This lemon ice cream is a creamy custard based ice cream, that has heaps of lemon zest and lemon juice in it for a super lemon flavour!
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🍨A Unique Flavour Ice Cream
I love making unique ice cream flavours that you can't find in the grocery store, like this one! Lemon is a perfect ice cream flavour for summer, and one that is not common. This ice cream is tart and full of lemon flavour. If you find it too lemony, top with a blueberry or raspberry puree!
This ice cream, like all my ice cream recipes, is custard based. I recommend trying a custard based ice cream. They are so rich and creamy compared to no-churn ice cream recipes. I use a Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment for my mixer. It's such a simple way to make churned ice cream, and just store it in your freezer until you feel like making ice cream!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Whole milk - I don't recommend using a lower fat milk for ice cream recipes, but you can use 2% milk if you need to.
- Lemons - You will need fresh lemons for this recipe. You need both the zest and juice.
- Eggs - Yes, there are a lot of eggs in this recipe. More egg yolks mean a more creamier ice cream. Make a pavlova with the leftover egg whites!
🔪Instructions
Start by prepping your work station. Ice crem making goes fast, so having everything ready, really helps.
Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk together. Set a fine strainer beside it.
Combine sugar and lemon zest to a medium sized saucepan. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the saucepan along with the milk and salt. Mix together and place the saucepan over medium heat.
When the milk mixture is hot, but not boiling, slowly ladle an amount into the egg yolks, whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Pour the tempered eggs into the saucepan, and whisk constantly over medium heat. The mixture will be ready when it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, or the temperature reaches 170°F.
Immediately strain the custard into the large bowl with the heavy cream in it, and stir. Let the custard cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to churn, 4 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to churn the ice cream, stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice to the cooled custard base. Transfer the ice cream to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacture's instructions.
Store the ice cream in an airtight container and place it into the freezer until it is ice cream consistency, about 6 hours.
✔️Expert Tips
- Save fat and calorie cutting for later. Ice cream needs a high fat content to create a creamy texture. Using less fats will create a grainy texture.
- The custard needs to be chilled before going into the ice cream maker. 4 hours to overnight is the recommended time. Don't skimp on it!
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend one. You can still make this recipe without one though. Rather than pouring the mixture into a machine, pour it into a shallow container and place it in the freezer. Mix it every 15 minutes until is the consistency of soft served ice cream. Cover and store in the freezer until it is ready.
💭FAQs
I'm not aware of anywhere that sells it. But you can make it yourself with this recipe!
Add the lemon juice in right before you churn the ice cream.
Instead of pouring the mixture into a machine, pour it into a shallow container and place it in the freezer. Mix it every 15 minutes until is the consistency of soft served ice cream. Cover and store in the freezer until it is ready.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Lemon Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- zest of 3 lemons
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cups lemon juice
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk together. Set a fine strainer beside it. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and lemon zest to a medium sized saucepan. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the saucepan along with the milk and salt. Mix together and place the saucepan over medium heat.
- When the milk mixture is hot, but not boiling, slowly ladle an amount into the egg yolks, whisking continuously to temper the eggs.
- Pour the tempered eggs into the saucepan, and whisk constantly over medium heat. The mixture will be ready when it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, or the temperature reaches 170°F.
- Immediately strain the custard into the large bowl with the heavy cream in it, and stir. Let the custard cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to churn, 4 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to churn the ice cream, stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice to the cooled custard base. Transfer the ice cream to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacture's instructions.
- Store the ice cream in an airtight container and place it into the freezer until it is ice cream consistency, about 6 hours.
Notes
- Save fat and calorie cutting for later. Ice cream needs a high fat content to create a creamy texture. Using less fats will create a grainy texture.
- The custard needs to be chilled before going into the ice cream maker. 4 hours to overnight is the recommended time. Don't skimp on it!
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend one. You can still make this recipe without one though. Rather than pouring the mixture into a machine, pour it into a shallow container and place it in the freezer. Mix it every 15 minutes until is the consistency of soft served ice cream. Cover and store in the freezer until it is ready.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️