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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!

ice cream in two stacked bowls with lemons in the back.


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 in lemon ice cream.

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 
process shot of lemon ice cream.
process shot of lemon ice cream.
process shot of lemon ice cream.
process shot of lemon ice cream.

How to make lemon ice cream

  1. Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form then set aside.
  2. Stir together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and zest, and lemon extract. 
  3. Fold in whipped cream to the wet mixture.
  4. Freeze in an airtight container and freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours or overnight.
ice cream in two stacked bowls with lemons in the back.

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

Is lemon ice cream good?

It’s a Summer favorite frozen dessert recipe since it’s no-bake, so easy, and incredibly refreshing. 

How long does ice cream last?

If left frozen in an airtight container, your ice cream should remain fresh for up to 1 month. 

Can you put lemon juice in ice cream?

Yes, you can. I do prefer fresh lemon juice over the store bought and i recommend fresh lemon zest. 

ice cream in two stacked bowls with lemons in the back.

Easy Lemon Ice Cream Recipe

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No ice cream machine is needed – just a few ingredients you stir together and freeze to make a rich and decadent, creamy lemon ice cream.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Yield 8 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

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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 Video

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.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Last Updated on June 19, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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104 Comments

  1. This sounds really easy and looks delicious!
    Thank you for sharing this at Wednesday Extravaganza – Hope to see you there again next week with more deliciousness 🙂

    Reply

  2. 4 ingredients???? I’m pinning this one for sure! I love lemon in the winter! We all need a little taste of summer in the middle of January! I can’t stand any temperature below 75! And my husband calls me his “furnace”. Thats probably why my dog sleeps snuggled up against me, so I can keep her warm! Thanks for sharing at Once Creative Weekend!

    Reply

  3. Ohhh my this looks DELISH!! I’ll be making this for my b-day Sunday. It’ll be my own special no-fat treat. 😉

    While living in Chicago I took the kids out for ice cream. We were the only ones in the place. Maybe because it was in the dead of winter and we had to eat our hot fudge brownie sundaes with our gloves on. lol Of course, now I blame gaining some weight on being able to eat ice cream year round – we relocated to Orlando Florida. LOL

    Reply

  5. WOW, this looks so refreshing! {middle of winter or not}. Know what I like about this? NO ice cream maker! I have never had any luck with those things. And who wants to have THAT much salt around, anyway? And hey, it’s ‘skinny’, so who cares if you eat it in the middle of the night? I won’t tell.

    Reply

  6. Visiting from the “Chocolate, Chocolate & More” party – and I’ve already told you how yummy this looks!! Cannot wait to try this recipe but your “recipe dance card” is getting full… I’ll be making “Crazy For Crust” recipes until 2014 at this rate… 🙂
    – Claire

    Reply

      1. Just saw this tweet and was reminded AGAIN how much I need to make this. My new “Best Of The Weekend” party just premiered yesterday {eeek!} so I hope you will link up sometime! 🙂

      1. I’ll be featuring your ice cream later today. I hope you’ll be back tonight to link up again!

  8. I really don’t know why I’m so intimidated by making ice cream. This looks fantastic and easy! I must try it!

    Reply

  9. I’m the exact same too! I walk around all day in big heavy jumpers and still have cold feet, nose and hands going red and purple (yet the fella and kids walk around half nekkid complaining they’re hot!) But as soon as night falls and it’s bedtime, that’s it.. lava time! I wake up sweating even though the heating’s off during the night and even when half of my body in uncovered too. Can’t understand it.

    I so need to make this ice cream and maybe eat some in the middle of the night too. Or if all else fails, smother it on me to keep cool! 😆 I love lemon desserts soooo much. Just need to find an alternative to the cool whip. Hmm…

    Reply

    1. You can use heavy cream (2 cups) whipped to stiff peaks. It just won’t be fat free! 🙂

      Thanks Lisa!

      Reply

  10. Oh 2 ingredient ice cream how I adore you!!! I really do need to try this skinny version the next time I am craving ice cream….doesn’t happen to me often, but when it does look out!!! Your pics look awesome!!!

    Reply