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Creamy Lemon Ice Cream

Creamy lemon ice cream made with a bright lemon custard base, cooked to a thick 175F and then strained for a smooth, spoonable texture. This homemade lemon ice cream is tangy, sweet, and refreshing with a pure citrus punch in every scoop.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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. Heat heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan until steaming, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk slowly into egg yolks beaten with granulated sugar.
  2. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the custard reaches 175F, then remove from heat.
  3. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely using an ice bath. Refrigerate at least 4 hours until well chilled.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until firm before serving.

Notes

For the silkiest texture, stir constantly when heating the custard and stop exactly at 175F so it thickens without turning grainy. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge 5–10 minutes for easier scooping. Freezing is yes. For a dairy-light swap, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream and whole milk, but expect slightly less richness and a softer freeze.