Sherbet Punch – A Lovely Mess

Sherbet punch is a sweet and creamy drink that is easy to make and a crowd-pleaser for just about any party or occasion. The sweet and creamy sherbet on top of the fruity and fizzy punch is the perfect combo and it looks so pretty when served in a punch bowl. This recipe is fast to put together, easy to make a large amount, and only has four ingredients.

Sherbet punch is such a nostalgic drink for a lot of people as this was a class go-to for most of our grandmas’ holiday parties, and I know I have very fond memories of drinking this and trying to scoop out the biggest pieces of sherbet into my glass as a kid.

Looking for other punch recipes? Try:

What is sherbet?

While it is a cousin of ice cream, sherbet has a much lower dairy content than ice cream. While ice cream’s main ingredients are milk or cream, sherbet has fruit juice or fruit puree as its base so it’s a lighter and fruitier taste.

Ingredients for sherbet punch

• Lemon-lime soda: The soda is what gives your punch the festive fizz! You can use Sprite or 7Up for this punch (or any other type of lemon-lime soda). Some people like to use ginger ale as that gives it a little bit of that ginger kick or you could use specialty flavors like cranberry Sprite as well.
• Frozen orange juice: Adding orange juice gives it some sweetness and another layer of fruity goodness.
• Pineapple juice (optional): The pineapple juice will add a slight tart note to your punch to help balance out some of the sweetness (but if you aren’t a pineapple fan, you can also leave it out and it’s still delicious).
• Rainbow sherbet: While it doesn’t have to be rainbow sherbet, the rainbow variety is the prettiest and it adds several flavors to your punch bowl since each color is its own flavor. Feel free to use just orange, lime, etc., though if that’s what you prefer.

How to make sherbet punch

• Pour: Pour your soda, pineapple juice, and thawed orange juice into your punch bowl and gently stir to combine.
• Scoop: Scoop your rainbow sherbet into your punch bowl on top of your punch.
• Serve: Ladle your punch into your cups and serve! Feel free to add some citrus fruit slices to your bowl as well for some extra color.

Sherbet punch variations:

Valentine’s Day Sherbet Punch: Use Hawaiian Punch and soda and top with raspberry sherbet for a delicious red and pink punch!

Tropical Sherbet Punch: Leave out the orange juice and use tropical fruit punch, pineapple juice, and soda with pineapple or lime sherbet.

Christmas Sherbet Punch: Use Hawaiian Punch and soda and top with lime sherbet for a red and green combo (or use green Hawaiian Punch with strawberry sherbet!).

St. Patrick’s Day Sherbet Punch: Use green Hawaiian Punch, soda, lime sherbet, and some vodka or rum for a boozy St. Patrick’s punch.

Tips for Making

• Leave your sherbet out on the counter for 5-10 minutes before scooping if you want it to be soft enough to scoop more easily.
• As the sherbet melts, the punch will get sweeter, so keep some extra punch ingredients on hand if you want to pour in a little more soda and juice later on to keep the balance just right.
• Look for seasonal flavors of Sprite and 7Up (like cranberry around the holidays) to add another flavor twist on the classic.
• Make sure your soda and juices are chilled before mixing so the punch will be nice and cold.
• You can also add fresh fruit like orange or lime slices for additional color to the top of your punch bowl.
• Try adding rum or vodka to make an adult sherbet punch!

Try serving your punch with these appetizers: