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!

First, before we get into the recipe details, a short summer story.

When I was growing up, my mom and dad made ice cream every summer. We had an old crank ice cream maker, and the whole process took a few hours. (At some point we did get an electric ice cream maker and that made the job easier.) We made it in our garage, and it was always hot. My mom would make the mixture, and my dad would handle the churning. My brothers and I would gather up old lawn chairs or buckets, and sit around the ice cream maker, just waiting for the ice cream to stop churning. As the ice cream maker slowed down, our anticipation would always go way up. The rock salt and ice made such a mess, but my parents never seemed to mind. That ice cream was always such a treat, and it had the most incredible taste. It’s a piece of my childhood that I will never forget.

Making ice cream in a Cuisinart isn’t the same thing, but it did bring back some good memories. I made a batch of vanilla ice cream as a practice run, and gave most of it to my dad. He thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Tips for Delicious Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

• Most homemade ice cream recipes can be made in the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. The thing to pay attention to is the amount of liquid you put into the freezer bowl. Do not overfill it. The magic number when it comes to the combination of liquids is 3 cups. (For this lemon ice cream I used 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, and 1/2 cup lemon juice. It all equals 3 cups.)
• The milk mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Minimum refrigeration time is 2 hours, overnight is best.
• 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.

Can lower fat milk & cream be used?

Yes…definitely. Keep in mind though that the higher fat products are what makes the ice cream rich and creamy. If less fat is used, the texture will be different, as well as the consistency.

Homemade Ice Cream 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.

If you make this homemade lemon ice cream, and love it, please consider coming back to leave a comment and 5-star review. It would help me so much, and I would really appreciate it!