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This creamy and refreshing homemade lemon ice cream is made without an ice cream machine and will have you dreaming of summer days. Just mix, stir, and freeze 5 simple ingredients together – it’s a creamy no churn ice cream recipe!
Easy Lemon Ice Cream – No churn!
Lemon lovers, rejoice! This easy no-churn lemon ice cream recipe is full of sweet and tangy lemon flavor that’s sure to be a hit. I love easy ice cream recipes, especially when they don’t require an ice cream machine.
I made this lemon ice cream the “easy” way without the use of an ice cream maker, AKA No Churn Ice Cream.
This recipe is heaven: It has an easy ice cream base that has the perfect lemon and sweet creamy balance. Toss your fresh ingredients together and freeze overnight to get the best no-churn lemon ice cream ever!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- You do not need an ice cream maker
- It’s full of fresh lemon flavor
- It tastes sweet and tangy
- Only 15 minutes of prep time
Ingredients needed
- Lemon: one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Heavy whipping cream: You make fresh whipped cream which becomes the base of the ice cream.
- Sweetened condensed milk: no need to add any sugar to this recipe since the sweetness comes from here
- Lemon Zest: adding lemon zest makes any dessert more aromatic and flavorful
- Lemon extract: this is the secret ingredient to getting the perfect lemon flavor
How to make lemon ice cream
- Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form then set aside.
- Stir together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and zest, and lemon extract.
- Fold in whipped cream to the wet mixture.
- Freeze in an airtight container and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Expert Tips
- Leave your ice cream in the freezer overnight for a harder ice cream texture.
- Want a fat-free ice cream? Use a fat-free Cool Whip in place of the heavy cream and swap fat-free sweetened condensed milk.
- If you prefer soft serve ice cream, then freeze this recipe for about 3 hours instead of overnight.
FAQs
It’s a Summer favorite frozen dessert recipe since it’s no-bake, so easy, and incredibly refreshing.
If left frozen in an airtight container, your ice cream should remain fresh for up to 1 month.
Yes, you can. I do prefer fresh lemon juice over the store bought and i recommend fresh lemon zest.
Easy Lemon Ice Cream Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Stir together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and zest, and lemon extract. Fold in whipped cream.
- Place in an airtight container and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to use fat free sweetened condensed milk
- Want a fat free ice cream? Use fat free Cool Whip (2 8-ounce containers) in place of the heavy cream.
Thank you sooo much for this machine-not-required recipe! I have been searching for ways to make ice cream since my husband and I have moved to Germany and (sadly) had to leave the ice cream maker behind. This recipe turned out surprisingly creamy and a fun variation I discovered…adding blended basil leaves…weirdly herby, yet refreshing! Thanks, again!
Oooooh, basil. Such a great idea Jen!!
I was looking for ice cream recipes and came across this one. I love lemon, and I love ice cream, so perfect combo! To my dismay I discovered that this is NOT ice cream! The title is so misleading. 🙁 There’s not even cream in it. Disappointed! Maybe it should be called frozen lemon dessert?
Just saw your notes for a cream version. Excellent! We don’t eat the artificial toxic stuff that is Cool Whip here!
Hi, my country does not sell cool whip. I’m not sure what is it? Is it cream block?
It’s a fake whipped cream – I like to use it because you can buy it sugar-free or fat-free. You can substitute whipped cream instead: take 2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream and whip until stiff peaks form, then fold it in in place of the cool whip. It won’t be skinny, but it’ll be just as good!
Is creativity your middle name? I’m thinking so because this looks incredible. Now that it is actually warming up, I have an acceptable reason to make this! Pinned!
Thanks Mary!! You’re sweet. It’s gonna be 100 here this weekend. I need to make ice cream!
So pretty! Meyer lemons sound amazing right now.
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