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Easy Creamy Lemon Ice Cream Recipe | Kitchen Cents

Lemon Ice Cream

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Flavors of lemon cream pie frozen in a rich, creamy homemade lemon ice cream filled with zesty lemon curd and chunks of graham cracker.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chill/freeze Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 eggs or 8 yolks beaten
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 15 oz lemon curd/filling homemade or store-bought
  • 1 lemon juice and zest
  • 1 sleeve graham crackers about 9 sheets, crushed

Equipment

Method
 

  1. **See notes if using pasteurized eggs to speed up prep time. If using regular unpasteurized eggs, use the Custard Method below (longer process).
CUSTARD METHOD:
  1. In a saucepan, heat whole milk and eggs over medium heat until mixture reach 160°F. Make sure you whisk or stir the mixture continuously to avoid cooking the eggs or scorching the mixture. DO NOT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL. Remove from heat immediately once the mixture reaches 160°F.
MAKING THE ICE CREAM MIXTURE:
  1. In a bowl, mix lemon juice, zest, and curd together until well blended.
  2. Add sugar to the egg mixture. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute to help sugar begin to dissolve.
  3. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the crushed GRAHAM CRACKERS and LEMON CURD MIXTURE.
  4. Pour mixture into ice cream maker tub. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before churning. Mixture needs to be cold before churning.
  5. Once chilled mix in lemon curd mixture. Follow manufacturer directions on how to properly use your electric ice cream maker. **See notes about ice and salt for ice cream maker.
  6. Ice cream will begin to thicken within 20-30 minutes.
  7. When done, the mixture should be to the top of a 4 qt ice cream maker tube. Fold in graham cracker chunks, pour into a freezer-safe container. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the soft frozen ice cream then place container lid on top.
  8. Freeze (preferably in a deep freezer) for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Notes

Using pasteurized whole eggs can speed up the homemade ice cream making process by several hours. You can find pasteurized eggs in some grocery stores or specialty health food stores. They are a little more expensive but will save you quite a bit of time. When using pasteurized whole eggs you can skip the custard (cooking) method and go straight to mixing the ingredients and churning the ice cream. No need to chill the mixture before churning because it will already be cold.
Make sure you follow your ice cream makers ice to salt ratio. The amount of salt needed can be up to 2-4 cups. If you don't use enough salt with the ice, it won't freeze the ice cream is the ice will not be cold enough. The salt lowers the temperature of the ice which will freeze the ice cream mixture faster.
This recipe can be halved. Prep and freezing time will be similar to a full batch.

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