I am always down for lemon desserts. Lemon bars, lemon cake, lemon sorbet… you name, I’m here for it. This lemon custard ice cream is beautifully bright and refreshing, yet decadent. It’s the perfect summer (or anytime) dessert!
Here’s what you need:
Essentially, what you are going to be doing here is making lemon curd, then tempering the uncooked curd with warm cream and milk. That will become your custard which will be later made into ice cream.
I’ve tried making this recipe with three lemons and with four lemons and tasted them side by side and I could NOT decide which I liked better. Three lemons makes an ice cream that is balanced and creamy with a light, lovely lemony flavor. With four lemons, it was punchy and bright, like a lemon drop candy, and I loved it too! I couldn’t bear to have to choose between them so I will leave it to you to decide what type of flavor you are going for.
Here’s a quick edit:
Lately, I’ve been asked for more specific measurements for the lemon juice. I totally understand that. No two lemons are the same size or have the same quantity of juice. So if you are making this recipe for the very first time I can definitely see how not having a proper measurement would be problematic.
I have been revisiting this retesting and tasting this recipe a lot (I know, poor me) and measuring my lemons along the way. I tried finding the most ‘average’ sized lemons possible, (of course some are larger than others and vise versa) and I recommend when choosing your lemons to give them a squeeze to test for juiciness. If one is rock hard, then move on.
Anyway, if you are going a lighter lemon flavor then, make sure your lemons produce 6 to 9 tablespoons of juice. If you are going for a stronger, punchier lemon flavor, you will need 8 to 12 tablespoons. If you want something in the middle, go for 8 to 10 tablespoons. Anything under 6 or over 12 tablespoons would not be good for this recipe.
How to make lemon custard ice cream:
Once you’ve decided on your lemons, remove the zests and pop them in a food processor with the sugar and let it go until it looks like very fine yellow sugar. Be sure you are only getting the lemon zests in here and not the white pith. Lemon pith ice cream just doesn’t sound very appetizing.
Cream the softened butter with a mixer until it is fluffy and light, then add the lemon sugar and mix until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down any butter or sugar hanging out at the top as well as any that is down at the very bottom of the bowl that doesn’t want to get mixed in.
With the mixer slowly running, add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. I know what you are thinking at this point. “Wow Christen, this looks kind of gross!” There’s no way this is right!” I assure you, it is ok! The lemon juice caused the butter to curdle but don’t be alarmed. Once we heat it, it will smooth out. It will be fine.
Make the custard.
Go ahead and heat your milk and cream to a simmer. You can have them on the stove on low flame while you are making your butter, sugar, lemon mixture, but just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t scald.
Once it comes to a simmer, remove it from the heat. Then very slowly drizzle a few ladles of the hot cream into the lemon, egg, butter mixture while stirring. This is tempering. You are cooking the eggs slowly so as not to scramble them. Pour the custard back into the pan with the remaining cream and heat, while continuously stirring, on medium until it reaches about 165 degrees. It should be thick and silky at this point.
Pass through a strainer.
Et Voila! Lemon custard! Try to resist the urge not to just drink this whole thing right now. If you did, I certainly wouldn’t blame you. I have trouble restraining myself as well. Taking a few spoonfuls for quality control won’t hurt anyone.
Let the custard chill.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and place it in the fridge and try to forget about it. It has to get cold, like as cold as the refrigerator, which will take at least four hours if not longer.
Make the ice cream.
Once the custard is cold pour it into your ice cream maker and churn for 15 to 25 minutes. I use this neat little ice cream maker attachment that goes onto my Kitchenaid which is great because I don’t have to have an entirely separate appliance.
Once your ice cream is ready, transfer it to a container and pop in the freezer to harden.
Enjoy this lovey lemon custard ice cream on its own or with fresh berries or scooped on top of a summer fruit crumble!
More recipes to try:
- Lavender Lemon Bars with Pistachio Crust
- Orange and Vanilla (Dreamsicle) Ice Cream
- Raspberry Lemon Drop Pound Cake
Lemon Custard Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 3-4 lemons zested and juiced
- 6 tbsp butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove the lemon peel and put into the bowl of a food processor with the sugar. Process on high until the zest is finely minced and blended with the sugar.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter then add the lemon sugar until well combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. With the mixer running on low, add the egg yolks then lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.Heat heavy cream and milk in a medium sauce pan until it is simmering but not boiling. Slowly drizzle a few ladles of the hot milk into the egg mixture while continuously mixing to cook the custard without scrambling the eggs. Then pour the entire egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Heat the custard on medium while stirring until it reaches 165 degrees. Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard. Chill in the refridgerator for at least 4 hours or until it reaches a temperature of less than 41 degrees.Once the custard is cold pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Once ice cream is ready, pour into a container and place in the freezer to harden.
My lemons are on the small side. Could you estimate how much lemon juice you used?
Hey Chantelle! The exact measurement varied actually. When I tried it with the 3 lemons, the flavor of the ice cream was more balanced, creamy with a lighter lemon flavor. With the 4 lemons, the ice cream came out much more sharp, with a punchy lemon flavor. Both varieties I loved, which is why I gave the option of doing it either way. I totally understand wanting a measurement because I usually prefer that. Average lemons produce 2-3 tablespoons of juice. So for my recipe, the ice cream with the lighter lemon flavor would have 6-9 tablespoons. And then the punchier lemon ice cream would have 8-12 tablespoons. So if you want to be somewhere in the average, I would go for around 8 tablespoons, which is a half cup. And don’t forget to use the zest as well! I hope that helps! If you have any other questions, let me know!