Creamy, refreshing homemade lemon ice cream is so easy…you don’t even need an ice cream maker!
Save the Recipe!
Table of Contents
My favorite way to enjoy this lemon ice cream is alone! Give me a spoon and an extra big bowl and I’m a happy lady! But sometimes I’ll add mix-ins or toppings to my ice cream like nuts, coconut, berries or crushed lemon cookies. It’s impossible to go wrong!
Make a lemon ice cream sundae bar with fresh Vanilla Whipped Cream, Chewy Oatmeal Cookies, and slices of Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Lemon Ice Cream
Homemade ice cream can seem like a daunting task. What if I told you that homemade lemon ice cream is SO easy to make. You don’t even need an ice cream maker to make creamy, delicious ice cream!
This no-churn lemon ice cream is the perfect balance between sweet and tart without the hassle. If a fruit forward ice cream isn’t what you are craving, try the just as easy No Churn Ice Cream with Cookies and Cream!
Ingredients Needed
- Cold heavy cream – heavy cream is the base for our creamy ice cream.
- Sweetened condensed milk – sweetened condensed milk will sweeten and thicken our ice cream!
- Lemon juice and zest – the perfect balance of lemon juice and zest will add a tanginess and lemon flavor without being overpowering.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla extract adds a beautiful vanilla overtone.
- Salt – salt enhances the flavor.
Lemon Ice Cream Variations
While you certainly don’t need to add mix-ins or toppings to your lemon ice cream, they can be lovely additions! Fold in about 1 cup of any of these mix-ins, or sprinkle about ½ cup to the top of the ice cream before freezing.
- Crushed almonds
- Sweetened an/or toasted coconut
- Toasted hazelnuts
- Crushed pistachios
- Frozen berries
- Crushed lemon cookies
- Crushed Soft Sugar Cookies
- Lemon zest
- Strawberry or raspberry preserves (drizzled on top)
Tips forLemon Ice Cream
- Cold heavy cream and a cold ice cream container helps your ingredients bind together and not separate.
- Make sure you pack 2 teaspoons with lemon zest!
- If you like your ice cream more tart, add ½ cup lemon juice instead of 1/3. If you like your ice cream more intensely lemony (instead of lightly lemony), add an additional packed teaspoon of lemon zest.
How to Make Lemon Ice Cream
How to Make Lemon Ice Cream
- Chill
Chill your ice cream container in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Whip
Whip your cold heavy cream, vanilla and salt into stiff peaks.
- Fold
Fold in condensed milk, lemon juice and zest.
- Spoon
Spoon mixture into your chilled container.
- Freeze
Freeze for at least 12 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping.
Equipment: Do You Need An Ice Cream Maker?
No! This recipe makes ice cream making easy. All you’ll need to make creamy homemade lemon ice cream is a stand or hand mixer!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Gelato uses more milk than cream, whereas ice cream uses more cream than milk. Ice cream tends to be creamier and richer. This recipe uses cream, for ice cream!
Homemade ice cream lasts for 3-4 weeks, in a freezer-safe container wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer-safe bag.
Every lemon is different! Generally speaking, a medium lemon yields about 2-3 tablespoons of juice.
More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love On Tastefully Grace!
- Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Strawberry Lemon Popsicles
- Best Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Muffins
Lemon Ice Cream (No-Churn!)
Equipment
- Freezer-safe loaf pan (or other pan) to hold ice cream
- Stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- While you’re making the ice cream, chill your ice cream container in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Place cold heavy cream, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Whip on medium speed to stiff peaks (whipped cream that firmly holds its shape). It will take 3-5 minutes.
- Turn mixture off and use a spatula to fold in condensed milk, lemon juice, and zest. Mixture will look like soft whipped cream.
- Spoon into your chilled container, smoothing out evenly. Sprinkle topping of choice (ideas in post above!).
- Cover your container with plastic wrap. Then slide the container in a freezer-safe bag (it’s okay if you can’t seal it shut). I recommend freezing for at least 12 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping!
Video
Notes
- Enjoy your lemon ice cream as-is, or add in mix-ins or toppings listed in the post above!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
please [also] give metric measures. I don’t live in the 50s and don’t know what volume a cup is ๐
Also, everyone these days has a set of scales – adding weights of ingredients is the easiest tho not quite as applicable to this recipe.
Hi Stan,
Thanks for the note! ๐ Here are the metric equivalents for you:
480 ml cold heavy cream
395 g sweetened condensed milk
80 ml fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons packed lemon zest
1 ยฝ teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
Hope that helps!
Grace
Very yummy. Sometimes I use coconut condensed milk, so good too n less dairy!
Hi Darlene,
Love the substitution!! Thanks for your comment ๐
Grace