Lemon Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is unquestionably one of life’s greatest joys. In the summertime, when the balmy weather has you craving something cool and refreshing, a bowl of lemon ice cream satisfies like nothing else. All that bright, citrusy goodness is the sweetest antidote for the heat.

Like other ice creams, this one is ultra-creamy, thanks to a combo of heavy whipping cream and milk. What sets this one apart, though, is the tangy lemon flavor laced with a hint of vanilla. And you don’t even need an ice cream maker to prepare it! Once it’s frozen and stirred, you can enjoy it by the bowlful or as a marvelous topping for pies, ice cream sandwiches and more.

Lemon Ice Cream Ingredients

• Milk: Whole milk is one-half of the duo responsible for the creamy texture we all know and love in our ice cream. We don’t recommend swapping the whole milk for skim or reduced-fat milk because the ice cream won’t be as rich.
• Sugar: Good old white sugar is perfect for sweetening your ice cream, but you can play around with different sweeteners if you’d like. If you opt for something like honey, use 2/3 cup rather than 1 cup since it’s sweeter than granulated sugar.
• Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Some folks swear there’s no difference between fresh squeezed and out of the bottle, but trust us, there absolutely is. And because only a few ingredients are here, you want to use the best-quality possible. Juicing a lemon is easy, and flavor-wise, it’s worth the extra effort!
• Heavy whipping cream: Thanks to its higher fat content, heavy whipping cream makes the absolute best ice cream. Its ability to hang on to air when whipped yields lighter, fluffier ice cream.
• Vanilla extract: A thread of vanilla through the lemon ice cream recipe elevates this sweet treat to gourmet status. Use vanilla bean paste or scrape a vanilla bean for a more potent vanilla flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Dissolve the sugar in the milk

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Pour the milk into a small pot, and heat to 175°F. Whisk in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Once the sweetened milk has cooled, stir in the lemon juice.

Editor’s Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to know when the milk is at the right temperature to add the sugar.

Step 2: Make the ice cream mixture

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In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff. Fold in the vanilla extract and milk mixture. Transfer to a freezer-safe 9-inch square dish.

Step 3: Freeze the ice cream

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Freeze for four hours or until firm, stirring at least once halfway through. About 10 minutes before serving, remove the ice cream from the freezer so it can soften slightly.

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Lemon Ice Cream Variations

• Add lemon zest: Zest a lemon into your ice cream to boost the lemony flavor, or try a mixture of different types of citrus zest. Orange, clementine, lime and grapefruit are a few faves.
• Mix in additional fruit juices: Replace half the lemon juice with another fruit juice like pomegranate, mango, pineapple, orange, grapefruit or peach.
• Use alternative sweeteners: Instead of sugar, try honey, golden syrup, agave nectar or maple syrup. Honey is the undisputed queen—lemon, honey and vanilla is a beautiful combination.
• Experiment with flavor combinations: Lemon goes with everything, but a few especially tasty pairings with lemon are blueberry, mint, ginger, lavender and thyme.

How to Store Lemon Ice Cream

Cover or keep your lemon ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container, and pop it in the freezer. Enjoy within two to three weeks. After a few weeks, the ice cream will start developing more ice crystals and won’t be as soft.

Lemon Ice Cream Tips

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Can you make lemon ice cream without an ice cream maker?

Of course! While there are many first-rate ice cream makers out there, whipping up a batch of ice cream without an ice cream maker is a breeze. One of the reasons this recipe ranks among our top ice cream recipes is that there’s no need for an ice cream maker. If you happen to have one at home and want to make the most of it, head over to our complete guide on how to use an ice cream maker. It covers churns, compressor models, the works!

What can you serve with lemon ice cream?

A sprig of mint, a handful of seasonal berries or chopped fruit, or even a little drizzle of chocolate or honey are brilliant ways to jazz up your lemon ice cream. Serve a scoop with pie or cake. Lemon ice cream pairs especially well with berry pies. Use it as the filling for ice cream sandwiches or ice cream cake (amazing for summer birthday parties), or build an ice cream sundae.