Indulge in creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream this summer! It's every thing you love about a classic cheesecake - in a creamy frozen form!
With a rich custard base, sweet ripe strawberry compote swirls and buttery graham cracker crust for that traditional cheesecake crust flavor, it's perfect for anytime you're craving a homemade ice cream with nostalgic vibes! This churned ice cream recipe is bursting with strawberry flavor, perfect for summer parties, birthdays and plain old relaxing on hot summer days.
I also love Dulce de Leche Ice Cream for the salty-sweet combo. Sweet Potato Ice Cream is a great new flavor you might not have tried yet!
A Quick Glance At The Recipe
- ⏰Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 🧊Freezing Time: 8 hours
- 🛒Ingredients: 12, including salt
- 🍽️Serves: 10 servings
- 💪Difficulty: Easy - Perfect for all your summer weekends, parties and birthdays
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Stove Top, Churning + Freezing
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Yes! Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is the perfect make ahead dessert. Make up to 2 weeks in advance and store in an airtight container in the freezer
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The rich & creamy texture of this frozen custard recipe adds to its appeal, with a variety of textures added in, just like real strawberry cheesecake!
- You'll get a taste of my strawberry compote recipe which can be used in Strawberry Cheesecake Cones, Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies and Bite Sized Cheesecakes!
- Make ahead friendly! It keeps for up to 2 months in the freezer!
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese works best to achieve that real cheesecake flavor.
- Milk: Don't use reduced fat milk here or your base will be too icy.
- Egg Yolks: Using just the yolks adds fat, which is creamy and helps thicken the ice cream base. Yolks are necessary for a custard based ice cream recipe.
- Strawberries: Use fresh strawberries during peak months or frozen strawberries when they're out of season.
- Lemon Juice: Used in both the compote and ice cream base, it helps offset some of the sweetness and balances the flavors. Always use fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Graham Crackers: It wouldn't be cheesecake without the graham cracker crust! They add crunch and flavor of traditional cheesecake. These can also be used for s'mores cookie bars!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add actual chunks of cheesecake into this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe by making mini cheesecakes! Add bite sized cheesecakes while churning ice cream during the last 2 minutes.
- Substitute blueberries or raspberries in for strawberries in the compote recipe, resulting in a blueberry cheesecake ice cream or raspberry cheesecake ice cream.
- Replacing graham crackers with Biscoff cookies gives a little extra spice that blends well with the strawberry cheesecake ice cream flavor.
- Scoop this ice cream onto a slice of Berry Galette!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Step 1: Stir strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a medium sauce pot then simmer 20 minutes.
Step 2: Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter together.
Step 3: Add egg yolks to a heat proof bowl. Whisk cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, and sugar together in a large sauce pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat while whisking frequently. Do not boil. The temperature will read around 195°F on a thermometer.
Step 4: Remove cream mixture from heat as soon as it simmers. Add ¼ cup of hot cream mixture to the bowl of egg yolks while whisking continuously. Repeat 4-5 times to temper egg yolks. Pour egg mixture back into hot pan of cream while whisking. Heat pan over low-medium heat while whisking constantly until it comes to a simmer again, about 195°F.
Step 5: Remove from heat immediately then stir in lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium sized mixing bowl. Place ice cream bowl into a large bowl with ice. Place this bowl in the fridge or freezer to speed up cooling process, whisking occasionally.
Step 6: Add ice cream base to ice cream machine then churn according to manufacturer's instructions.
Step 7: Add strawberry compote and buttery graham cracker crust during the last 2 minutes of churning.
Step 8: Pour ice cream mixture into a loaf pan, freeze overnight uncovered.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Make strawberry compote and graham cracker crumbs 1-3 days ahead of time. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
- If you're using an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl, make sure it is completely frozen before using it. Otherwise, this ice cream recipe will not turn out.
- Take frozen custard out of freezer 10-15 minutes prior to serving. This softens ice cream for easy serving.
- 5 mistakes to avoid when churning ice cream. These are helpful tips to keep in the back of your mind each time you make an ice cream recipe!
Serving Suggestions
Of course everyone loves ice cream in a bowl, but what about serving it in a waffle cone of a Bubble Waffle Cone?!
Homemade strawberry cheesecake ice cream pairs beautifully with Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble! Use the ice cream in place of the brown butter frosting in this crumble recipe or in addition.
Serve this cheesecake ice cream alongside strawberry cheesecake cookies for a strawberry cheesecake themed party or simply top the ice cream with this Strawberry Crumble recipe.
Recipe FAQs
This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream needs to freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Immediately after churning it will be about the consistency of soft serve ice cream, which is edible, but very soft until frozen overnight.
After the initial 8 hour freezing period, store Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream in the freezer, well wrapped. I usually triple layer my plastic wrap and add a layer of foil when storing ice cream recipes. It lasts up to 2 months, so I want to make sure any other lingering freezer flavors and odors are kept out, and that no extra ice forms on the top of the ice cream.
If you have a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker like I do, just pour the prepared ice cream base into the bowl then churn for 20 minutes. One very important step here is to make sure the ice cream bowl is completely frozen.
Shake the freezer bowl to see if you can hear liquid. If not, you're good to go!
This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe is written specifically for a churn-style ice cream. While this could be made into a no churn ice cream, several ingredients and measurements would need to be changed.
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📖Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 1 pint strawberries hulled and diced or sliced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Cheesecake Ice Cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 7 egg yolks
- 1½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Graham Cracker Crumble
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Make Strawberry Compote
- Stir strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a medium sauce pot then bring to a simmer. Continue at a low simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not burn. Remove from the heat and cool down
Making Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter together until fully combined. Set aside until needed
Make Ice Cream Base
- Add the egg yolks to a heat proof bowl then set aside until needed. Whisk the cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, and granulated sugar together in a large sauce pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat while whisking frequently. DO NOT BOIL. The temperature will read around 195°F if you check it with a thermometer
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat as soon as it starts to simmer. Add ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture to the bowl of egg yolks while whisking continuously and vigorously. Repeat 4-5 times to temper the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot pan of cream while whisking. Heat the pan over low-medium heat while whisking constantly until it comes to a simmer again, about 195°F
- Remove from heat immediately and stir in the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium sized mixing bowl. Place ice cream bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice to cool. Place this bowl in the fridge or freezer to speed up cooling process, whisking occasionally
- Once the mixture is fully cooled, add it to your ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. About 20 minutes for my machine. Add strawberry compote and buttered graham cracker crumb in the last 2 minutes of churning. Add ⅓ at a time, every 30 seconds until all is added
- Pour ice cream mixture into a loaf pan, freeze overnight uncovered. Take ice cream out of freezer 10-15 minutes ahead of serving time for easier scooping
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