Serving

160 calories
3 g protein
.5 g fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
36 g carbohydrate
2.6 g fiber
33 mg sodium
396 mg potassium
99 mg calcium
29 mg magnesium

This dessert is a great way to add nutritious fruit to your diet. I adapted this recipe from one developed by my cookbook co-authors Vicky Newman and Susan Faerber for cooking classes at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center. The original recipe is in the cookbook and food guide Food For Thought: Healing Foods to Savor by Sheila Kealey, Vicky Newman, with Susan Faerber.