Fresh Lemon Ice Cream is like no other ice cream you’ve ever had, homemade or store bought ~ the zippy, tart, citrus flavor is unique and so refreshing because it’s made with lots of fresh lemon juice. And it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
The hands on prep time of this lemon ice cream is short because I don’t make an egg custard base. It’s a simple matter of mixing the ingredients and popping them into the ice cream machine. This is exactly the type of homemade recipe that convinced me to get a machine in the first place ~ I’ve never tasted any commercial ice cream with anything close to the pure, clean flavor of tangy fresh lemon. The secret is lots of fresh lemon juice and a tiny bit of pure lemon extract to really bring that flavor out.
Reader Rave ~
“My son and I just made this and we love it. I am not a lemon person but this turns out surprisingly not too lemony. We put vanilla bean extract instead of lemon extract. I asked my son to give the recipe a rating and he chose 5 stars. Kids don’t lie lol. We will be keeping this recipe for future use. Thank you” ~ Has
I added 2 tiny drops of yellow food coloring, mostly for the sake of the photos. I hardly ever use food coloring, and when I do I use it very sparingly. In this case it just takes the ‘edge’ off the stark whiteness of the ice cream, and gives us a visual cue that what we’re about to enjoy is lemony.
I love this partly because I’m a lemon addict, but also because it’s such an unusual flavor, at least for ice cream. There are plenty of lemon sherberts and sorbets out there, but not too many actual ice creams. I almost added dark chocolate chunks to it, but held back in favor of the pure lemon. I think I made the right decision, although it’s something to think about for a future batch.
So far anyway I’ve been focusing on the simplest ice cream recipes, ones that involve no egg yolks, and no cooking. For this one I just whisk sugar into cold milk and cream, and then I poured the lemon juice in right before I added it to the machine. It curdled a bit but I figured it would work itself out as it churned, and I was right.
The best part of making your own ice cream is dipping the spoon in while it’s churning. One taste and I knew I had a winner. The large amount of lemon juice gives it a kick that you don’t expect from ice cream.
You can sprinkle on a little zest as a garnish, but again, I did that mostly for photographic purposes. I do think this lemon ice cream would be pretty spectacular with some homemade dark chocolate magic shell, or homemade bittersweet hot fudge sauce, though. Lemon and dark chocolate is a killer combination.
Which ice cream machine do I recommend?
I get asked all the time about what machine I use. I use and recommend Cuisinart. I’ve had my machine for years without any issues, I think that’s because there are no fussy electronic parts to break down ~ it’s a simple motor that turns the freezer bowl for churning the ice cream and it works quickly and perfectly every time. I love the easy on/off switch!
- The machine I use is the base model. It works great for ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbets, and makes all of them in about 2o minutes. Click HERE or click on the image for more info.
Fresh Lemon Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1/2 cup cold milk
- 1/2 cup sugar I used superfine baking sugar, but you don't have to
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice about 4 or 5 lemons
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 or 3 drops yellow food coloring optional
Instructions
- Mix the cream, milk, and sugar together and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the food coloring if you are going to use it.
- Make sure your mixture and your lemon juice are cold, and when you are just about to add the cream to your ice cream maker, add the lemon juice and extract. Pour into the machine and process according to the instructions. On the basic Cuisinart machine it takes about 20 minutes.
- You can eat it soft right from the machine, or freeze it longer for a firmer scoop.
Note:
- After this ice cream has been in the freezer for several hours it will be quite hard. Bring it out and let it sit for a while to soften up before scooping.
- Recently I bought some quart sized cardboard ice cream containers, just like commercial ice cream comes in, and I love them. They’re great if you want to share your ice cream, or use it as a host/hostess gift. And if you have anyone in your house who likes to eat ice cream right out of the carton while they watch tv, letting it get all drippy and disgusting, and then put it back in the freezer, you might want to consider reserving a carton just for yourself.
89 Comments
Caroline
January 13, 2020 at 3:26 pmWorks well and very very good.
For those looking for a no-churn lemon ice cream, Dorie Sanders has a great one, made it several times and it’s delicious: https://food52.com/recipes/77250-dori-sanders-no-churn-fresh-lemon-ice-cream
Jovie
July 28, 2019 at 4:31 pmWanted to try something different with ice cream flavors. Used a little more lemon juice than the recipe asked for, but the ice cream turned out great. Will continue to use this recipe for years yo come.
Sue
July 28, 2019 at 5:08 pmI love it when one of my recipes becomes a long term favorite! Stay cool this summer Jovie!
Jovie
July 28, 2019 at 5:53 pmThank you for the recipe. It’s my favorite and I’m checking the ones I wanna try off of my list.
Monica
July 2, 2019 at 12:47 pmAny idea how I could make this to fit in my gallon size ice cream maker? I didn’t know if just adding more of each item would work or what.
Sue
July 2, 2019 at 8:51 pmI haven’t tried this in a gallon machine Monica, so I’m not sure, sorry. I would start by doubling the recipe, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Lucia
June 26, 2019 at 6:58 amI did not believe it would turn out anything special – and yet, it’s the perfect lemon ice-cream! I omitted the extract and instead added ground vanilla bean. Excellent, will keep! Also, it yields the perfect amount for the five of us as the immediate dessert, no leftovers to freeze and then worry about softness/hardness. Also, I made it with my 4yo, can’t be any easier. I’ll check out other recipes. Thanks a lot for this one!
Sue
June 26, 2019 at 7:37 amThe thing I love about this ice cream is that you really can’t find it anywhere else, I don’t know why no one has come up with a good commercial version, but I’m thrilled to have this recipe to make. I love the idea of adding vanilla bean, what an unusual combo!
Gail Gall
May 30, 2019 at 2:53 pmI made this followed your directions to use vanilla instead of lemon extract. I also added the zest of 2 lemons. Delicious and suits my lemon and ice cream craving in one punch!
Sue
May 30, 2019 at 4:04 pmThanks Gail, I love to hear good comments on this ice cream, it takes care of my lemon cravings too :)
tiger
May 25, 2019 at 8:16 pmit’s in my ice cream maker right now.i made my own lemon extract and this is my first chance to use it. glad to know the timing i was going to check it in 40=minutes. i’ll cut that time in half
Sue
May 25, 2019 at 8:20 pmDifferent ice cream machines vary, but mine seems to do the job in about 20 minutes.
Just
April 24, 2019 at 10:13 amHi, I don’t have any ice cream machine and all my takes on lemon ice cream just kinds of fails as the milk splits. please, can you tell me any technique on how to make one without a machine? thanks
Also, I just come across your blog. It seems pretty nice with such simple ways of making so amazing treats and all.
Sue
April 24, 2019 at 10:30 amIf you search for ‘no churn ice cream’ on my blog you’ll find lots of ice cream recipes that don’t require a machine. Usually they include sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream to keep the mixture smooth and creamy as it freezes.
Josie
April 15, 2019 at 9:00 amWhen you mix the cream milk and sugar to dissolve the sugar, would that be in a pan on the stove or just in a bowl?
Sue
April 15, 2019 at 9:02 amI just do it in a bowl, Josie. The sugar will dissolve.
Diane
April 14, 2019 at 3:30 pmWow! What a burst of lemon flavor! A perfect lemon ice cream. Quick and very easy. Thank you Sue!
Sue
April 14, 2019 at 6:31 pmThanks Diane, that’s just the reaction I wanted, this ice cream is one of my favorites!
Mike Argyle
March 3, 2019 at 10:24 pmWhat brand ice cream maker do you use?
Sue
March 4, 2019 at 7:15 amI love my Cuisinart ice cream and yogurt maker, it’s simple to use, quick, and never dies! Here’s an a link, it’s an affiliate link.
joJo N
February 13, 2019 at 4:57 amI don’t have an ice cream machine. Can I make without and how?
Sharon Samms
December 13, 2018 at 7:26 pmI tried making lemon ice cream but it turned out to icy, not creamy. My pumokin ice cream did the same thing. Can you tell me shy? Thanks
Sue
June 27, 2019 at 3:25 pmHi Sharon, make sure you are using heavy cream, that’s important for the texture. You can even use all cream and no milk for a creamier texture. Are you using an ice cream machine?
HAS
December 5, 2018 at 5:32 pmMy son and I just made this and we love it. I am not a lemon person but this turns out surprisingly not too lemony. We put vanilla bean extract instead of lemon extract. I asked my son to give the recipe a rating and he chose 5 stars. Kids don’t lie lol. We will be keeping this recipe for future use. Thank you
Sue
December 5, 2018 at 7:16 pmLove it, what a great kid :) And the thought of vanilla lemon is so interesting, I’m going to have to try that.
Cas
November 5, 2018 at 11:11 amHi,
I am planning to make your lemon ice cream into an ice cream birthday cake later this week for my wife’s birthday. I intend to use a ginger biscuit and butter crunch base, cover it with lemon curd, pile the lemon ice cream on top of the curd covered ginger biscuit, freeze and then decorate with cream and either raspberries or blueberries and a chocolate disc piped with happy birthday.
What do you think? Will it work?
Thanks for the recipe.
Sue
November 5, 2018 at 11:17 amIt sounds extravagant and delicious ~ I love the combination of lemon and ginger!
Jaclyn Vogler
October 13, 2018 at 6:20 amthis sounds amazing! love lemon, this is on the to do list TODAY! thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Wendy McCormick
October 5, 2018 at 9:35 pmI made this lemon ice cream and it was great. However, what’s the best way to tone down the lemon a little bit? It was just this side of being too tart. More sugar or less lemon?
Sue
October 6, 2018 at 8:48 amI would use less lemon, Wendy, and feel free to taste it as you go, that way you can customize it to your taste.
Margaret Kinlaw
September 6, 2018 at 3:45 pmMade it today, I love it!!!!!!
Sue
September 6, 2018 at 4:26 pmWhat a way to celebrate the end of summer, glad you liked it Margaret!
Lauren Blekicki
August 24, 2018 at 1:47 pmThanks for sharing this! The directions say to Store in the fridge to let it firm up. Is that a typo or will the fridge be enough cold to do the trick?
Sue
August 24, 2018 at 2:38 pmTypo! I fixed it to say freezer, thanks :)
Amy
August 15, 2018 at 3:46 pmThis ice cream is just fantastic! Years ago I found a lemon ice cream at the store, but I’ve never found it since. This was so easy and even better than the store bought. My husband, who doesn’t usually like anything with lemons, went back for seconds! This will be a staple in our house for sure!
Sue
August 16, 2018 at 8:17 amThanks Amy, this ice cream was a big discovery for me, too, I adore lemon desserts and I couldn’t find a lemon ice cream to save my life. Glad your hubby liked it!
Kirsten
July 25, 2018 at 6:28 pmThis recipe is amazing!!! My whole family loves! I added a little lemon zest and didn’t use the lemon extract (I couldn’t find), but it was perfect. Thank you for sharing. Now off to enjoy another cup of ice cream.
Sue
July 25, 2018 at 7:13 pmThanks so much Kirsten, I’m thrilled to hear it :)
Taylor
June 7, 2018 at 2:07 pmWhat’s the yield?
Sue
June 7, 2018 at 3:24 pmIt makes about 1 1/2 to 2 pints, Taylor.
Cattie
May 17, 2018 at 9:57 amWow! I just made this this morning and it is SO GOOD! Light, fresh, and not too sweet. I didn’t add extract or food coloring, just cream, sugar and fresh squeezed lemon juice. This will be a summer staple! Have you tried making it with honey instead of sugar? Do you think that would work? I assume you have to heat the cream to melt the honey?
Sue
May 17, 2018 at 5:27 pmI’m so glad you loved this Cattie. You’re the second person recently who’s mentioned not needing any flavoring or extract. I haven’ tried it with honey, but honey vanilla ice cream is on my list to make this season. I guess you could heat the cream just enough to blend in the honey, and then chill it. Let us know if you give it a try.
E winni
May 13, 2018 at 2:44 pmJust made this. So delicious! I didn’t have the extract, but it was delicious without it. We decided to fold in a bit of canned cherry pie filling near end of freezer cycle. Delicious! And so easy! Curdling is not an issue.
Sue
May 13, 2018 at 3:27 pmWow, cherry lemon sounds so good, I would have never thought of that. I bet the pie filling keeps the ice cream fairly creamy, too.
Chloe
August 2, 2017 at 4:05 pmIt tasted to creamy and their wasn’t enough lemon ? juice other than that it was pretty good
Sara
June 28, 2017 at 5:57 pmI’ve made this twice. The first time it came out perfect and was delicious. The second time it tasted like pure alcohol. I used the correct measurements. All the measuring utensils were still on the counter when I tasted the ice cream so I know I measured correctly. The only difference was the brand of lemon extract. First time was McCormick, second time was Watkins. Any idea why this occurred?
Sue
June 28, 2017 at 6:24 pmIf you tasted alcohol it had to have been the extract. Everybody will have different opinions when it comes to brands, so I would stick with the McCormick if it turned out good for you. Lemon is a tough flavor to reproduce and it’s really important to have a top quality pure extract. That’s too bad about the second batch, but at least now you know!
Sue
June 28, 2017 at 6:24 pmOh and one more thought, could you have accidentally added too much, because a little goes a long way.
Gregg
October 24, 2017 at 12:08 pmWe tasted a strong taste with the Watkins variety as well in a recent batch, and I measured very closely because some lemon whipped cream came out tasting really strong a few weeks back with the Watkins extract as well. Starting to seem like it might just be that brand. Fyi.
Sue
October 24, 2017 at 12:11 pmThanks Gregg! I know there are real differences between the brands, for sure.
Dave A.
December 26, 2019 at 8:40 pmI have a recipe for lemon ice cream that I have made since the 1970s.I only make it in 2 quart quantities because I have only had rock salt and ice churns. It isa morethan work to make than using an all electric machine, but have made quantities for office parties. My recipe is heavy cream and half and half, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. A Philadelphia style ice cream. The zest is important because it contains the oils that the extract is trying to replace.
Sue
December 26, 2019 at 8:44 pmDo you strain out the zest? I feel like it would make a strange texture.
Rufusd
June 19, 2017 at 7:00 amI just made this Lemon Ice Cream. Hubby & I did a taste test and it was wonderful! Just the right amount of lemon. I used half n half instead of milk, left out the food coloring. Will be serving this tonight for company. I’ve been wanting to make Lemon Ice Cream for years. Perfect recipe. Thanks for posting.
Rufusd
June 19, 2017 at 7:00 amAlso, no trouble with curdling.
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 7:05 amIt’s such a unique flavor, and I crave this every summer…I’m so happy that you loved it!
Richard H
June 10, 2017 at 11:51 pmTo reduce curdling I find it works well to reduce the amount of lemon juice and add some zest as well. I use the finely grated zest and juice from 3 large lemons. I add the zest to the ice cream base and let that soak in the fridge for 2 hours to bring out the fresh flavor of the lemon zest. Can also be left overnight if you prefer. I like to keep the zest in the ice cream but you can strain most of it out. Then mix well while slowly adding in the lemon juice. At this point you can put it through your ice cream maker. I will sometimes put it back in the fridge for a couple hours at this point, mixing it quickly every 20 minutes or so. The lower temperature and frequent mixing help to control the reaction between the juice and the cream. Instead of a full curdling and souring of the cream I find the reaction is just enough to just thicken it a bit. You can then run it through the ice cream maker. This method gives a more rich, smooth texture.
Leslie
June 4, 2017 at 4:41 pmCan you use coconut milk instead of cream and stevia instead of sugar? If so I’m ready to try! I love lemons and this sounds like heaven!!
Sue
June 4, 2017 at 5:09 pmAs long as you’re using an ice cream maker, you can substitute coconut milk, but just be aware that you’ll get that flavor coming through, and it won’t be quite as ‘creamy’ as with actual cream. And the stevia would be fine, too.
Julie
May 29, 2017 at 2:02 pmThis was just fantastic! I am doing low carb/ketone and all I did was so full cream and substitute sugar with erythritol and voila, gorgeous lemon ice cream that is to die for!
Sue
May 29, 2017 at 2:11 pmI love to hear this Julie because I was so proud of this recipe when I made it, and it’s remained one of my favorite ice creams, especially since you never see this flavor in stores or ice cream shops :) It’s really good to know that the sugar substitute worked.
Nancy
April 8, 2017 at 1:02 pmI have been looking for a lemon ice cream recipe that doesn’t use the eggs. I make strawberry rhubarb and it turns out wonderful Do you think I could use lemon curd (from a jar) instead of the lemon juice? Thank you so much!
Sue
April 8, 2017 at 2:06 pmYes, absolutely! Let us know how it turns out.
Dar Normand
November 18, 2016 at 8:21 amI’m a bit late here. Trying to find what to do with my Myers lemons that have ripened on the tree. My daughter doesn’t like cookies, cakes or cupcakes. It’s a texture things ha. My question is, I have an old style ice cream maker but don’t want to use it. Can I just mix together, pour into a container and freeze?
Sue
November 18, 2016 at 8:44 amHi Dar ~ it’s not always possible to convert a regular ice cream recipe to a no churn one…check out my no-churn recipes on the blog (http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/?s=no+churn) for ideas…I would suggest whipping the cream and using some sweetened condensed milk as your base, along with the lemon juice. Good luck, and I’m super jealous of your lemon tree!
Dar Normand
November 20, 2016 at 2:02 pmSue, thank you so much for responding. I will look into this. She loves SCM in a huge way.
Liz from Michigan
July 31, 2016 at 3:08 pmJust made the lemon ice cream and my husband wanted to thank you for the recipe! Best ever – super creamy and refreshing. I used the last of our Meyer lemon stash, and it was a great way to enjoy them. Thanks!
Sue
July 31, 2016 at 4:43 pmOh I’m so glad Liz — I think lemon is the best flavor for ice cream!
Liz from Michigan
August 27, 2016 at 12:38 pmI used the same recipe and made peach using 1/2 cup peach puree and almond flavoring. It turned out well – need to try your nectarine version!
Sue
August 27, 2016 at 12:39 pmNice, I need to try that, I’ve got some great peaches right now. Love that you used almond flavor :)
Ruth Cobb
September 5, 2013 at 6:56 pmThis would be really good on a berry pie. My husband talks about a lime ice cream that he had when he was a kid (many years ago. I might try to make a lime one too. Love the ease of this recipe.
Sue
September 6, 2013 at 7:06 amThanks Ruth–I agree, this would be fabulous with berries. I love the idea of a lime ice cream, let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Couscous & Consciousness
September 5, 2013 at 5:04 pmUtterly divine. Lemony desserts are my absolute favourite, so I have to try this. I often make a frozen lemon yoghurt in the same way – just a litre of Greek yoghurt, loads of lemon juice and zest, and a bit of sugar, churned up in the ice cream machine – never thought of using milk and cream instead. Love the simplicity of this, and yes a bit of chocolate shell over the top would be pretty divine too I think.
Suzanne
August 28, 2013 at 2:21 pmWhat a beautiful, refreshing ice cream! I adore lemon!
Ann
July 25, 2013 at 6:12 amThis was hands down one of our new favorite ice cream recipes. Just tried it last night. So smooth and creamy with the light taste of lemon. Usually chocolate is my first choice but this is going to the top of the list. Thanks so much!
Sue
July 25, 2013 at 7:39 amThanks, Ann, I just loved it, too. Of course I love chocolate, as well. I guess we’ll have to try to combine them next time!
Ilan
July 3, 2013 at 4:05 amSue, your lemon ice cream sounds marvelous. You could probably avoid it getting hard by adding more sugar, to lower the freezing point, but then it would be a tad too sweet for lemon ice cream. Sounds great!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
July 3, 2013 at 12:47 amThis sounds delicious!! I don’t think I’ve ever had lemon ice cream – just sorbet – but I know I would like it!
A Trifle Rushed
July 2, 2013 at 10:53 amYour recipe sounds so delightfully refreshing, I have book marked it for later in the year (I can’t get cream in France, only creme fraiche, so tend not to make ice cream there).
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
July 2, 2013 at 5:10 amI love anything lemon but I’ve never tried lemon ice cream. I’m craving a big bowl!
Mary Younkin
July 2, 2013 at 4:05 amThis looks and sounds awesome, Sue. I had scribbled out some ideas for a lemon ice cream, but wow, a 1/2 cup of juice?! I bet that is a serious lemony kick. I need to kick mine up and try your version now. It sounds delicious.
Denice Barker
July 2, 2013 at 3:09 amI have the same ice cream maker you do and today I made cherry chocolate chunk, yesterday fresh strawberry. Tomorrow mint chocolate! Can you tell me where you get the ice cream containers? I’d love to be able to use them, too.
belleau kitchen
July 1, 2013 at 6:45 pmWow. Looks so clean and fresh. I love lemon anything. The sharper the better! I’m now on feedly which I’m loving. Great list of ‘ways to follow’ xx
Eileen
July 1, 2013 at 6:39 pmLemon! This ice cream sounds just perfect for the hot days we’ve been having. Now, if only I can carve out a space for the ice cream maker bowl in our stuffed freezer… :)
San
July 1, 2013 at 11:33 pmI love lemon and I really love ice cream. The recipe looks so simple. I may make some for the 4th. I shared this recipe over on my blog (full credit given to you of course.) Thanks for a great recipe.
San
P.S. You photographs are also a treat.
Tricia Buice
July 1, 2013 at 10:54 pmHi my name is Tricia and I’m a lemon addict too. OK … I’m also addicted to ice cream. This recipe will be in my dreams. I made lemon curd ice cream once and loved it. This treat would make me very happy! Thanks Sue – hope you have a wonderful week.
Anonymous
July 1, 2013 at 9:15 pmUm, where’s the lemon extract?
bellini
July 1, 2013 at 8:14 pmThis is such a refreshing treat!!
Megan
July 1, 2013 at 8:10 pmI absolutely love simple ice creams without cooking and egg yolks. This is my kind of recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
July 1, 2013 at 4:14 pmI love this ice cream! And I don’t even love lemon, or ice cream (give me a brownie or a cookie usually) but this…I want THIS!