In this recipe from Heather Templeton’s Easy No-Churn Ice Cream fresh lemon curd is swirled into creamy lemon ice cream, making it quite possibly the most perfect lemony ice cream out there.
Heather tells us: “Lemon is my all-time favorite citrus. It is so tart and flavorful. When it is mixed with butter and egg yolks to create a classic lemon curd, it’s downright irresistible.”
And you’ll find so much more flavorful and unique no-churn ice cream recipes in Heather’s book. For something so delicious and simple to make you’ll have endless requests from your family and friends for this epic treat!
This recipe yields roughly 12–14 standard scoops.
No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream: Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd
- 6 large egg yolks;
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar;
- ½ cup (120 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice;
- ½ cup (114 g) salted butter, softened;
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream.
For the Ice Cream
- 1 (14-oz [414-ml]) can sweetened condensed milk;
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract;
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure lemon extract;
- ½ cup (120 ml) half-and-half;
- 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream.
No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream: Instructions
To make the lemon curd, begin by beating the egg yolks, granulated sugar and fresh squeezed lemon juice together in a small bowl until combined. Cut the butter into four chunks and set them aside.
Pour the egg yolk mixture into a medium saucepan and cook it over low heat. After about 5 minutes, gently add the chunks of butter and continue to stir until they have melted and the curd has thickened slightly, about another 7 minutes. You will want to whisk the curd constantly so that the eggs do not “cook.”
Remove the curd from heat and immediately strain. This will remove any small parts of the egg that might have cooked.
Add the heavy cream to the warm curd, and whisk until it is completely incorporated, for about 10 seconds.
Pour the curd into a medium-sized bowl and cover it with a layer of plastic wrap. You will want the plastic to touch the top of the curd, so as it cools, it does not form a “skin” on top. Place the curd in the refrigerator to cool completely.
In a medium-sized bowl, make the ice cream by whisking together the sweetened condensed milk, pure vanilla extract, pure lemon extract and half-and-half, until the mixture is smooth. Set this aside.
With a standing or hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds.
Fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the cream that has been whipped. This is your ice cream base. You will want this to be as smooth as possible and lump free. Pour this into an 8 x 8–inch (20 x 20–cm) baking dish.
Remove the lemon curd from the refrigerator. Drop large tablespoons (15 ml) of the curd over the top of the ice cream base, using all of it up. Take a butter knife or fork and swirl the curd into the base, ensuring that it is well dispersed throughout the ice cream.
Freeze the ice cream uncovered for 3 to 5 hours or overnight, until it is firm. Cover any leftovers with tinfoil or plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
VARIATION: For extra lemony goodness, add an extra 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pure lemon extract to the ice cream base before swirling in the lemon curd. Continue making the recipe as instructed.
Reprinted with permission from Easy No-Churn Ice Cream by Heather Templeton. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Heather Templeton.
