Now you can easily make a homemade Lemon Chill that's so much healthier: NO sugar! This 4-ingredient, melt-in-your-mouth sorbet is bursting with sweet lemon flavor! (Low-Carb/Keto, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free & Vegan!)
Recipe Makeover
Six Flags, at the zoo, every single amusement park. Every time we begged our parents for a Lemon Chill. You too?? haha
There was nothing more delicious or more refreshing than that frozen lemony sorbet with so much citrus flavor to cool you off on a hot day!!
I loved them when I was a kid, but now I can't eat all. that. SUGAR. And don't get me started on all the additives.
In case you were wondering, here's what's actually in one of those Lemon Chills (YIKES)
- Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Flavor Base (pineapple Syrup, Water, Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Lemon Puree), Contains 2% Or Less Of Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Karaya Gum, Pectin, Ascorbic Acid.
- And 54 (YES FIFTY FOUR) grams of carbs. Wth?!
Skip the corn syrup, please!! If you're craving something lemon & frozen like I was, make this "pretty" healthy version that's just FOUR simple, ingredients! You'd never guess it's sugar-free!
What you need to make Lemon Chill
Ingredients
- one lemon
- monkfruit granules (the magic ingredient! read below to find out why)
- monkfruit drops (yep, more sweetness!)
- water & ice
How to Make It
Blend everything in a blender & freeze it. SO EASY. Don't you love simple recipes?! Yesss!
Grab Your Gadgets
A few kitchen tools will make all the difference in making this recipe super quick and easy!
1. Zester -using a microplane makes this take only about 15 seconds. I'm obsessed with mine!
- You get a TON of zest. SO MUCH EASIER than other zesters I've tried.
- AND you can zest right into your smoothie cup for less mess and less time!
2. Lemon Squeezer - to avoid the mess of having to use your hand to catch the seeds!
- A good lemon squeezer is essential to any kitchen. I use mine almost daily.
- The amount of juice you get compared to using your hands is amazing.
- Again, so much easier, so much faster.
3. Quality blender - a good one that can blend ice!
- I use a Ninja Professional 900 watt blender, which is one of the most affordable "good" blenders! It's even gone way down in price since I got mine 5 years ago. woohoo!
- A cheap blender won't do the trick to finely blend the ice to a "shaved" consistency. You'll need a powerful one.
- Note - a small (smoothie size) blender cup helps blend small quantities easier. Or if you have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, it probably blends just fine on its own using a tamper.
The Magic CHILL Ingredient!
Monkfruit! That's the MAGIC ingredient that makes this Lemon Chill have the amazing texture - like the BEST shaved ice or a really delicious snow cone!
Since monkfruit granules don't fully dissolve in liquids (especially frozen), you get that unique, super fine-grain ice texture. It's still really smooth (NOT grainy or sandy tasting. Promise!)
I used Lakanto Classic which is a monkfruit/erythritol blend. I haven't tested other sweeteners, but straight erythritol (Swerve) should work, too.
I'm not sure if coconut sugar or regular sugar would work exactly the same, but probably! If you try an alternative, please leave a comment to let me know how it goes.
Add MORE monkfruit!?
Yes, I used 2 types of monkfruit in this recipe: granules AND drops.
Why? The mixture wasn't sweet enough using only the granules, even after I tripled the amount and it still wasn't quite right. (I feel like it's mainly for texture)
You can try leaving the drops out, but to me, it definitely needs more sweetness.
The monkfruit drops are IDEAL for sweetening liquids. You only need about 5-8 drops. (I use the drops in my iced coffee every single afternoon. LOVE)
You can find the drops on Amazon, Thrive Market and Lakanto's website (links below). Don't forget I have discounts for my readers! 25% off at Thrive and 20% off at Lakanto.com! woohoo!
Quick Freeze!
Immediately out of the blender, you'll have a delicious lemon slushy. This is good, too, BUT it melts pretty fast.
To make a lemon chill, quickly get it into the freezer. Seriously, don't leave it sitting out! lol. (You can see that mine melted a little while I was taking photos)
Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl (or 2) and chill your lemon chill 😉
Now's where you've gotta have a little patience. It needs to freeze it for about 30-45 minutes for the amazing texture! But it's SO WORTH the wait!
The freeze time varies depending on the size of your bowl and your freezer temp. Use a big shallow dish and I bet it'll be ready even faster!
Want MORE low-carb lemon recipes?
Lemon Lovers UNITE. You'll love these deliciously sweet and tart lemon desserts! These are ALL quick and easy for a fast lemon fix:
Ok I see now that I may have a lemon obsession lol. There's no shortage of lemon desserts around here! Lemon Delight Pie, Lemon Glazed Donut Holes, Lemon Ginger Mini Cheesecakes, Lemon Lime Cheesecake, lemon everything!! 😀
Wanna change it up?
Lime, grapefruit or orange would probably work just as well as lemon! I would just make sure to taste and adjust as needed.
You can even add more or a combination of flavors using essential oils. The possibilities are endless! Create a unique flavor that's totally your own.
I'm definitely going to be experimenting with new flavors! Strawberry, blackberry, lime, oh my!
What flavor CHILL would you like to see next? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Lemon Chill
Ingredients
- 5 ice cubes
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup water
- Juice of ½ a lemon - 2 Tbs
- 1 ½ Tbs monkfruit granules
- 5-10 drops monkfruit
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small blender cup (zest directly into the cup using a microplane to make it super easy!)
- Blend smooth. Taste and adjust with a few more drops of monkfruit, if needed.
- Immediately transfer mixture to a small bowl (or 2) and freeze until firm throughout, about 30-45 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Disclosure: As an affiliate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through referral links in this post (at no additional cost to you).
Ninja Blender here
Lemon Squeezer here
Microplane zester here
Monkfruit "classic" granules available from
- Thrive Market (use my link for 25% off your first order)
- Amazon
- Lakanto (use code PRETTYPIES for 20% off your entire purchase)
Monkfruit Drops available from:
- Thrive Market (Use my link for 25% off your first order!)
- Amazon
- Lakanto (use code PRETTYPIES for 20% off your entire purchase)
Macro estimate via Cronometer:
- Cal 8.6
- Fat 0.1 g
- Total Carb 20.7 g
- Fiber 0.5 g
- Sugar Alcohol 18
- Net Carb 2.2 g
- Protein 0.2 g
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and tag me on Instagram @emily.likes.food so I can see!
Heather
Anyone looking for Lakanto monkfruit granules- check your local Costco. Mine started carrying large bags of classic monkfruit.
Emily
Great tip! Thanks! I wish our Costco would carry it. Hopefully soon