Low-glycemic prickly pear sorbet

Prickly pear has a naturally soft pulp and a delicate flavour that feels both Mediterranean and slightly exotic. In this sorbet it makes up a substantial part of the mixture, while sweetness and freezing behaviour are managed without sucrose through a combination of maltitol and erythritol.

Replacing conventional sugar is not simply a matter of choosing another sweetener. In sorbet, sugars simultaneously affect sweetness, freezing point and texture, so changing their composition directly changes the physical behaviour of the mixture. Inulin adds solids and body, while a stabiliser designed for fruit sorbets helps manage the water phase.

The prickly pear is blended with water and then strained, creating a smoother base before the dry ingredients are incorporated. The result is a vegan and dairy-free sorbet in which the fruit remains the main focus and sweetness is deliberately restrained rather than used to dominate its naturally delicate character.