Sorbetes

Filipino Sorbetes (Homemade Coconut-Cheese Ice Cream)

Sorbetes is the beloved Filipino street-style ice cream, traditionally churned in a large metal canister nestled in an ice-and-salt bath. This homemade version keeps the classic sweet-salty profile of milk, cream, coconut, and aged cheese, though an electric ice cream maker replaces the hand-cranked sorbetera.

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Total

45 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •480 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• •240 ml (1 cup) table cream (all-purpose cream), or heavy cream, 35% fat
• •200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• •120 ml (½ cup) kaong (palm fruit) syrup OR simple syrup, optional, for the pastel-colored street-cart sweetness
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) coconut cream (kakang gata), first press; substitute canned coconut cream if unavailable
• •60 g (2 oz) aged Filipino cheese (kesong puti or quick-melt cheese), grated; this is the savory counterpoint traditional to sorbetes
• •4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• •2 g (¼ tsp) fine salt
• •30 g (2 tbsp) condensed milk, optional, stirred in at the end for extra creaminess

Steps

1. 1 In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the whole milk, table cream, sugar, and salt. Warm gently, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture just begins to steam — do not let it boil. About 5 minutes.
2. 2 While the milk warms, place the grated kesong puti (or quick-melt cheese) into a small bowl and mash it with a fork until smooth and spreadable.
3. 3 Whisk the warm milk mixture into the mashed cheese in a thin, steady stream until fully incorporated and silky. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan.
4. 4 Add the coconut cream and vanilla extract to the pan. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is uniform and just barely simmering. Do not boil, or the coconut cream may split.
5. 5 Remove from heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, and cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until thoroughly chilled — a cold base is essential for proper churning.
6. 6 Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20 to 30 minutes, until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
7. 7 If using, stir in the condensed milk by hand just before transferring to the freezer.
8. 8 Pack the churned sorbetes into a lidded, freezer-safe container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and freeze for at least 3 hours, until firm enough to scoop.
9. 9 Serve in small wafer or sugar cones, or between sliced brioche (a Manila street-cart tradition). The cheese will read as a gentle savory note rather than sharp — that balance is the soul of sorbetes.