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Creamy Lemon Ice Cream

Creamy lemon ice cream with a tangy lemon custard base, cooked to 175°F for a thick, scoopable texture. Bright lemon juice and zest are stirred in after straining for a pure citrus punch in every scoop.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Creamy lemon ice cream base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 fine mesh sieve

Method
 

Make the lemon custard
  1. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and whole milk over medium heat until steaming, stirring occasionally for even warming.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until smooth, then slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolks to temper.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175°F and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve, then stir in the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
Chill and churn
  1. Set the custard in a heatproof bowl over an ice bath and cool completely, stirring occasionally until the surface is no longer warm.
  2. Refrigerate the custard at least 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled and ready to churn.
  3. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it thickens to a soft-serve consistency, then transfer to a container.
  4. Freeze until firm, with a fully set texture for easy scooping.

Notes

Pro tip: temper the egg yolks slowly with a steady stream to prevent scrambling, and cook only until 175°F for a smooth custard. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; for best scoopable texture, let sit 5 minutes at room temperature before serving. Freezing is best—store up to 2 months. For a different dietary profile, use lactose-free milk and lactose-free cream in the same amounts.