Unbelievably creamy lemon ice cream brimming with swirls of luscious lemon curd and buttery shortbread cookies!
I know it’s only March, but is it too soon to begin discussing ice cream?
Good, I didn’t think so.
In my opinion, ice cream should be a year-ROUND thing. Why limit it to only 3 or 4 months of the year? I don’t care how frigid the temperatures are, I’m ALL about that cold and addictively creamy goodness!
So today, I’m bringing you a sweet and indulgently zesty treat that’s guaranteed to satisfy any and ALL ice cream cravings.
Spring might’ve just begun, but this bright and citrusy Lemon Bar Ice Cream will have you thinking it’s already summer! With buttery shortbread cookies and sumptuously tart and tangy lemon curd swirled throughout creamy lemon ice cream, every spoonful is pure joy. One bowl simply won’t be enough!
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Bar Ice Cream
No-Churn Recipe: I’m obsessed with no-churn ice cream recipes! You don’t need an ice cream machine or any special equipment. Plus, it requires fewer ingredients than your standard ice cream recipe, and the process is so much easier.
Homemade lemon curd is EVERYthing: What makes this ice cream so heavenly is the delicious homemade lemon curd swirled throughout. It might be the more time-consuming component of this recipe, but it’s SO worth it. There’s simply no comparison to store-bought lemon curd, and you’ll most likely want to make up an extra batch for yourself.
Perfect balance of sweet and sour: This ice cream has the best balance of flavors. The ice cream base is lemony, but not too tangy, which pairs well with the sweet shortbread cookies and the tart lemon curd.
Super DUPER creamy: Due to the fact that this ice cream has a higher milk fat content than most standard ice cream recipes, it’s supremely creamy! It also doesn’t melt as quickly as other ice creams, making every spoonful incredibly cloud-like.
Tips for Making Lemon Bar Ice Cream
Make the lemon curd first: The lemon curd needs to cool COMPLETELY before it’s swirled into the ice cream. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a huge mess on your hands. So before you get started on the ice cream base, make the lemon curd first. To speed up the cooling process, I recommend pouring the lemon curd into a shallow bowl before placing it in the refrigerator. It should take no longer than an hour for the lemon curd to cool. And if you chill it in the freezer, it’ll cool even faster! Just make sure to stir the curd every 10 minutes or so.
Chill the ice cream container: Whatever container you’re storing the ice cream in, place it in the freezer a good 10 minutes before filling it with the ice cream. This will not only prevent melting, but it’ll keep the ice cream fluffier as you’re layering it with the lemon curd.
Layer the ice cream with the lemon curd: I like to use a layering process when the ice cream involves swirling deliciousness throughout. In this case, it’s swirls of lemon curd! Layering allows for a more even distribution of lemon curd, and you end up with those perfect pockets of lemon curd throughout.
To layer, you’ll pour about 1/4 of the ice cream into the container. Then you’ll drop teaspoonfuls of the lemon curd evenly over the ice cream. Spread another 1/4 of the ice cream on top, and drop more teaspoonfuls of the lemon curd on top. Repeat this process two more times until you’ve used up the rest of the ice cream and lemon curd. If you still have lemon curd leftover (I did), just save it for a delicious yogurt parfait or a golden slice of toast! After you’ve layered all of the ingredients, use a butterknife or a chopstick to swirl figure-eights throughout the ice cream. Try not to over-swirl, or you won’t end up with those thick pockets of lemon curd.
What kind of shortbread cookies should I use?
For this recipe, I used Keebler’s Sandies cookies. However, you could also use Pepperidge Farms Chessmen or Dublin shortbread cookies. Lorna Doone shortbread cookies are also perfect for this recipe. As long as the cookie is thick, buttery, and tender, it’ll go great in this ice cream.
Lemon Bar Ice Cream
Ingredients
Lemon Curd:
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Lemon Ice Cream:
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups coarsely-chopped shortbread cookies (I used 12 Keebler Sandies)
Instructions
Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 3-5 minutes minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a shallow bowl (for quicker cooling). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Ice Cream:
- In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together until combined.
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Pour 1/3 of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the bowl, and continue mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Fold in most of the chopped cookies. Reserve a few pieces for the top.
- Pour 1/4 of the custard into a freezer-safe container; smooth out evenly. Drop teaspoonfuls of the lemon curd evenly over the custard. Repeat this layering process three more times until you've used up all of the custard and curd. (You might have a little lemon curd leftover.)
- Use a skewer or butterknife to swirl figure-eights throughout the ice cream. Sprinkle reserved cookie pieces on top.
- Chill the ice cream in the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Scoop, serve, and enjoy!