Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is a creamy homemade ice cream with the flavor of classic strawberry cheesecake in every bite. A rich cheesecake ice cream base is swirled with fresh strawberry sauce and buttery graham crumble, with a gluten-free option, for a frozen dessert that's tangy, fruity, creamy, and full of texture. Sweet strawberries, creamy cheesecake flavor, buttery graham crumbs, and ribbons of strawberry swirl make it completely irresistible.
This version keeps the cheesecake ice cream base creamy and tangy, then layers in a seedless fresh strawberry swirl and buttery graham cracker crumbs for crunch. It's inspired by strawberry cheesecake ice cream from an ice cream shop, but made at home with simple ingredients. Use regular or gluten-free graham crackers as needed. An ice cream maker keeps the texture smooth, creamy, and scoopable.
↓ Recipe
Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream Snapshot
- Creamy cheesecake flavor - Tangy and rich like frozen strawberry cheesecake.
- Fresh strawberry swirl - With bright ribbons of fresh berry flavor throughout.
- Cheesecake crust crunch - Buttery crumbs for cheesecake texture.
- Homemade ice cream - Avoids the artificial additives, corn syrup, or gums found in many store-bought options.
For more homemade ice cream recipes try my vanilla bean ice cream or lemon custard ice cream.
Chef's Tip: Why Use Whole Milk Powder
Whole milk powder adds extra milk solids without adding more liquid. That helps give homemade ice cream a creamier body, reduces iciness, and improves scoopability. It's a small ingredient that makes a noticeable difference in texture. This is the milk powder I use. It's handy to have in the pantry for many uses. It's used in my gluten-free poundcake recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cream cheese - Gives the ice cream its tangy cheesecake flavor.
- Heavy cream - Adds richness and creamy texture.
- Whole milk - Lightens the base so it's not too heavy.
- Sugar - Sweetens the ice cream and helps keep the texture scoopable.
- Whole milk powder - Adds body and creaminess, and reduces iciness.
- Vanilla extract - Adds classic cheesecake-style flavor.
- Strawberries - Fresh ripe strawberries make the swirl; frozen also work, thawed and drained of excess liquid.
- Graham crackers - Use regular or gluten-free oat grahams for the buttery cheesecake-crust crumble.
- Butter - For the graham crumbs as for the crust of a cheesecake.
Substitutions and Variations
- No graham crackers - Use crushed vanilla cookies, shortbread-style cookies, or leave the crumbs out.
Chef's Note: Why Use an Ice Cream Maker
For the best homemade ice cream, use an ice cream maker. As the base freezes, the machine churns continuously, adding air and keeping ice crystals small. That churning process is what creates a smoother, creamier texture than simply freezing the base in a container.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
When you get to the layering stage to create the swirls, don't use all of the strawberry sauce and crumbs. Save some to use as garnish at serving, or make extra to start with.
- Combine the milk and cream cheese in the blender and blend on low a few seconds, then add cream, sugar, milk powder, vanilla, blend briefly to combine. Chill overnight in the refrigerator for best results, or at least 4-6 hours. The colder the base the smoother the ice cream.
- Stir cold cheesecake ice cream base. then add to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturers directions. Make the strawberry sauce and the graham crumbs while it is churning.
- While the ice cream is churning, puree the berries and sugar in a blender and pour through a fine sieve over a bowl.
- With a ladle or the back of a large spoon, push the seeds out of the strawberry sauce for a smoother sauce.
- Reserve the strawberry sauce for the swirl for when the ice cream is done churning. Chill well before using.
- Melt butter in a small pan over medium-low heat, stir in crumbs, and toast for 1-2 minutes.
7. When done, cool and refrigerate before using in the ice cream.
8. When I cream is done churning, begin the layering. Ready your chilled strawberry and crumbs.
9. First layer, add some ice cream to your container, drizzle sauce over the top and sprinkle crumbs.
10. Next layer, add more ice cream, sauce, and crumbs. Work quickly as the ice cream is very soft as this stage.
11. After the last later, use a table knife to dray through the ice cream, creating swirls, then quickly get it into the freezer to set up for a few hours.
Serving Suggestions
Freeze for at least 4-6 hours after churning for firm scoops. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy within 1-2 weeks. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping if it is very firm.
Serve scoops plain, with extra strawberry sauce and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs on top.
Storing Homemade Ice Cream
Store strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a shallow freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface before covering to help prevent ice crystals.
More Strawberry Desert Recipes
If You Make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Please leave a comment and let me know how you enjoyed it! I love hearing from you and your comment help other readers as well. Thanks for supporting my site.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 ounces cream cheese soft, room temperature
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Graham crumble
- ⅓ cup gluten-free oat grahams or graham crackers finely crushed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Strawberry swirl
- 8 ounces fresh ripe strawberries or frozen, thawed
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar or monk fruit sweetener
Instructions
Make the ice cream base
- Add the milk and cream cheese to a blender and blend on low briefly until smooth. Add the cream, sugar, milk powder, vanilla, salt, and blend briefly until smooth. Refrigerate the ice cream base until very cold, a few hours to preferably overnight. The colder the base, the smoother the ice cream.
Make the swirl
- Add the strawberries and sugar to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the strawberries through a fine sieve into a bowl and push the seeds through with a ladle or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the swirl until after the ice cream is churned.
Make the crumble
- Toast the crushed oat grahams with melted butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Cool completely.
Churn ice cream
- Chill the base until very cold, preferably overnight. Before churning, stir it well, scraping the bottom of the container to reincorporate any settled sugar. Churn the cold cheesecake base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Layer the ice cream
- Spoon layers of churned ice cream into a loaf pan or freezer container, alternating with strawberry swirl and graham crumble. Drag a table knife gently through the layers to create ribbons. Leave some visible swirl on top.
Freeze until firm
- Freeze for 4-6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
Notes
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Comments
No Comments