Creamy, tart and refreshing, this Homemade Lemon Ice Cream recipe is yet another summer favorite of mine!
Made with homemade lemon curd for an ultra creamy, buttery and very lemony ice cream!
So this week was lemon week in my house! It wasn’t planned, but it was glorious nonetheless. Starting with the homemade lemon curd, then the lemon raspberry cake, and finishing it off with this Ultra Creamy Lemon Ice Cream!
I had leftover lemon curd from my earlier post. I kept one jar for our breakfasts (crepes with lemon curd anyone?), and used the second jar to make this tangy, creamy, refreshing lemon ice cream.
With lemon curd as the base, this ice cream turns out super creamy. Plus, it has a hint of butteriness from the lemon curd. It’s melt-in-your-mouth creamy and soft, and tingle-your-taste-buds tangy and tart.
This ice cream doesn’t screw around when it comes to the lemon flavor either. I wanted this ice cream to be very lemony, since I love citrus ice creams. So this is almost like a strong lemonade, in creamy ice cream form. It’s perfect for ice cream sodas too! And it looks like sunshine in a bowl, doesn’t it?
What makes this the BEST homemade lemon ice cream?
I add lemon to this ice cream in TWO ways.
- Lemon curd – this adds extra creaminess to the ice cream along with a sweet, tart lemon flavor. Since lemon curd has butter in it, it also adds a luscious butteriness to the ice cream.
- Lemon juice – for an extra layer of refreshing tanginess.
I’ve talked about the basics of ice cream making in my classic homemade vanilla ice cream post. This recipe is only slightly different. Here I add less egg yolks, less sugar and less cream. This does have an effect on the final product of course, but in a way that really complements the lemon ice cream.
Why do I add fewer eggs and less sugar in this lemon ice cream recipe?
Since we are using lemon curd here that’s already made with eggs, you naturally need less eggs to make the ice cream base here.
Same goes for sugar. The lemon curd already has sugar in it, so you add less to the ice cream base.
Why do I add less dairy in this recipe?
The lemon curd is already thick and luscious. The addition of extra cream would make the ice cream base too thick. So less cream in this lemon ice cream base gives the perfect amount of creaminess.
Just like my other homemade ice cream recipes, the custard for this lemon ice cream is super easy to make. Simply heat the custard till it’s steaming, then let it cool down. Once chilled, it’s ready to be churned.
Lemon ice cream variations
- Add some fresh raspberries for lemon and raspberry ice cream.
- Swirl in some blueberry compote after churning for a blueberry ripple lemon ice cream.
- Add some lavender to the custard (before cooking) for a lemon and lavender ice cream.
- Serve with lemonade for a refreshing lemonade soda float OR with a tequila or vodka spritzer for an alcoholic ice cream soda float!
This lemon ice cream has a texture that’s almost like sherbet, but creamy like ice cream. I hope you guys like it as much as we do! 🙂
Other recipes you may like,
No Churn Galaxy Ice Cream (Mixed berry and Lemon ice cream)
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
ICE CREAM MAKER – An inexpensive freezer bowl ice cream machine will be perfect for the average cook/baker. I have used & recommend this Cuisinart model. If you do constantly make ice cream in summer, then I would recommend investing in an ice cream maker with a built in compressor. These machines do not require to be pre-chilled and you can make many batches of ice cream over and over again. I currently own, and recommend this Cuisinart model.
THERMOMETER – An inexpensive Cooking thermometer or a more expensive instant read thermapen.
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Creamy Lemon Ice Cream
Prep time/cook time here doesn't include the homemade lemon curd.Intermediate - This recipe requires 2+ basic techniques. Each technique is easy, but requires planning ahead. Common Measurement Conversions
What You Need:
- Ice Cream Churning machine
- Cooking thermometer
- Zester
Ingredients:
- 3 egg yolks
- ¼ cup white sugar 50 g
- 1 recipe for lemon curd about 1 ¼ cup
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 lemon
Instructions:
- Place the egg yolks in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon curd. Whisk until you have a smooth paste.
- Whisk in the milk, cream and lemon juice, and mix well.
- Heat the custard over medium heat while whisking frequently, until it registers between 165 - 170 °F (or until the custard is steaming, but NOT boiling).
- Allow the custard to cool down completely to room temperature. Chill the custard for at least a couple of hours, OR overnight in the fridge.
- Churn the custard in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Then scrape the churned ice cream into a container, and let it freeze until hardened (OR have it as soft-serve ice cream immediately after being churned).
- Serve as is, or topped with fruits.
Nutrition Information:
Clare Savinson says
Unbelievably amazing. I love the tartness, and the fact there wasn’t obscene amounts of sugar. Excellent
Thomas Gibson says
Awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing.