This Lemon Curd Ice Cream is tart and creamy yet light and sweet! Made with a pre-made eggless lemon curd, this easy homemade ice cream requires no ice cream machine at all! It only takes 15 minutes to mix up (minus freezing time) and no machine is needed! If that wasn't enough, it’s gluten free, nut free, egg free and can be made vegan with a few tweaks!
This Lemon Curd Ice Cream is not overly tangy or too mild with just a hint of lemon. It truly is loaded with lemon flavor while still being super creamy and sweet! Although the lemon curd does need to be made beforehand, no ice cream maker is needed for this recipe, making it super simple to whip up! For a less tart ice cream that still uses curd, try my Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream!
For more zesty lemon recipes, try my 3 ingredient Lemon Posset, Lemon Shortbread Cookies, my Lemon Sugar Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Loaf, my Lemon Cupcakes and my Lemon Curd Cookies!
Reasons To Love this Lemon Curd Ice Cream
- Allergy Friendly- This ice cream is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Super Creamy- This ice cream is so creamy and smooth!
- Lemon Juice and Zest- Using real lemons adds great tang like in my Lemon Buttercream Frosting! For even more tang, check out my Key Lime Cookies!
- Eggless Lemon Curd- Like in my Lemon Curd Pie, we use a quick and easy lemon curd recipe! It’s easy to make and so delicious. You will need to make it in advance for this recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- It helps the ice cream to be thick, creamy and sweet.
- Pure Vanilla Extract- Make sure the vanilla you use is pure and gf or the ice cream will have a chemical flavor.
- Lemons- This recipe uses about 6 lemons in total for the juice and zest combined. Make sure you use fresh squeezed from an actual lemon just like in my Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes.
- Eggless Lemon Curd- The recipe I have is completely egg free and can easily be vegan! You will need to make this ahead of time.
- Turmeric- We use this to make the lemon curd have that stunning yellow color but you can feel free to leave it out.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this into Vegan Ice Cream
- Use a dairy-free heavy whipping cream.
- Only use vegan sweetened condensed milk that's also gluten free.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
- If using store bought lemon curd, make sure it's vegan and gluten free.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Here are the step by step instructions to make this lemon ice cream!
Step 1: Zest the Lemons
Wash and dry all 6 lemons. Take a zester and zest 2 lemons. Put the zest in a little bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get crunchy. Set aside.
Step 2: Juice the Lemons
Take 6 lemons, cut them in half and juice 5.5 of them. Make sure to remove any seeds if they get in the juice. Set aside.
There should be about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of juice. If there isn't enough, juice the other half of the lemon. Keep ⅔ cup separate.
Step 3: Make the Eggless Lemon Curd
Add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt and turmeric to a medium pan and whisk to combine.
Whisk in the lemon zest, ⅔ cup lemon juice and milk.
Set pan over medium heat. Whisking the entire time, bring the curd to a boil. Once boiling, continue to whisk and boil for one minute. Then immediately remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Pour through a mesh colander into a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool. Once room temperature, cover and put in the fridge.
You want the lemon curd thick and cool when you make the ice cream. Make sure it is made at least 2 hours before and is cold from being in the fridge.
Step 4: Whisk the Sweetened Condensed Milk, Lemon Juice, Vanilla and Salt
In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, the remaining ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, vanilla and salt until combined.
It might take a minute or two for the lemon juice to fully incorporate with the sweetened condensed milk.
Step 5: Whip the Heavy Cream
In a separate large bowl, using a whisk or a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Step 6: Pour in the Condensed Milk Mixture
Once soft peaks form, pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream. Whisk again until stiff peaks reform.
Make sure not to over whisk. Stop as soon as you get a stiff peak.
Step 7: Layer the Ice Cream and Lemon Curd and Freeze
Using the spatula, pour ⅓ of the ice cream into a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
Then drizzle 3 tablespoons of cooled lemon curd all over the top of the ice cream. Take a butter knife and make swirls.
Pour another ⅓ of the ice cream on top and once again drizzle another 3 tablespoons of lemon curd. Once again swirl with the knife.
Repeat this process one more time for a total of 3 times. Cover the ice cream and freeze overnight.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make the Eggless Lemon Curd First- Make this first so that it can cool. It needs to cool for at least 2 hours prior to adding it to the ice cream. I suggest making it the night before so it will be nice and cool. If it has solidified too much before adding it to the ice cream, just pop it in the microwave in a heat safe bowl and heat in 5 second increments until easy enough to drizzle.
- Use Fresh Real Lemons- I know it's tempting to use lemon juice that is already made but it is best to use fresh lemons. This way the ice cream does not have a chemical taste.
- Let the Ice Cream Freeze Overnight- No churn ice cream is simple to make but very soft. It really does need to freeze overnight otherwise it will be a soupy mess within a minute of taking it out of the freezer.
- Let the Ice Cream Sit Out Before Serving- Normally no churn ice cream is super soft when left out and will turn to soup in seconds. The acidity of the lemon juice seems to make it stay frozen longer. After about 10-15 minutes on the counter, the ice cream will have that creamy texture it’s supposed to have.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. It needs about 6-7 hours to freeze.
No churn ice cream is super soft and needs a long time to solidify. If you don’t freeze it overnight, it will be a soupy mess within minutes of being on your counter.
This is not sponsored but the brand silk makes one. It says it’s gluten free but I don’t see a certified label, so I would look into that if you have celiac.
As for allergens, it does contain coconut, sunflower and faba bean protein, last time I checked the label. Please always double check ingredients.
Yes you can but keep in mind it will not be egg free/vegan. If using store bought, make sure it says gluten free and doesn't use gluten as a filler.
Store the ice cream in a 9 x 5 loaf pan or in an airtight ice cream container.
If using a loaf pan, cover the top with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two weeks.
These are my favorite air tight freezer safe ice cream containers.
Other Ice Cream Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Eggless Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
- ⅔ cup lemon juice (from about 3.5 medium lemons)
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 3 pinches turmeric (optional for color)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
For the Lemon Ice Cream
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 9 tablespoons eggless lemon curd
Instructions
Make the Eggless Lemon Curd
- Wash and dry all 6 lemons. Take a zester and zest 2 lemons.There should be 2 tablespoons of zest. If there is not, zest another lemon.
- Put the zest in a little bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get crunchy. Set aside.
- Take the 6 lemons, cut them in half and juice 5.5 of them. Make sure to remove any seeds if they get in the juice. Set aside.There should be about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of juice. If there isn't enough, juice the other half of the lemon. Keep ⅔ cup separate.
- Add the ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch (26 grams) and 1 pinch kosher salt to a medium pan and whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the 2 tablespoons lemon zest, ⅔ cup lemon juice and 1 ¼ cups milk.
- Set pan over medium heat. Whisking the entire time, add the 3 pinches of turmeric if desired and bring the curd to a boil.Once boiling, continue to whisk and boil for one minute. Then immediately remove from the heat and stir in the 3 tablespoons butter.
- Pour the lemon curd through a mesh colander into a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool, stirring periodically.Once room temperature, cover and put in the fridge.You want the lemon curd thick and cool when you make the ice cream. Make sure it is made ahead of time and is cold from being in the fridge.
Make the Lemon Ice Cream
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, ⅓ cups plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 pinch of kosher salt until fully combined.Make sure the lemon juice has fully incorporated into the condensed milk. This might take a minute or so.
- In a separate large bowl, using a whisk or a hand mixer, mix the 2 cups heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Once soft peaks form, pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream.Whisk everything together until stiff peaks form. Stop immediately when you see a stiff peak. Do not over whisk.
- Pour ⅓ of the ice cream into a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Then drizzle 3 tablespoons of cooled lemon curd all over the top of the ice cream. Take a butter knife and make swirls. Pour another ⅓ of the ice cream on top and once again drizzle another 3 tablespoons of lemon curd. Once again swirl with the knife. Repeat this process one more time for a total of 3 times.
- If using a loaf pan, cover the pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can also use an airtight freezer safe ice cream container.
- When ready to serve, let ice cream sit out for about 10-15 min prior to serving, to soften. Enjoy!
john says
Tried to find a good lemon ice cream recipe everywhere! Thanks for this!