How To Make Homemade Lemon Ice Cream (2024)

May 14, 2023May 1, 2024 Updated onMay 1, 2024

Refreshing, creamy and luxurious, this Lemon Ice Cream is a dream come true for lemon lovers. Made with Limoncello and a custard base that is infused with the bright flavors of lemon zest. This frozen lemon dessert has the perfect balance of sweetness to tanginess all while being extravagantly creamy.

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Difference Between Homemade and Store Bought Ice Cream

So here is the sad truth about almost all store-bought ice cream, they include ingredients that no-one would ever buy or keep on hand in their cupboard. Often, you will find all kinds of artificial ingredients.

On the other hand, homemade ice cream has simple ingredients we all recognize. Additionally, you can use the finest quality milk, cream, eggs, etc. This really can make a huge difference is the taste and overall satisfaction of ice cream.

Important Tip: If you have never had homemade ice cream you will notice a textural difference. This is because homemade ice cream does not have ingredients such as guar gum, locust bean gum and tara gum.

Secret to the Right Balance of Sweet to Sour with Lemon Ice Cream

The secret to making ice cream that has a bright and citrusy flavor without being too tangy is to use the lemon peels. The zest of the lemon has immensely flavorful oils. By peeling the lemons and letting them sit in the sugar overnight, the oils are pulled from the peels. The mixture is then added to the milk and eggs to make a super flavorful ice cream base.

Pro Tip: When peeling the lemons make sure to only peel the zest and leave the bitter white pith behind. See video for more details.

Scoopable Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream that has been sitting in the freezer for longer than a day has a tendency of becoming challenging to scoop. This often happens, even if it was made in an ice cream machine. There are a few secrets to making ice cream easy to scoop after being frozen. This Lemon Ice Cream uses one of the most popular approaches, the addittion of a small amount of alcohol.

Adding 1/4 cup of Limoncello to the ice cream base gives this ice cream amazing flavor. It also makes it very easy to scoop and serve. This is because alcohol does not freeze.

Why Make a Custard Base

An ice cream custard base includes milk, sugar and eggs yolks. These ingredients, in addittion to the heavy cream, creates a thick and smooth texture that makes the ice cream feel incredibly luxurious.

Ingredients

• Large Lemons– I highly recommend to remove the wax coating on store bought lemons before making this ice cream. See the “Dewaxing Store Bought Lemons” section below.
• Granulated Sugar– Organic granulated sugar as a tan like color to it. This can help in giving a natural yellow color to the ice cream.
• Whole Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream– I have recently fallen head over heels in love with Raw Farm products. Not only is their quality amazing, my sensitivity to milk is practically nonexistent with their products. Because of them, I can happily still enjoy ice cream.
• Egg Yolks– Similarly to organic granulated sugar, pasture raised eggs helps to give this Lemon Ice Cream a beautiful yellow shade. This is because pasture raised egg yolks have a deeper yellowish orange color than regular eggs.
• Limoncello– The addittion of Limoncello adds in another delicious layer of lemon and aids in making the ice cream easy to scoop. Either store-bought or Homemade Limoncello may be used.

Dewaxing Store Bought Lemons

Store bought lemons have a thin layer of wax sprayed onto the peel to make them more visually appealing. I highly recommend to remove the wax layer before making the ice cream by using one of the two methods below.

• Place lemons in a large heat safe bowl. Heat about 6 cups of water almost to simmering. Pour hot water over lemons and let sit for 5 minutes. Scrub each lemon under cold water using a clean sponge orvegetablebrush.
• Place lemons in a colander. Bring approximately 6 cups of water to a boil. Slowly pour boiling water over lemons. Using a clean sponge or vegetable brush, scrub each lemon under cold water.

How to Make

1. Start by dewaxing lemons if using store-bought lemons. (See “Dewaxing Store Bought Lemons” section above.)
2. Using avegetable peeler, remove the lemon peel leaving as much of the pith (white spongy part) behind. (XOXO vegetable peeler does a phenomenal job.)
3. Place the lemon peel strips into a bowl and pour sugar over the top of peels. Stir well and cover. Let sit on the countertop overnight, about 12 hours.
4. Once the lemon peels have sat with the sugar, transfer to a medium sized saucepan along with the milk, egg yolks and salt. Place over medium heat stirring constantly until hot and steamy, about 10 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. The mixture should thicken slightly.
5. Transfer the ice cream mixture to a heat safe bowl by straining through a fine mesh colander.
6. To the ice cream mixture add heavy whipping cream, limoncello and lemon juice. Stir well and cover. Refrigerate until chilled, about 8-12 hours.
7. Once chilled, add ice cream mixture to the inner lining of the ice cream maker making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Churn ice cream for about 25 -30 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer to firm, about 2-3 hours.

Best Tips When Making Lemon Ice Cream

• If using an ice cream machine similar to what is shown in the video, make sure to freeze the inner lining at least a day before churning the ice cream.
• These Ice Cream Containers are a wonderful way to store homemade ice cream to prevent freezer burn.
• Chill ice cream bowls before serving to help prevent ice cream from melting too soon on hot days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the ice cream mixture need to chill before adding to the ice cream machine?

Chilling for at least 8-12 hours will ensure that the ice cream mixture freezes well while being churned.

Can I use bottled lemon juice for this recipe?

I highly recommend to use fresh lemons for this ice cream. This is because the lemon zest is the star of this recipe adding in a bright and citrusy flavor without adding too much tanginess.

How do I prevent curdling when making the ice cream base?

Simply follow the recipe as written. You will see a slight separation of the ice cream mixture after chilling. All that needs to be done is to stir the mixture before adding to the ice cream machine.

Is this ice cream safe for children?

If serving children, I recommend to replace the Limoncello with 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.

More Luscious Lemon Recipes

Best Lemonade

Lemon Sorbet

Italian Lemon Pound Cake

Sticky Lemon Chicken

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Creamy Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

Sgroppino (Frozen Italian Lemon co*cktail)