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No ice cream maker? No problem! No churn ice cream is so easy to make and this creamy homemade no-churn lemon ice cream recipe is the perfect, refreshing summer dessert. Only 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep and you are almost there!
Homemade lemon ice cream is a necessity because it is not something you can really easily find at the grocery.
Rich, creamy and no ice cream maker? Not too good to be true, promise.
I have an ice cream maker, but I make no churn varieties more often. Crazy? No, because these are incredible. No-Churn Strawberry, Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream and Butter Pecan are others that you may need to check out after you try this lemon ice cream! And if you want a protein boost, try this
cottage cheese ice cream–the lemon cheesecake variation is my favorite!
You won’t believe how simple no churn lemon ice cream is to make, but once you try it, you will be whipping up (no pun intended, ha) all kinds of creamy summer treats!
Why You Will Love This No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream:
- It can be prepped in about 10 minutes. The real work here is making the whipped cream. Everything else is just stir and freeze. No churn ice cream is so simple, you will be amazed.
- It is so creamy–think soft serve texture! I am a sucker for soft serve ice cream. If that is your jam, that is exactly what this lemon ice cream is like. Smooth and creamy and nice and soft–just make sure to let it sit out for a few to soften before eating.
- Minimal ingredients. Heavy whipping cream, condensed milk, vanilla, lemons and sea salt. Nothing more! Short ingredient lists are always the best.
- Kid friendly fun. Even if the kids aren’t huge lemon fans, this no-churn lemon ice cream is still a fun treat for them to help make. And if you are the lemon fan and they don’t want it? Divide the recipe in two and allow the kids to flavor theirs how they would like, and you do the lemon in yours! Everyone is happy!
Recipe Ingredients:
- lemons: fresh lemon zest as well as a touch of the juice. Nothing will make for a truer lemony flavor–the juice alone is not enough, don’t skip the lemon zest!
- heavy whipping cream: full fat, heavy whipping cream is crucial in this no-churn lemon ice cream for a rich, thick and creamy ice cream texture. Do not use a lower fat version or half and half instead.
- sweetened condensed milk: another ingredient to make sure to keep the fat and full sweetness. The condensed milk is what sweetens and thickens this ice cream.
- vanilla: real vanilla extract versus imitation. You could add a bit of lemon extract instead of the vanilla if desired, or do half vanilla and half lemon.
- sea salt: just a pinch to round it all out.
How to Make This Lemon Ice Cream Recipe:
- In a bowl, stir or whisk together the condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and sea salt until combined. (steps 1 and 2)
- Add heavy cream to a separate medium bowl and using a hand or standing mixer, and beat until stiff peaks form. If you have never done this before, it takes time. You can watch the video from the Butter Pecan ice cream to see the varying phases. This part will take about 3-5 minutes. (steps 3 and 4)
- Transfer the whipped cream into the bowl with the lemon and condensed milk mixture. Gently fold the whipping cream in. You want to do this as lightly as possible to help the whipped cream stay aerated. (steps 5 and 6)
- Transfer the lemon ice cream mixture into a freezer safe container. I like using a bread pan–it is the perfect size. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours. Enjoy! (step 7)
Recipe Notes:
- Let the ice cream sit out before scooping. Allow this homemade creamy lemon ice cream to sit out for about 15 minutes before scooping when you are ready to serve.
- Avoid using any lower fat or lower sugar ingredients. For the best and creamiest no churn ice cream, it is important to get the right ingredients. Make sure you have heavy whipping cream as well as full fat sweetened condensed milk.
- Make this lemon ice cream into an ice cream pie! Pop this into a graham cracker crust instead of a container and you have yourself a simple ice cream pie! Add some whipped cream on top and you are all set.
- Lemon ice cream sandwiches: lemon lovers, add some of this ice cream between two lemon sugar cookies and you have the most lemon zesty ice cream sandwich treat.
- This ice cream pairs so well with angel food cake, blueberry pie, or it makes great ice cream sandwiches with these lemon sugar cookies!
Storage Instructions:
While store bought ice cream can last for months in the freezer, no-churn ice creams tend to have a shorter life span. This lemon ice cream is best eaten within about 2 to 3 weeks.
To keep it optimal texture and flavor when storing, use an air tight, freezer safe container. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap before sealing to keep any ice crystals from forming on the ice cream.
Allow the ice cream to sit out for about 15 minutes before scooping to soften a bit.
Other Lemon Desserts:
- Champagne Bundt Lemon Cake
- Easy Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Blueberry Lemon Mug Cake
- No Bake Blueberry Lemon Tarts
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Homemade Lemon Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c heavy whipping cream
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 T lemon zest (approx. 2 lemons)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt if desired.
- In a separate medium bowl, beat cream until it makes stiff peaks when you remove the mixer. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon and condensed milk mixture. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for about 4-6 hours.
- Before serving, allow ice cream to sit out for about 15 minutes before spooning out, especially if it's been in the freezer for much longer than 6 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- Let the ice cream sit out before scooping. Allow this homemade creamy lemon ice cream to sit out for about 15 minutes before scooping when you are ready to serve.
- Avoid using any lower fat or lower sugar ingredients. For the best and creamiest no churn ice cream, it is important to get the right ingredients. Make sure you have heavy whipping cream as well as full fat sweetened condensed milk.
- Make this lemon ice cream into an ice cream pie! Pop this into a graham cracker crust instead of a container and you have yourself a simple ice cream pie! Add some whipped cream on top and you are all set.
- Lemon ice cream sandwiches: lemon lovers, add some of this ice cream between two lemon sugar cookies and you have the most lemon zesty ice cream sandwich treat.
- This ice cream pairs so well with angel food cake, blueberry pie, or it makes great ice cream sandwiches with these lemon sugar cookies!
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- Over medium heat, combine basil leaves, zest of one lemon and cream in a small sauce pan. Stir several times and allow to heat for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Chill in refrigerator until cold again and toss the basil. (About 2 hours) Then follow the recipe as stated above in step 1.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this ice cream with the basil, following the recipe to a T. I made my daughter and son-in-law guess (they’re both great taste guessers). Neither one could identify the basil and they both knew it was citric but couldn’t swear to lemon, but they both agreed that it was yummy. I’ll make this again with more basil and lemon oil. Great recipe though, thanks for sharing!
Good to know!! I haven’t tested with the basil in a while but will give it a go again soon!! Thanks!
How much basil do you recommend using? I don’t see it listed in the recipe. Thanks!
Hi! I guess that would help. I used 5-7 basil leaves.
Life is short, eat dessert first.
Great ice cream. A little too much lemon for my liking. Second time we made it, I reduced the lemon juice by a half teaspoon. Now that is better. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
I like your style!!! Glad to know you were able to adjust it the second time. I’m a big lemon fan so I probably should mention that in the post. Thanks!