• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Foodcentric Life
  • Easter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living Well
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living Well
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easter
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Living Well
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » 4th of July

    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

    Published: Sep 22, 2015 · Modified: Jul 6, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Homemade lemon ice cream is the perfect summer treat to combat soaring temperatures. This is a custard ice cream recipes using egg yolks, so it is rich, smooth and creamy. There's nothing like homemade ice cream to make everyone smile, so make a batch of this beautiful lemon ice cream. The flavor is tart, sweet and delicious.

    Lemon Gelato | AFoodCentricLife.com
    Scoops of lemon ice cream in a glass dish.

    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

    Because this lemon ice cream recipe is made with egg yolks, it's a custard ice cream. Custard ice creams are rich and dense, creamy and smooth, because the base is thickened with the yolks. They are sometimes referred to as frozen custards rather than ice cream, or French-style ice creams. Whatever you call them, custard ice creams are delicious, plus they scoop easier after being in the freezer versus getting icy. This is one of our favorites.

    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream ingredients

    For your shopping list:

    • Heavy cream
    • Whole milk
    • Lemons (for zest and juice)
    • Natural granulated sugar
    • Egg yolks
    • pinch of salt

    Tip #1: Choose the Right Pan

    Here's a quick pan lesson. When making a custard you need a heavy pan because the weight distributes heat gently and evenly. Even heat distribution cooks egg yolks without scrambling them. Almost any 3 quart heavy pot will do, but I prefer to use a pan called a saucier.

    A saucier has sloped sides versus straight sides, making whisking and stirring easier. I've used my 3 ½ quart Le Creuset small Dutch oven as well, because the sides are a bit sloped. If your pan has straight sides, just be more careful whisking and stirring to get into the edges of the pan. Good pans are an investment but you will have them forever. The saucier is also my risotto pan.

    Tip #2: Take Your Time

    Making custard starts with heating the dairy (cream, milk, etc) over medium heat. You don't want it to boil so turn down if needed. Add the lemon zest while the dairy heats to infuse it with lemon flavor. Let it heat for about 15 minutes. While the lemon is infusing whisk eggs and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.

    Next, add a ¼ cup of the hot dairy to the eggs yolks bowl and whisk until smooth. Do this again, and one more time. This is called tempering, so your egg yolks don't scramble when you pour them into the pan on the stove. Lastly pour the yolks into the pan on the stove and stir. Here's where you need to be patient, but it doesn't take long.

    Stir the custard as it cooks. You will feel it tighten up and thicken as you stir. The custard is done when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line through it. Remove from the heat, add lemon juice and pinch of sea salt.

    Top #3: Chill in an Ice Bath

    Set up a large bowl of ice and water for an ice bath and place a medium bowl inside the ice. Place a sieve over the medium bowl and pour the liquid custard through the sieve. This remove any stray bit of egg and the zest for a smoother ice cream. Chill the lemon custard ice cream base well in the refrigerator and churn when you are ready.

    Lemon Gelato|AFoodCentricLife.com
    Lemon ice cream after churning in ice cream maker.

    Lemon Ice Cream Notes

    I love cooking with Meyer lemons when in season. With their smooth skin, Meyer lemons are a little sweeter and more floral than a standard lemon.  It is a cross between a common lemon and a sweet orange or mandarin. If only regular lemons are available they work great as well.

    For another lovely lemony dessert, try this lemon mousse. And if you like to make ice cream, try this simple recipe for double strawberry ice cream.

    Lemon Gelato | AFoodCentricLife.com

    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

    Sally Cameron
    Lemon lovers rejoice with this creamy, dense, smooth and rich, custard based ice cream. Simple fresh ingredients. You'll need an ice cream maker. If you're making this in spring, try it with Meyer lemons if you can find them.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Freeze 6 hrs
    Total Time 6 hrs 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 307 kcal

    Equipment

    • Ice Cream Maker

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest use a microplane zester
    • ¾ cup natural granulated sugar
    • 5 large egg yolks
    • ⅔ cup lemon juice 3-4 lemons
    • pinch of salt

    Instructions
     

    • Pour cream and milk into a medium saucepan (about 3 quarts) and add lemon zest. Turn heat to medium low and allow the zest to infuse the half and half while you work on the eggs and sugar.
    • Create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water ¾ full and set aside to cool ice cream base. Set a medium bowl into the ice and pace a sieve on top. Whisk sugar and yolks together in a medium bowl until thick, pale and smooth. You’ll get a good arm workout.
    • Get the dairy hot but don't boil it. Add a ¼ cup of the hot dairy to the yolks and whisk until smooth. Do this several times to “temper” the eggs so they do not scramble when you add them into the pan to cook the custard.
    • Add the egg-sugar-dairy mixture back into the pan over medium-low heat and whisk continually. Turn heat down to low and cook until the custard coats the back of a spoon when you draw a line through it with your finger, just a couple of minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt.
    • Pour the liquid custard through the sieve into the medium bowl to catch any egg bits and lemon zest. Let the lemon custard chill. When cold cover and refrigerate until very cold then churn in your ice cream maker. When done, scoop into a container, cover and freeze for several hours.

    Notes

    Tip - Stirring the liquid custard speeds the cooling process. When it reaches 70°F or lower, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to get really cold. The colder it is, the faster it will freeze in your ice cream maker.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 198mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 635IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « How to Make Homemade Cashew Milk
    Bison Bolognese Meat Sauce »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean Carsey says

      February 01, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      I made this today using the lemons from our tree (not Meyer) and it was really good! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        February 03, 2018 at 9:28 am

        Thanks Jean. reminds me I have lemons on my tree, I should make some too!

        Reply
    2. Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says

      September 24, 2015 at 8:23 am

      I could really use some lemon gelato. 🙂 Does the lemon juice curdle the half and half? I have been wanting to make it since your previous post, but I am a little spooked about curdling.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        September 24, 2015 at 9:01 am

        Hey Madonna. It's so tasty and easy. No curdling issue a all. And any stray bits of coagulated egg were smoothed out in the blender, so you keep all of that fresh zest and lemony flavor. Try it and let me know how it goes, or if you have any questions. It's really a straight forward recipe.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    chef sally cameron | afoodcentriclifecom.bigscoots-staging.com

    Welcome! I'm Sally, a classically trained chef (but you don't have to be!). My passion is cooking fresh healthy food and sharing it with others.

    More about me →

    Easter Recipes

    • Bark bites on a round display plate for serving.
      Chocolate Bark Recipe (bark bites)
    • pork tenderloin with blackberry sauce
      Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce
    • hard boiled eggs
      How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel)
    • seared salmon with raspberry
      Pan Seared Salmon With Raspberry Sauce
    • crispy seared duck breast
      How to Cook Crispy Duck Breast
    • green beans almondine
      Green Beans Almondine with Lemon

    Popular Recipes

    • stamed salmon
      A Quick Lesson on How To Steam Salmon
    • Mushroom Duxelles
      Classic French Mushroom Duxelles
    • Chicken Marsala
      Chicken Marsala Recipe (without cream)
    • creamy cauliflower soup
      Smooth and Creamy Cauliflower Soup
    • white chicken chili
      Easy White Chicken Chili
    • easy chicken parmesan
      Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

    Footer

    as seen on

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Menu

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.