This homemade lemon ice cream recipe is so easy, and it’s the perfect summer dessert. All you need to make it are fresh ingredients and a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.
When you think of summer, what comes to mind? For me, it’s pool time, warm weather, flip-flops, long walks, and plenty of ice cream. There’s just something about a frozen treat on a hot day that makes everything feel a little more special. Today I’m sharing a simple and refreshing homemade lemon ice cream recipe that’s full of bright flavor…and the best part? It couldn’t be easier to make.
Before getting into the recipe details, I want to share a short summer story. When I was growing up, my mom and dad made ice cream every summer in our hot garage using an old crank ice cream maker. Eventually, they upgraded to an electric one, which helped, but the tradition stayed the same. My mom prepared the mixture, and my dad took care of the churning while my brothers and I gathered old lawn chairs or buckets and sat around the ice cream maker, waiting for it to stop. As it began to slow down, our anticipation grew. The rock salt and ice made quite a mess, but my parents never seemed to mind. That homemade ice cream was always such a treat, and it had the most incredible taste. It’s one of those sweet memories from childhood that has stayed with me.
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Why This Recipe Works
This homemade ice cream recipe works so well because it’s simple, fun, and perfect for summer. Using a Cuisinart ice cream maker takes all the guesswork out of the process, so you can enjoy homemade ice cream anytime. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved, especially the kids. Everyone can take part, from mixing the ingredients to watching the ice cream come together.
Instructions
- Prepare to make the ice cream by placing the Cuisinart bowl in the freezer for 24 hours.
- In a large bowl, place milk, whipping cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk to combine, or use a mixer on low speed.
- Add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine well.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the milk mixture from the refrigerator and gently whisk together.
- Remove the Cuisinart bowl from the freezer and place it on the ice cream maker.
- Pour the milk mixture into the frozen bowl.
- Add the mixing paddle and easy-lock lid. Churn for 20 minutes.
- When finished, put the ice cream in a freezer safe container.
- Freeze until firm.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest if desired. Serve & enjoy!
Tips For Great Ice Cream
- As the mixture churns, it also expands. Towards the end of the churning time, it may start to overflow just a bit. It’s nothing to worry about, because by that time the ice cream is set, and no dripping occurs.
- The Cuisinart freezer bowl is really very nifty. It can be stored right in the freezer, so it’s ready to go anytime you feel like making ice cream!
- After the finished ice cream has been in the freezer a while, it gets very hard. Just remove it from the freezer for about 10 minutes before serving. It will be much easier to scoop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
(adapted from cuisinart.com)
- Vanilla Ice Cream: 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon high quality vanilla bean paste. (This is what I made my dad, and it was delicious!)
- Chocolate Ice Cream: 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
Shop + Source
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker | set of 6 yellow bowls | ice cream scoop | set of 4 yellow towels | white handled flatware | citrus juicer | citrus zester | glass loaf pan with lid | lemon table runner
If you’re on the fence about purchasing an ice cream maker, I want to encourage you to give it a try. It’s the best way to get that fresh, old-fashioned taste and creamy consistency that’s hard to find in store-bought ice cream. I love that there’s nothing to cook, and the process is quick and easy. After reading tons of reviews, I chose a Cuisinart model, and I’m confident it was the right decision. I wish I had one when my kids were young, but since I can’t go back, I plan to make ice cream with my grandchildren. My hope is that it becomes a summer tradition when everyone gathers at Grandma’s house.
If lemon is a favorite in your kitchen, you might also enjoy a simple lemon cake, a classic lemon loaf, tender lemon scones, lemon poppy seed muffins, or a batch of homemade lemon cookies. Each recipe is easy to make and full of that bright, fresh flavor that makes lemon desserts so appealing year-round. For more fresh ideas, see this collection of easy lemon recipes, including desserts, drinks, quick breads, and simple dinner recipes.
Homemade Lemon Ice Cream
Equipment
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (just a pinch)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (heaping)
Instructions
- Prepare to make the ice cream by placing the Cuisinart bowl in the freezer for 24 hours.
- In a large bowl, place milk, whipping cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk to combine, or use a mixer on low speed.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine well.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the milk mixture from the refrigerator and gently whisk together.
- Remove the Cuisinart bowl from the freezer and place it on the ice cream maker.
- Pour the milk mixture into the frozen bowl.
- Add the mixing paddle and easy-lock lid. Churn for 20 minutes.
- When finished, put the ice cream in a freezer safe container.
- Freeze until firm.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest if desired. Serve & enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. A quick rating or comment is always appreciated, and helps other readers too.
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Hi,
How big is the serving size? I want to make 3 gallons.
Could you make this using kitchenaide rice cream attachment?
It’s like Summer in a bowl! This ice cream is bursting with lemon flavor. Very refreshing! My children and I really enjoyed this treat :)
I made this recipe and I absolutely love it! This ice cream recipe is so easy to make and it is so refreshing.
Thank you for coming back to leave a comment…and thank you for the rating. I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the recipe, Ann! I have an ice cream maker by Pampered Chef. I use a sugar substitute(Lakanto) to make it sugar free. Yum!
I came across this site looking for a lemon ice cream recipe. The Cuisinart booklet does not have one; only a gelato or custard version. I did not want to try any of the cooking/heating methods. A few I found on the internet also had those heating methods.
At first, I could not figure out if this would work. Wouldn’t the lemon juice + cream = curdle? I tried it though; glad I did. I used half and half since I was out of milk and it is very fluffy/whipped, but the lemon taste is perfect! Not all spikey/sharp like a store bought, but very lemony.
So great. Good one to try even if you aren’t a lemon person. haha.
I doubled this recipe, Jeff out the lemon juice and zest, and made a very tasty vanilla ice cream. You can purée any fruit though and add that for different flavors. We made cherry, strawberry and raspberry ice cream with this recipe! Works great!!
Ann, I remember sitting on towels on top of the freezer while my Dad turned the crank when I was a girl. Later, like your parents we got an electric freezer. Your homemade lemon ice cream looks delicious but I also have a recipe using a half gallon of store bought vanilla ice cream. Let it soften and add a can of frozen lemonade which has defrosted and also a cup of orange juice. Refreeze in a container. It is delicious. The original recipe said to serve it in hulled out oranges.
Your summer story brought back such special memories for me…thank you. This recipe sounds divine – I need to look into getting a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Yum!
If you don’t have a Cuisinart ice cream maker I highly suggest you buy one!
We keep the insert for ours in the freezer so it is ready to go. For a crowd I make 2 batches and freeze – I make a vanilla batch first then the flavored so I don’t even wash off the “beater” of batch one. If any of you are fans of soft serve ice cream or custard this is just like that if you freeze for only a short time. All fresh ingredients, no preservatives and flavor of you choice. Can’t wait to try this recipe Ann, sounds refreshing. Thanks for posting