This creamy Lemon Curd Ice Cream is bright and fresh, made with real lemon juice and lemon zest, and topped with tangy lemon curd. It is like a dreamy lemon creamsicle from childhood.
💡Recipe Inspiration
This Lemon Curd Ice Cream was inspired by an ice cream that I had at a local ice cream shop at a farm nearby. Their version is called Lemon Pie Ice Cream and it is made with little bits of cookie mixed in to mimic pie crust. It is SO good. One of my absolute favorites. Rather than mixing in lemon cookies (which I have tried and it is very good), this recipe is topped with a bright and tangy homemade lemon curd.
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🔍 Recipe Testing
I have made this ice cream over half a dozen times, in all different variations.
- Lemon ice cream with lemon juice and zest in the base.
- With lemon extract (don’t do this, the alcohol doesn’t burn off!).
- With lemon curd mixed into the ice cream base.
- Various attempts to mix in swirls of lemon curd.
However, the absolute best combination is to make fresh lemon ice cream and serve it with fresh lemon curd.
It is not easy to mix swirls of lemon curd into the ice cream because the consistency of the soft lemon ice cream is very different than the consistency of the lemon curd, making it quite difficult to incorporate and maintain distinct swirls, particularly while the soft ice cream is melting.
It also tastes better keeping the lemon ice cream on its own and adding the lemon curd on top. Lemon curd has a really intense flavor, and when it is just drizzled on top of the ice cream, it is perfect. If it is mixed into the ice cream (as part of the ice cream base) it changes the flavor entirely (and in my opinion, not for the better).
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Lemon Base: The base of this ice cream is made with lemon juice, lemon zest, milk cream, sugar, and salt. Because the ingredients are so simple and fresh, it is better than anything you can get at the store (or many ice cream shops).
Lemon Curd: It is topped with bright, tangy, homemade lemon curd (though store-bought is okay too!).
Creamsicle: The combination of real lemon and real cream tastes just like the lemon version of a creamsicle.
🛒 Ingredients:
Lemon Ice Cream Base
- Lemon Zest: When zesting a lemon, zest only the bright outermost shiny part of the lemon, not the inner white pith.
- Lemon Juice: Use real lemon juice, rather than bottled lemon juice.
- Sugar: This recipe uses half a cup of sugar, which is plenty sweet, but not nearly as sweet as most store-bought ice creams. One of the upsides of making your own ice cream is controlling the amount of sugar.
- Heavy Cream and Milk: The fat in the heavy cream and milk adds flavor and creaminess to the ice cream.
- Salt: Balances flavor, but both the salt and the sugar are integral in lowering the freezing temperature of the cream so that you get a creamier (rather than icier) ice cream.
Lemon Curd
- Lemon Zest: Adds bright lemon flavor without acidity. I love to use lemon zest in lemon desserts and baked goods like this Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake, these Lemon Blueberry Cookies or these Lemon Sandwich Cookies.
- Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Sugar: To balance the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Salt: Just a ¼ teaspoon to balance flavors.
- Egg Yolks: For making the lemon curd.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 How to Make Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Below are the step-by-step instructions for how to make homemade Lemon Curd Ice Cream including how to make the lemon ice cream base and the lemon curd topping.
I use the Cuisinart 1 ½ quart Ice Cream Maker, but this recipe can be adapted for most ice cream makers.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Lemon Juice: Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and salt, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 4-cup measuring up and allow to cool to room temperature.
Tip: Because the lemon juice is predominately water, reducing the volume in half reduces the amount of water that becomes part of the ice cream base. This creates a creamier, rather than icier ice cream.
Step 2. Ice Cream base: Once the lemon juice mixture has cooled, add the heavy cream and whole milk and stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. Be sure that the ice cream bowl goes in the freezer overnight according to the ice cream maker's directions.
Tip: Two common Ice Cream Maker types are electric Freezer Bowl-based machines (Cuisinart) or Compressor Machines (Breville). Compressor machines don’t require pre-freezing and can churn and freeze the mixture in one step. Be sure to adjust the churning time based on the machine’s recommendations.
Lemon Curd
Below are the steps for making the lemon curd, but feel free to use store-bought lemon curd, which is available at many grocery stores including Trader Joe's.
Step 3: Egg Yolks: To make the lemon curd, add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 4. Simmer Lemon Juice: Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer at medium heat.
Step 5. Temper the Eggs: Pour the hot lemon juice into the bowl with the egg yolks stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Then pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
Reduce the heat slightly and stir continuously without stopping for 3-10 minutes (the timing depends on your exact stovetop temperature and the size and type of pan you are using). Look for the curd to coat the back of the spoon but the whisk should not yet leave lines in the curd as you stir. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step 6: Strain the mixture: Pour the lemon curd mixture through a sieve into a bowl. This removes any lumps for an ultra-smooth lemon curd.
Tip: Do not leave the lemon curd in the saucepan once it is done. Strain it immediately into a heat-proof bowl. If you leave the curd in the saucepan, it may curdle the eggs from the residual heat of the pan.
Step 7: Add the Ice Cream Base: Set up your ice cream maker and remove the ice cream bowl from the freezer. Remove the ice cream base from the fridge. Turn the ice cream maker on and pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker.
Tip: The lemon juice will likely have curdled the milk in the ice cream base, giving it an odd-looking consistency. This is okay! It will not affect the consistency of the finished ice cream. The acid curdles the milk - adding acid to milk is one way to make buttermilk.
Step 8: Churn the Ice Cream: Churn for 20 minutes or according to your specific ice cream maker's instructions.
Step 9. Scoop into Container: Scoop the ice cream into any freezer-safe container. The ice cream will be the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. You can either serve the ice cream right away drizzled with the lemon curd, or you can place the ice cream in the freezer and allow it to firm up. This will create a harder ice cream, more typical of ice cream purchased at the store.
Step 10. Serve: Serve the lemon ice cream (either immediately for soft-serve or anytime later for harder ice cream) and drizzle the lemon curd on top. To make a waffle bowl try this recipe for Norwegian Waffle Cookies.
If you have leftover lemon curd, you can use it to make these Lemon Curd Cookies.
❄️ How to Store/Freeze:
To store the ice cream, place it in a freezer-safe container, preferably one with a lid that you can seal closed.
I recommend pressing a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the ice cream inside the container, to limit crystalizing or soaking up any flavors of the freezer.
🍨 Lemon Curd Ice Cream FAQs
Yes, if you like a sweeter ice cream you can add additional sugar. However, I would not recommend reducing the amount of sugar as the sugar content lowers the freezing temperature of the cream. Without enough sugar, the ice cream will be less creamy, and more icy.
There are a few reasons your ice cream may be too icy:
Ice Cream Base: The ice cream base should be very cold before churning the ice cream.
Ice Cream Bowl: Along the same lines, the ice cream bowl must be very cold and frozen solid before use. Do not let it sit on the counter, not even for 2 minutes. Use it immediately upon taking it out of the freezer.
Water Content: If there is too much water content, the ice cream can turn out icy. That is why this recipe calls for reducing the lemon juice mixture prior to combining it with the heavy cream and milk.
Use fresh lemons for the lemon juice and lemon zest. Consider using organic lemons particularly since you will be zesting the lemons.
🍋 If You're Interested in More Lemon Desserts, You May Love These
If you tried this Lemon Curd Ice Cream or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Ingredients
Lemon Ice Cream Base
- zest of 3 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Curd
- 3 large egg yolks
- zest of 3 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Lemon Ice Cream Base
- These directions are intended for a Cuisinart 1 ½ quart Ice Cream Maker, but can be adjusted for most ice cream makers.Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Simmer on medium heat until reduced to roughly half (3-7 minutes). Remove the pan from heat. Add the sugar and stir to combine. The sugar should start to melt into the reduced lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. In a medium mixing bowl or large 4-cup measuring pitcher, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, salt, and lemon mixture. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
- Make sure that the bowl of the ice cream maker goes in the freezer overnight. It is ready when you shake the bowl and can no longer hear any liquid sounds from the inside.
Lemon Curd
- Meanwhile, make the lemon curd. Combine the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. In a small saucepan add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to medium heat.
- Once the lemon juice mixture begins to simmer, slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture while whisking the egg yolks constantly. Then add the combined mixture back into the sauce pan and reduce the heat slightly. Continue to stir constantly for anywhere between 3-10 minutes. The exact timing will depend on the heat setting and the size and type of your saucepan. Look for a consistency that coats the back of a spoon, but does not leave marks when you drag a whisk through the mixture.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer for an ultrasmooth consistency. Refrigerate until the ice cream is ready.
Making the Ice Cream
- To make the ice cream, the following day set up your ice cream maker (I use a 1 ½ quart Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker). Turn the machine on and slowly pour the ice cream mixture into the machine. Churn for 20 minutes.
- If you want soft-serve ice cream, serve immediately with spoonfuls of lemon curd. For harder ice cream, place the ice cream in the freezer for 4 hours or until it has hardened. Then serve the ice cream with lemon curd.
Notes
- Lemon Zest: When zesting a lemon, zest only the bright outermost shiny part of the lemon, not the inner white pith.
- Lemon Juice: Use real lemon juice, rather than bottled lemon juice.
- Salt: Don't omit the salt. It is integral in lowering the freezing temperature of the cream so that you get a creamier (rather than icier) ice cream.
- Reducing the Lemon Juice Mixture: Because the lemon juice is predominately water, reducing the volume in half reduces the amount of water that becomes part of the ice cream base. This creates a creamier, rather than icier ice cream.
- Ice Cream Maker Types: Two common Ice Cream Maker types are electric Freezer Bowl-based machines (Cuisinart) and Compressor Machines (Breville). Compressor machines don’t require pre-freezing and can churn and freeze the mixture in one step. Be sure to adjust the churning time based on the machine’s recommendations.
- Lemon Curd: Do not leave the lemon curd in the saucepan once it is done. Strain it immediately into a heat-proof bowl. If you leave the curd in the saucepan it may curdle the eggs from the residual heat of the pan.
- Ice Cream Base: The lemon juice will likely have curdled the milk in the ice cream base, giving it an odd-looking consistency when you pour it into the ice cream maker. This is okay! It will not affect the consistency of the finished ice cream. The acid curdles the milk - this is one way to make buttermilk.
- To Freeze: scoop the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the ice cream inside the container, to prevent it from crystalizing or soaking up any flavors of the freezer.
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