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Frozen Orange Kiss Dessert (Dairy Free)

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Mr. GFE’s company usually holds its holiday party at the same venue each year, a well-loved local Italian restaurant called Renato’s that’s located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It’s a party that I really look forward to … and not in small part because of the Frozen Orange Kiss desserts they offer. When going to Renato’s, I always know that I’ll be enjoying an Orange Kiss at the end of my meal.

Okay, the party has other niceties, too … including seeing old friends, dancing, an open bar, and delicious fare (which has always been safe for me), in general. But I do especially love the Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts.

It’s one of the few gluten-free options, but it’s a favorite of many of the patrons. The majority of those folks do not eat gluten free.

These Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts are the perfect way to end a special meal! Lovely and refreshing. Naturally gluten free, but loved by all. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]

The Orange Kiss is a hollowed-out orange filled with orange sherbet that’s Triple Sec-infused and almond-capped. It’s quite a refreshing, and just a tad decadent, frozen dessert.

The Orange Kiss is a recipe with an eye-appealing presentation and is enjoyed by all, but has an easy preparation. Ahhh, that’s the whole gluten free easily (gfe) (and more recently dairy free easily—dfe) philosophy in a nutshell! Oops, with today’s recipe I guess I actually mean in an orange “shell.” But don’t mind me … continue on.

April in the RawIt was the Frozen Orange Kiss desserts that I immediately thought of when I signed up for the April in the Raw event, hosted by Brittany Angell. As the name implies, this event features all raw recipes.

So the question was, could I re-create this recipe at home and stick to raw ingredients from beginning to end? Well, let’s see. First, Triple Sec is a processed liqueur, so that was out for this raw recipe. (See my notes following the recipe if you’d care to indulge in such an option though.) First, I started out by purchasing a few Cara Cara Navel Oranges, which are slightly prettier with their darker orange color and also sweeter than your average Navel orange. According to Sunkist:

Cara Cara oranges, a type of navel orange grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley, are available December through April. The bright orange exterior of cara cara oranges is similar to other navels, but their interior is a distinctive pinkish red, has an exceptionally sweet flavor with a tangy cranberry-like zing, and few to no seeds.

One of Renato’s Frozen Orange Kiss desserts can easily serve two people, but usually everyone gets their own dessert, so I eat most–okay, ALL—of mine. Thank goodness that party comes only once a year, because the truth is these citrus desserts are just too good to let the servers take away with anything but the “shell” left!

However, when making my own for the April in the Raw event, I could ensure more reasonable portions. Instead of using whole oranges and just removing the “caps,” I cut the oranges in half.

Then I removed most of the orange segments using a grapefruit spoon. The extracted segments were not pretty, but as they were destined for a blender and then an ice cream maker, that was not a concern.

These Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts are the perfect way to end a special meal! Lovely and refreshing. Naturally gluten free, but loved by all. Light, but still truly swoonworthy as the ending of a meal. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]

The next consideration was a raw version of orange sherbet. I knew that would be easy enough. I often make gluten-free, dairy-free versions of sherbet and ice cream using full-fat coconut milk and other all-raw ingredients. It’s really so easy to do. (If you’re looking for any type of ice cream or sherbet recipes, be sure to click on my Recipe Index tab and then scroll down to Desserts to check them out.)

I used a combo of coconut milk, orange segments and juice, raw coconut crystals, almonds, and honey to create my orange sherbet. After it churned to a frozen, but scoopable state, I filled my orange “shells” to create Orange Kisses, topped them with sliced almonds, and placed all but one in the freezer on a cookie sheet.

Mr. GFE and I did have to do a “quality assurance inspection” after all. Once the Orange Kisses were frozen solid, I placed them in an airtight freezer container until ready to serve.

We had a birthday luncheon at work just a few days later, and as luck would have it there were going to be only five of us. So my five remaining Frozen Orange Kiss desserts made for perfect individual desserts for the event!

I told the birthday girl and my other co-workers that they were my “guinea pigs” for a blog carnival event. Most eagerly added my elegant and tasty syrup as topping (again, see notes at end of the recipe). And all of them gave my Orange Kisses two thumbs up and stated they’d be happy for me to use them as guinea pigs any time!

This dessert is a great one for other special, festive events, too, like holidays. Here’s my recipe for Frozen Orange Kiss desserts below.

These Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts are the perfect way to end a special meal! Lovely and refreshing. Naturally gluten free, but loved by all. Use store-bought orange sherbet if you prefer. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]

Incidentally, one beauty of a raw ice cream or sherbet recipe is that you can taste it before churning and make any necessary changes to ingredients or amounts. If you are using a less sweet variety of orange, you may need to adjust the amount of honey and or coconut crystals slightly, to your taste.

If you’d like, you can top your Frozen Orange Kiss desserts with a sweet liqueur syrup. The syrup is neither raw nor refined sugar free.  (Sorry … the Orange Kisses pictured are not shown with the syrup topping.) Note that other liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Limoncello would also be fine choices for making the syrup topping.

Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts Recipe

Yield: 6

Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts

Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts. They are the perfect way to end a special meal! Lovely and refreshing. Naturally gluten free, but loved by everyone. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Inactive Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Cara Cara Navel oranges (or oranges of your choice)

For the Orange Almond Sherbet

For the Sweet Liqueur Syrup (optional)

  • 1/2 cup Triple Sec
  • 1/2 cup Crème de Noyaux (almond liqueur)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

Instructions

Orange Preparation

  1. Wash oranges thoroughly. (I scrub mine with soap and water and rinse thoroughly.)
  2. Score oranges and cut in half over a medium-sized bowl. Remove segments/pieces using a grapefruit spoon. (Don’t stress over being perfect with this task. Any leftover orange within the “shell” will just get eaten later with the orange sherbet filling when the Orange Kiss is eaten.)
  3. Place segments/pieces in another small bowl, removing and discarding pith and any seeds as you go. (The Cara Cara oranges I used contained no seeds.)
  4. Pour orange pieces and juice from the medium-sized bowl into the small bowl.

For the Sherbet

  1. Blend ingredients (except almonds reserved for topping) in blender on high for about 15 seconds, just enough to dissolve coconut crystals and break up orange pieces a little. You want some of the orange pieces in your sherbet, or at least I did. If you don’t want any orange pieces in your sherbet, blend a little longer.
  2. Pour into ready-to-go, frozen tub from your ice cream maker. Churn about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overchurn. You want a soft, scoopable sherbet.

Orange Kiss Assemblage

  1. Spoon sherbet into hollowed oranges and top with sliced almonds.
  2. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Serve or cover securely with plastic wrap and place in a freezer container. Remove Orange Kisses from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving so that the sherbet filling will soften enough to be easily eaten.

For the Syrup

  1. In a small sauce pan, mix all the syrup ingredients together.
  2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer/low boil. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened slightly. Turn off heat and let cool.
  3. Pour into a glass jar and store in refrigerator. Syrup will thicken upon cooling at room temperature and even further in refrigerator. Pour over Orange Kisses before serving.

Notes

I recommend using a full-fat canned coconut milk that has no preservatives (and ideally no gums, BPA, etc.) for best churning and sherbet texture.

The beauty of a raw ice cream or sherbet recipe is that you can taste it before churning and make any necessary changes to ingredients or amounts. If you are using a less sweet variety of orange, you may need to adjust the amount of honey and or coconut crystals slightly, to your taste.

If you’d like, you can top your Frozen Orange Kiss desserts with a sweet liqueur syrup.The syrup is neither raw nor refined sugar free but it certainly is delicious! Note that the Orange Kisses pictured are not shown with the syrup topping.

If you don't have the liqueurs in the recipe, other liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Limoncello would also be fine choices for making the syrup topping.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Shirley Braden
Cuisine: American
Hollowing out the oranges for Frozen Orange Kiss Desserts. They are the perfect way to end a special meal! Lovely and refreshing. Naturally gluten free, but loved by all. Use store-bought orange sherbet if you prefer. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]

Originally published April 15, 2011; updated February 20, 2021.

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Comments

  1. Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says

    Oh My. This looks so so so fantastic. I was craving chocolate all over again posting my recipe for Grain-Free Chocolate Fruit Tart for Kelly’s event (and then falling asleep – darn jet lag) and now am awake again and found this recipe, and raw ice cream sounds so good about now 🙂

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Valerie–Welcome home! Hope you had a wonderful time with your family and that dreadful jet lag has passed now … it’s a bear for sure. 🙂 Your grain-free chocolate fruit tart sounds divine. 🙂 And I definitely think you’d like these Orange Kisses. Would you like to make a trade? 😉

      Hugs,
      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Tina–Thank you so much, dear! I love this dessert. April in the Raw inspired me and has so many others making amazing recipes! I tried Maggie’s Chocolate fRAWstie this evening and it was fantastic. 🙂 I froze half and Son enjoyed that as a fudgy frozen treat. 😉

      Hugs,
      Shirley

      Reply

  3. Heather @Gluten-Free Cat says

    In an “orange shell”! You are just too cute! What a wonderful raw dessert. Some of my favorite childhood dessert memories are of a simple scoop of orange sherbet (probably laden with high fructose corn syrup!). Can’t wait to try this delicious creation!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Heather–Glad you appreciate my fruity sense of humor! 😉 I think many of us fondly remember orange sherbet from childhood. Son always wanted it when he was feeling “puny.” Let us know if you give this recipe a try!

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Nina–Welcome to gfe. OMG, I love your blog name, Daily Kale! Way cool. Can’t wait to check it out! 🙂 Thanks so much for all the kind feedback, Nina! I hope you do make these little tasty lovelies–they’re fun and delish. 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

  5. AndreAnna says

    So since I’m not raw, I can pour the Triple Sec in there and drink the leftovers, right? 🙂

    This looks amazing – orange and almond are two of my most favorite flavors. Mostly with chocolate of course. But there’s no rule here that I couldn’t top this with dark chocolate shavings, is there?!

    Thanks for another great one, Shirley!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      AndreaAnna–Haha! Sounds good to me, dear. 😉 I did enjoy the lovely liqueur syrup over these kisses, and dark chocolate shavings sound fabulous! I love a friend who comes along and offers even better variations to a recipe. 🙂

      Thank you, dear!
      Shirley

      Reply

  6. Brittany @ Real Sustenance says

    I knewwww you would come up with something really cool! Loving the simplicity and elegance of this. It’s the perfect spring/summer dessert. I bookmarked this one as it will for sure need to be part of a dinner party of some sort the next few months:)

    And I can imagine that it would taste wonderful in some sort of summery drink or punch too!

    Thanks SO much Shirley for being part of April in the Raw! xoxox

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hey Brittany–You’re way too sweet! I’m honored you have such high expectations of me, and so glad that I met them. Hope you will enjoy this recipe in dessert or drink form in the near future. 😉

      It was totally my pleasure to participate in the April in the Raw event. It’s been amazing already, and, happily, it’s still going! 🙂

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  7. Gigi says

    Shirley,
    I just love this! The girls and I are always thinking of ways to use ‘natural’ containers to serve food in, and oranges are perfect for this! Didn’t nature just provide everything we need??

    Minus the almonds, I’m in! 🙂 Little Chef saw this post and said she definitely wants us to try these – she said, “those would be perfect for out on the deck after grilling!” A foodie in the making!

    xo,
    Gigi

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hey dear Gigi–Well, you know me … all about naturally gf, so natural containers fit the “MO,” too! 😉 Love that you’re on board with an appreciation for nature.

      This recipe would be easy to do without almonds. Can’t wait to see what you and Little Chef—the evolving foodie—come up with! 🙂

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  8. Ina Gawne says

    Wow, what a beautiful, decadent dessert! I wish oranges loved me as much as I love them…maybe grapefruit will work? This desserts looks like heaven!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Ina–Great to see you again. 🙂 I think anything citrus would work. Can’t wait to see if you come up with your own version! 😉

      Thanks so much, dear.
      Shirley

      Reply

  9. Iris says

    I love this Shirley! The presentation is fabulous (don’t mind me if I steal your orange idea!) and orange sorbet has always been my favorite flavor!

    Reply

  10. Mew Maurer says

    I was been diagnosed by celiac on me. So I started to have my gluten free diet and now, Im always reading blogs to gain more infos on gluten free! Now I have reached yours and put on my list. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  12. Ricki says

    Fabulous dessert, Shirley, and what a great submission to April in the Raw. I love the presentation (either half or whole orange–I’m sure I’d eat the entire thing, too). 😉 I bet your coworkers were feeling pretty lucky to get those leftovers!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Ricki–I’m glad you approve! 🙂 Yep, once you start eating, there’s no stopping until that orange “shell” is scraped clean. 😉 The co-workers do like me sharing. I’ll be making lemon sponge cake for us for a birthday luncheon on Tuesday.

      Shirley

      Reply

  13. glutenfreeforgood says

    I’m definitely a raw food fan and am anxious to check out all the “April in the Raw” recipes. What a great idea! And a cute name to top it off. =)

    I love your easy, fresh, simple and raw dessert, Shirley. It looks like it would be a fun one for kids to make and a great summer birthday party treat! Boy, there are lots of good coconut recipes floating around lately, this one included. I favor anything made with coconut, but mixing it with orange sounds over-the-top good.

    Peace, love and orange kisses!
    Melissa

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hey Melissa–Yes, it’s been a really great event! I’ve been delighted at the variety and quality of recipes shared for April in the Raw. 🙂

      You’re right … this recipe would be fun for kids to make! Coconut milk is wonderful for making ice cream and sherbets, but there’s no coconut flavor that’s discernible. The orange and almond flavors definitely take top billing in this one. 😉 Thanks for the sweet words on these kisses!

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  14. Angie Halten says

    What a surprisingly refreshing idea for Spring time. This winter has been so long and this would be the perfect treat to welcome in Spring time for my family dinner this weekend. Thanks! Angie.

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Angie–Good to see you again! Spring is springing up all around here so these kisses would really be appropriate now. 🙂 Hope you’ll report back with some feedback! 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

  15. Alta says

    I love these! I remember eating orange sherbet as a kid – it was one of my favorite treats. (They even had orange sherbet push-up pops on special days at elementary school!) This is definitely an awesome gfe-raw recipe!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Thanks so much, Alta! We didn’t have push-up pops, but we did have orange dreamsicles, which were one of my faves. 😉 We used to have a seafood restaurant that would make dreamsicle adult beverages … they were SOOOO good … but I digress. LOL These Orange Kisses are light and lovely!

      Shirley

      Reply

  16. Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free) says

    I am with Alta! I have super fond memories of orange sherbert as a kid, and as a special treat during the summer I always remember getting an orange creamsicle to eat by the pool! These are such a brilliant idea! What a quick and simple raw dessert! I am totally stealing this idea for this summer at the beach! In an “orange shell”, I LOVE IT!! 😉
    xo
    k

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Kim–I just said orange dreamsicle in my reply to Alta. What’s the difference? Not totally sure. It may just be a matter of interpretation. At the restaurant I mentioned with the frozen drinks, there was both a creamsicle drink and a dreamsicle drink. The creamsicle one was my favorite of the two now that I think of it. 🙂 Anyway, steal away … fun, pretty, and delish for summer eating near the water! 😉

      Thanks! xoxo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  17. Jennifer R. says

    wow — you have great locations for parties — Renato’s and Museum of Natural History — awesome! The orange dessert looks lovely — I’m sure my kids would love it too!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Jennifer–Yes, I am a lucky girl, aren’t I? We actually didn’t get to go to the party at Renato’s this year because hubby and I were on our epic road trip. (It’s been held in January the last couple of years vs the busy holiday season itself.) And next year if I’m still eating dairy free, I won’t get to indulge. So I had to come up with this version for an occasional fun treat. 😉 If you and your sweet kiddos make these, please let us know what you think! 🙂

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  18. Ellen @Gluten Free Diva says

    I was browsing the net for some Passover dessert recipes and found this. Yum. It really looks fantastic. And perfect for my Passover seder since it’s gluten free and grain free. Plus, it so reminds me of a creamsicle or one of those drinks we used to get at the mall – remember? Orange Julius. Only much healthier and probably even more delicious! Beautiful job Shirley!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Yippee, Ellen, that’s great to hear! 🙂 I have lots of grain-free recipes here at gfe! Who didn’t love creamsicles and Orange Julius type drinks? Making this similar orange dessert had to be done and making it dairy-free was really so easy. So glad you approve!

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  19. Christine says

    Shirley, you’ve definitely out done yourself! This looks like an amazing dessert for a warm day. (Now only if that warm day would come around here… haha) I’ve bookmarked this for the next warm day! 🙂

    Reply

  20. Nancy @SensitivePantry says

    Yum! I’ve seen those pretty sherbet filled fruits at restaurants and some upscale grocery stores. Never thought to make them myself but why not? This is a fun and elegant dessert for a dinner party…or for just me and the hubs! TY, Shirley.

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Nancy–Wow, if you’ve even seen these desserts in upscale grocery stores, it’s like another world where you live! LOL, but true. This dessert is really so easy, but yet it is so festive and fun. Making Orange Kisses for you and your hubby should definitely be added to your “to do” list for some day soon. 😉

      Thanks, dear!
      Shirley

      Reply

  21. Sophie says

    I have eaten a similar recipe like this one! This is always tasty with a bit of booze in it! Yum! The endresult looks so tasty & stylish too,..Great for a dinner party! 🙂

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Sophie–The boozy versions are definitely “yum,” right? 😉 This version is a tad lighter without any booze and still quite lovely. These do make for a lovely surprise for a group event like a dinner party. My co-workers loved them!

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  22. Maggie says

    These are delightful little treats, oh my! The mixture reminds me of a creamsicle popsicle! YUM! I noticed you mentioned coconut milk free of gums, can you recommend one? I can’t seem to find one and would love to! Your last picture totally makes me think of summer! Great job Shirley 🙂 And your coworkers are soooo lucky! xo

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Maggie–Everyone is saying that about the creamsicle connection! Obviously so many of us loved those ice cream treats. 🙂

      Maggie, I haven’t found a coconut milk lately that makes me happy, but previously I used Ty-Ling Coconut Milk that had nothing but the coconut milk. I can find it online on a few sites, but the info I find on Ty Ling coconut milk online right now is confusing and confusing or not, when I do find it, it’s on backorder. As for the confusing part … for example, Amazon only shows Ty Ling light coconut milk. There are two reviews and one is a complaint that the milk is not really light, so maybe that would still work. (Silly complaint in my book, as you can add water to make it as light as you want; that’s what light coconut milk is … coconut milk with water added.) BUT I can’t determine from that product listing on Amazon that it’s still gum-free. If you google Ty Ling coconut milk, you’ll find other sites that show it, but then they don’t show the ingredients and it may be on backorder or you may not be able to find it once you’ve clicked on the links within. Frustrating.

      Goya is gum free, but it contains Potassium Metabisulfite! I’ll take the gum over that any day. And because of that preservative, the Goya just “behaves” completely differently than other coconut milks IMHO. And by differently, I mean not well at all.

      BTW, Ali recommends Native Forest organic coconut milk, which is on Amazon, because it’s BPA free, but now it contains guar gum, too. Still, this may be the one I stock up on if I can’t find the Ty Ling brand. It would be far better to have organic and BPA free than the other choices I can currently find for gum-free. Anyway, if anything changes I’ll let you know, and if you should find gum-free Ty Ling, please let me know.

      So glad you liked my Orange Kisses, Maggie! Sending a virtual one to you! 😉

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

      • Maggie says

        Thanks for the detailed reply Shirley! I like the sound of Ali’s choice. I tend to stick with guar gum when I do use gums so this would make me happier! And the BPA free element is very important to me. Have a great day. xo

        Reply

    • Shirley says

      Thanks, Linda! One B&B we visit from time to time always serves sherbet (they call it sorbet) at breakfast. There are several choices and while there’s only a tiny dollop served to each guest, everybody beams and savors theirs. It’s obvious how much everyone loves the treat. I have to wonder how much of that goes back to childhood memories. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

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