Lemon Curd Ice Cream

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Enjoy our bright and creamy lemon ice cream with a thick swirl of homemade lemon curd.

It feels like spring here in Virginia! We’re already looking ahead to weekend grill-feasts and frosty treats like this delicious homemade lemon curd ice cream.

Recently, we’ve been up to our elbows in ingredients for our new Lemon Cheesecake recipe. Fortunately (for our taste-testers) it took a few tries to perfect the recipe. As a result, we had lots of cheesecake floating around for about a week. 

Once the cheesecake recipe was fine-tuned, we had plenty of leftover cream cheese, a few lemons and a jar of homemade lemon curd. What better way to use up those extra ingredients, and a few delicious orbs of sunshine, than in an easy ice cream recipe?!

We add cream cheese to the base in place of eggs, for added richness.

The base ice cream recipe was adapted from a cookbook titled Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. If you’re looking for inspiration and some of the best ice cream recipes ever, check out this New York Times Best Selling cookbook.

I followed Jeni’s lead and added 2 ounces of cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of corn syrup to my ice cream base. Corn syrup adds a nice silkiness to the ice cream and the cream cheese gives the base a slight tang and adds to the terrific consistency.

Is homemade ice cream difficult to make?

As with most ice cream recipes, the ingredients are easy to blend together. First, we start by steeping lemon zest in hot milk. Then add all the remaining ingredients and pour the mixture into an ice bath to cool it down.

Once the ice cream base is cooled, it’s refrigerated until well chilled (overnight) then processed according to the instructions for your ice cream maker.

Next, layer the lemon ice cream in dollops between spoonfuls of our tart and tangy lemon curd. Using a table knife or skewer, swirl the ice cream and curd together.

Finally, pop the finished ice cream in the freezer overnight or until ready to serve. This lemon curd ice cream will keep well for a few weeks if sealed in an airtight container.

Allow our lemon curd ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Our lemon curd ice cream freezes well and can be hard to scoop when first removed from the freezer. Allow the ice cream to soften for a few minutes for easier serving and for better flavor. Top each serving with a little extra lemon curd, if desired.

Can you use store-bought lemon curd or do you have to make homemade?

Store-bought lemon curd will be fine in this ice cream recipe. Make sure to purchase good quality curd, or make our easy homemade lemon curd recipe.

What are some other ways to use lemon curd?

Lemon curd can be smeared on a biscuit, scone or even a slice of toast. It’s great on pancakes, waffles and terrific dolloped on a slice of pound cake. If you’re still looking for inspiration, here are 12 creative ways to use lemon curd!

Ice cream is perfect anytime of the year!

We’re from the camp that believes you can eat ice cream in winter, and it’s just as delicious as it is in summer. There’s no special rule about not being able to eat ice cream before Memorial Day; that only applies to white pants, skirts, or shorts – haha!

We even make Snow Cream when the winter weather cooperates. Frozen inside and out! Our part of the world seems to have skipped winter this year, so let’s get on with spring!

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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Curd Ice Cream

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 d 45 mins

Yield: 1 quart

Course: Dessert, Frozen dessert, Ice Cream

Author: Tricia

PRINT RECIPE

A bright and creamy lemon ice cream with a thick swirl of tangy lemon curd

Equipment

• Ice cream maker

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar (135g)
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 cups whole milk, plus 2 tablespoons, divided (17½ oz or 480 ml)
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (cut into small chunks)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, strained of seeds and pulp (60g)
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream (1 cup)
• 1 cup lemon curd

Instructions

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 2 lemons. You’ll want large strips of zest, with no white pith.
• In a medium heavy bottom saucepan, combine the lemon zest and sugar with 2 cups of milk, sea salt and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Steep for 30 minutes.
• Combine the cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir until smooth and set aside.
• Set the saucepan back on the stove top and warm on medium-high. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream cheese adding one piece at a time. Whisk until melted then add lemon juice. Whisk until blended.
• Set a large clean bowl in an ice bath. Add the heavy cream to the clean bowl and place a fine mesh sieve over the bowl. Pour the warm ice cream base through the sieve into the bowl with the heavy cream. Discard lemon zest. Whisk the ice cream every five minutes or so, or until cooled, about 30 minutes.
• Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Process according to the manufacturer’s directions for your ice cream maker.
• Spoon about ⅓ of the lemon ice cream into an airtight container. Dollop ⅓ of the lemon curd in spoonfuls on top. Repeat with half the remaining ice cream and half of the remaining curd. Make a third layer, using all the ice cream base and curd. Swirl the curd into the ice cream using a table knife. Cover and freeze until set. This can take up to 8 hours for the best consistency.

Recipe Notes

Base ice cream adapted Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook

Here are a few more lemon recipes you might enjoy:

Lemon Cheesecake

Homemade Lemon Curd

Tangy Lemon Bars