Indulge in creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream this summer! With a cheesecake base, sweet ripe strawberry compote swirls and buttered graham cracker crumb, it will leave you craving more all summer long. Probably in the fall, winter and spring months too!
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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!
- The nostalgia. This ice cream evokes memories of enjoying strawberry cheesecake as a child, but in ice cream form.
- 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!
- It keeps for up to 2 months in the freezer!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe:
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Ingredient Notes
- Use ripe fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries for the strawberry compote. Use any extras for a Strawberry Galette!
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice is best for this recipe. I never use lemon juice from concentrate.
- Use store bought graham cracker crumbs or blend regular graham crackers to a fine crumb.
- I like to use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation.
- Use full fat dairy ingredients for best result, whole milk, cream cheese, and heavy cream.
- I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level myself.
How To Churn Ice Cream
Churning ice cream is easier than you think. There can be more or less steps depending on the base ice cream recipe. This ice cream base contains eggs for an extra rich and creamy frozen custard.
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!
How To Make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe is simple to follow, creamy and delicious. Follow the step-by-step directions below.
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter together until fully combined. Set aside until needed.
Step 3: Add the egg yolks to a heat proof bowl, set aside until needed. 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 and vigorously. 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 and 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 larger bowl filled with ice to cool. 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 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 strawberry & graham cracker in thirds until all is added.
Step 7: Add strawberry compote and buttered graham cracker crumb in the last 2 minutes of churning. Add strawberry & graham cracker in thirds until all is added.
Step 8: 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.
Serve and enjoy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream in a dish, cone, on top of Strawberry Crisp or rolled up in a Bubble Waffle!
Substitutions & Variations
- Add actual chunks of cheesecake into this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe by making mini cheesecakes! Add the bite sized cheesecakes while churning ice cream during the last 2 minutes.
- Fresh squeezed orange juice adds a slightly different yet satisfying taste when used in place of lemon juice for the compote and ice cream base.
- Substitute blueberries or raspberries in for the strawberries in the compote recipe.
- Using Biscoff cookies instead of graham crackers gives a little extra spice that blends well with the strawberry cheesecake ice cream flavor.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Make strawberry compote and graham cracker crumbs 1-3 days ahead of time. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- 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.
- Make strawberry cheesecake ice cream up to 2 weeks in advance. This recipe keeps for up to 2 months, tightly covered in the freezer but I like to use it within 2 weeks if it's for guests.
- 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!
- Top with strawberry shortcake crumbles!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream has a cheesecake ice cream base with swirls of strawberry sauce and buttered graham cracker crumbs.
This ice cream needs to freeze for 8 hours or overnight. It is the consistency of soft serve ice cream after it is edible at that stage but very soft.
Yes, it does! The ice cream tastes like cheesecake because we're using Philadelphia cream cheese as you would in any cheesecake.
Storage
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.
Thaw this yummy ice cream in the fridge for 30 minutes or at room temperature for 10-15 minutes for easier scooping.
If you're a cheesecake lover like we are, I've got a whole list of cheesecake for you to try! Strawberry Cheesecake Bars, Strawberry Cheesecake Cones, Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bars, Cherry Cheesecake Bars, Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies, Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake and Berry Cheesecake Galette.
You're sure to find a cheesecake recipe you love!
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating along with a review on the bottom of this blog post! Tag @inkristaskitchen on Instagram and Facebook!
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
Leave a star rating and review, ask a question or share a helpful tip!