Lemon Pie Ice Cream

Lemon Pie Ice Cream

Looks can be deceiving. Plain old vanilla ice cream?

No. Guess again.

It’s actually lemon. With some orange thrown in.

I based this ice cream on my father’s favourite lemon meringue pie recipe, which calls for condensed milk. With a bowl of oranges threatening to dissolve into a green powdery heap before my eyes, I salvaged the best looking one and added it to the mix. The results? An exceptionally creamy Philadelphia style ice cream with a light citrus flavour. No eggs. No firing up the stovetop. Just a few minutes with the microplane — important factors in this relentless summer heat.

My father, who opts for vanilla at the ice cream shop each and every time, says he liked it. A lot.

Look, the ice cream’s melting. Enough talk. Pass me a spoon.

Lemon Pie Ice Cream

Make 1 quart

  • juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • juice and zest of 1 orange
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 can (14 oz or 300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  1. Wash, zest and squeeze the lemons and orange. (Don’t used bottled lemon juice. It will taste metallic.)
  2. In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the cream, milk, condensed milk and sea salt. Add the juice and zest, stirring until evenly blended.
  3. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. If it’s really hot, pop the ice cream into the freezer a half hour before churning.
  4. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  5. Transfer to a resealable container and freeze at least another hour.

No Comments
  • Kathy - Panini Happy
    Posted at 09:44h, 24 July

    Sounds pretty perfect to me. I love the big bowl of ice cream scoops!

  • foodies at home
    Posted at 12:47h, 24 July

    If it has Dad’s stamp of approval than it’s a winner…unfortunately my dad hates lemon…So I don’t think I’ll invite him over for this one! Oh well, more for me!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 13:23h, 24 July

    @foodies at home, if you’re dad likes lime, you can always substitute 4 limes for the 2 lemons. Or not.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 15:36h, 24 July

    @Kathy – Panini Happy, thanks. When it comes to ice cream, go big or go home. (Although if I keep eating this stuff, I’ll “go big” myself into a new wardrobe.)

  • Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread
    Posted at 20:04h, 24 July

    This sounds so fresh and delightful!!

  • hannah {thepastrykook}
    Posted at 11:11h, 25 July

    definitely the most delicious match made couple ever!

  • Sophie
    Posted at 18:01h, 28 July

    MMMMM,..your ice cream looks like the real treat!

    I love the added condensed milk in here,..that must taste extra special!

  • Dina
    Posted at 19:31h, 28 July

    two cups whipping cream…now that’s my kind of ice cream 🙂

  • Cheryl Arkison
    Posted at 00:37h, 03 August

    Yum! I love ice cream with sweetened condensed milk. This would be fantastic as an ice cream pie in a graham cracker crust, or as a sandwich between two digestive cookies.

  • Amanda
    Posted at 11:58h, 20 August

    Sounds fresh and delicious. I’ve got the lemons, I only wish I had an orange too. 🙁

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:10h, 24 August

    @Jennifer @ Maple n Cornbread, thanks! If you do try it, let me know what you think.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:11h, 24 August

    @hannah {thepastrykook}, my father is a lemon aficionado. This gets his seal of approval, so you know it’s good.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:11h, 24 August

    @Sophie, the condensed milk makes it very creamy. I love that I can play with ingredients with my ice cream maker.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:13h, 24 August

    @Dina, yup. Nothing low cal here. But in my defense, you only need a small amount to feel satisfied. The challenge is listening to your stomach when your mouth is shouting for more.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:14h, 24 August

    @Cheryl Arkison, great idea. I put the graham crust right into the ice cream when I made coconut cream pie ice cream. I didn’t this time because the ice cream maker was at capacity. Love the graham cracker suggestion, too!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:15h, 24 August

    @Amanda, make it without the orange. It will be lovely, just a little different, that’s all.

  • Chloe
    Posted at 01:38h, 03 October

    Hi, I’ve been looking for a good lemon ice cream recipe and I stumbled across this one. I’m off to the shops to buy some condensed milk now! I’ll let you know how it goes.

    BTW: Is the sea salt a must have?

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 13:04h, 03 October

    @Chloe, glad you found the recipe!

    You don’t have to use sea salt. Regular table salt will do, but I’d reduce the amount to 1/8 tsp since table salt tends to be a bit harsher. However, if you choose to use Kosher salt, increase the salt by a pinch. You need a bit of salt to take the edge off the lemon.

    Hope you like the results.