by Kara Cook 22 Comments
Cheesecake Ice Cream is, rich, creamy, and tangy, just like your favorite cheesecake. And of course it is chock full of pieces of graham crackers for the true cheesecake experience. An extra decadent homemade ice cream!
This version has a bit of lemon zest, which gives it an amazing fresh flavor. It’s not enough to make it overwhelmingly lemon, it just makes it taste extra special.
CHEESECAKE + ICE CREAM = HEAVEN!
Ice cream and cheesecake are two of my favorite desserts, so naturally I love it when they can be combined into one treat!
I’ve made blueberry cheesecake ice cream, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream, but I wanted to try one that tasted like straight up cheesecake. This is it!
It tastes absolutely amazing on its own, but of course it would also be tasty topped with any fresh fruit or pie filling. A perfect ice cream flavor for cheesecake fans like me. 🙂
What does cheesecake ice cream taste like?
This cheesecake ice cream is rich and creamy with a nice tangy cheesecake flavor. Rather than vanilla ice cream with chunks of cheesecake, the base is actually made with cream cheese, so every bite tastes like cheesecake, just in creamy frozen form!
How do you make homemade ice cream creamy and not icy?
Fat is what makes ice cream nice and smooth. Using cream instead of lower fat milk or other milk substitutes results in ice cream with ice crystals, because they have a higher water content.
Using eggs is another way to ensure that your ice cream is extra thick and creamy. This homemade cheesecake ice cream has fat from both cream and cream cheese, and also eggs, so it is extra creamy and luscious!
To skip my tips and tricks and just get to the printable recipe card, simply scroll to the bottom of the post.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
- heavy cream – This makes your ice cream incredibly rich and creamy.
- granulated sugar – Adds a perfect amount of sweetness.
- eggs – I use large eggs.
- light cream cheese – You can substitute full fat cream cheese if you prefer, or even fat free.
- lemon juice – Adds that extra tang that makes this cheesecake flavored ice cream extra delicious. I use fresh lemon juice, but bottled should work if that’s all you have.
- lemon zest – A bit of fresh lemon zest adds a fresh flavor to the ice cream without making it taste “lemony”. This ingredient is optional.
- vanilla extract – A good quality vanilla does make a difference in this ice cream.
- graham crackers – You can’t have homemade cheesecake without chunks of graham crackers!
DIRECTIONS:
- TEMPER THE EGGS: Whisk together just 1 1/2 cups of the cream, the sugar, and the eggs together in a heavy saucepan. Bring to barely a simmer over medium low heat; remove from heat. Don’t try to rush the process by cooking too fast. High heat will scramble your eggs!
- STRAIN: Pour the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps. This step is optional but recommended.
- BLEND: In a large bowl (preferably with a lid), beat the cream cheese till soft and creamy. Gradually beat in the hot cream mixture.
- CHILL: Cover and chill for 4-5 hours, or overnight. You can speed up the process by placing your bowl or pan in a sink full of ice water for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This step makes your ice cream freeze faster in the ice cream maker.
- FINISH: To the cold mixture, add the remaining 1 cup of cream, zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- FREEZE: Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container and stir in the broken graham crackers. At this point you will have soft serve ice cream. Feel free to eat it immediately, or continue to step 7 for harder ice cream.
- RIPEN: Scoop into a freezer safe container and freeze for 3-4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
LOVE CREAM CHEESE? TRY THESE RECIPES:
- Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese
- Turtle Cheesecake
MORE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM:
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Butterfinger Ice Cream
- French Vanilla Ice Cream
CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM RECIPE
Yield: 8 servings
Cheesecake Ice Cream
Ultra rich and creamy ice cream that tastes like cheesecake. Serve it plain or top it with berries or pie filling. So decadent!
Prep Time20 minutes
Additional Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 12 oz light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest (optional)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 graham crackers, coarsely crushed
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the cream, the sugar, and the eggs together in a heavy saucepan. Bring to barely a simmer over medium low heat; remove from heat.
- If desired, pour the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- In a large bowl (preferably with a lid), beat cream cheese till soft and creamy. Gradually beat in the hot cream mixture.
- Cover and chill for 4-5 hours, or overnight.
- To the cold mixture, add the remaining 1 cup of cream, zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container and stir in the broken graham crackers. Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until scoopable.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 536Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 225mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 0gSugar: 44gProtein: 8g
Love cheesecake and ice cream? Now you don’t have to choose between them. With this cream cheese ice cream, you get the best of both worlds!
