Discover the ultimate homemade no-churn lemon meringue ice cream recipe! This creamy, zesty treat blends tart lemon with sweet meringue for a refreshing dessert that doesn’t need an ice cream maker. Perfect for summer days and special occasions, it’s a delightful and easy-to-make indulgence everyone will love.
I used to think that you needed an Ice cream machine to make yummy homemade ice cream.
You absolutely don’t! No-churn ice cream isn’t exactly the same. The texture isn’t quite the same, but it is super sweet, creamy and absolutely delicious!
This No-churn lemon curd ice cream is the perfect summer treat, especially if you like things like Lemon meringue pie and love lemon curd as much as I do!
Why I Love Lemon Curd No-Churn Ice Cream
I love this Homemade lemon curd ice cream because:
- It’s not an ice cream maker recipe, you can make it with the tools that you’ve got at home, and it doesn’t take long at all!
- No churn lemon meringue ice cream is super refreshing and perfect for summer.
- If you love lemon desserts, you’ll love it!
- Because it uses Lemon curd, the texture is really easy to get right.
- Using lemon curd also means you can easily swap to other flavours of curd, and things like ice cream sauces to totally change the flavour.
- These sweet, crispy bites of meringue complement the tart lemon and creamy ice cream perfectly.
Ingredients For No-churn Lemon Meringue Ice Cream
When I make Meringue and lemon curd no-churn ice cream I use:
Double Cream
Condensed Milk – You may know this as sweetened condensed milk.
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Curd – I use store-bought, you can make your own if you prefer.
Meringue – I use store-bought meringue nests or mini nests. Again, if you’d rather you can make your own.
You’ll Also Need
I use an electric hand whisk. You could use a stand mixer, but I don’t recommend trying to whisk no-churn ice cream mixture by hand. It needs to be really thick and fluffy.
Then I just use a freezer safe 2 lb loaf tin, a large bowl and a silicon spatula.
You can see some of the things I use here. These are affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money if you buy anything after clicking that link.
An ice cream scoop is handy to serve.
How to Make No-Churn Lemon Meringue Ice Cream – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Place a 2lb loaf tin in the freezer. If you’ve got a fast freeze drawer, use this.
This isn’t strictly necessary, but starting with a cold tin speeds things along a little, like pre-heating your oven.
It’s also easier to make sure you’ve got space with an empty tin.
Step Two
Pour the cream, condensed milk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of lemon curd into a large mixing bowl.
Step Three
Whisk on high power for around 5 minutes until it forms thick peaks.
Step Four
Add most of the remaining lemon curd, and crumble in most of the meringue, returning a little of each to top.
The meringue doesn’t need to be even, and it’s ok if there are soft bits as well as crispy bits.
Step Five
Fold gently. It’s better to undermix than overmix.
If you undermix they’ll just be some nice lemon curd swirls, which is fine. If you overmix, the mixture will get sloppy, and the frozen texture won’t be the same.
Step Six
Remove the loaf tin from the freezer.
Step Seven
Carefully pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
Step Eight
Drizzle on the remaining lemon curd and crumble over the remaining meringue.
Step Nine
Freeze overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
Variations
There are a few things that you can do differently.
Add Lemon Zest
If you want a stronger lemon flavour, add the zest of one lemon. You could also use lemon juice instead of lemon curd, but I find lemon curd much easier to work with.
Use Whipping Cream
Double cream has more fat than whipping cream. You can use whipping cream if that’s what you’ve got, but I always prefer double.
You may know it as heavy whipping cream or heavy cream.
Storage
Keep in the freezer for up to a week. The more often you get it out to serve and the longer it’s out the more the texture will change, but I’ve never had no-churn ice cream long enough for it to change significantly.
FAQ
Yes, lemon meringue ice cream freezes really well.
Lemon juice only curdles cream if they are at different temperatures. It can actually make ice cream softer and creamier. I use lemon curd because it’s easier and I prefer the taste.
Other Recipes
If you like this recipe I also recommend:
No-Churn Lemon Meringue Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 600 ml Double Cream
- 397 ml Condensed Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 160 g Lemon Curd
- 75 g Meringue (I use store-bought nests)
Instructions
- If your lemon curd is firm, stir and bring to room temperature to soften.
- Place a 2lb loaf tin in the freezer.
- Pour the cream, condensed milk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of lemon curd into a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk on high power for around 5 minutes until it forms thick peaks.
- Add most of the remaining lemon curd, and crumble in most of the meringue, returning a little of each to top.
- Fold gently. It’s better to undermix than overmix.
- Remove the loaf tin from the freezer.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the loaf tin.
- Drizzle on the remaining lemon curd and crumble over the remaining meringue.
- Freeze overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
Video
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
Easy recipe.
Delicious ice cream.