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No-Churn Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Creamy no-churn lemon cheesecake ice cream with swirls of lemon curd and crunchy graham/vanilla cookie crumbs — made without an ice cream maker and layered for a cheesecake-like texture.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 can (14 oz / 397 g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, for stabilizing whipped cream)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup (60 g) graham cracker crumbs or crushed vanilla wafer cookies
  • 3–1/2 tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter, melted (to combine with crumbs)
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd (store-bought or homemade) for swirls

Instructions

  1. Line a loaf pan (about 8×4–9×5 inches) with parchment paper for easy removal and set aside.
  2. Make the cookie crumble: combine graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs with melted butter until evenly moistened; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined (about 2–3 minutes).
  4. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream (with powdered sugar if using) to stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until uniform and airy.
  6. Fold in two-thirds of the cookie crumble into the ice cream base, leaving the remaining crumbs for layering/topping.
  7. Spoon one-third of the ice cream mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the layer, and drizzle with 2–3 tablespoons of lemon curd; sprinkle a layer of cookie crumble.
  8. Repeat layering twice more (ice cream base, lemon curd swirls, cookie crumbs), finishing with a swirl of lemon curd and remaining crumbs on top. Use a skewer to make swirls—don’t overmix.
  9. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil and freeze for at least 6–8 hours or overnight until firm.
  10. Before serving, let sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes for easier scooping. Scoop and serve.

Notes

1) For a firmer scoopable texture, allow the ice cream to soften 8–10 minutes at room temperature before scooping. 2) Substitute half-and-half or canned coconut milk for heavy cream for a slightly different texture; if using dairy-free cream cheese, ensure it’s fully softened. 3) To add brightness, stir in 1–2 teaspoons lemon zest into the top layer before freezing.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.rapidrecipes.blog/lemon-cheesecake-ice-cream/