No cooking required for this easy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. With just five ingredients it's on my short list of summer desserts. Most ice cream is naturally gluten free but eating gluten free for life means thinking differently about food. If making homemade ice cream sounds like fun then get yourself an ice cream machine and make some.
If you want to be a Rock Star at your own party prepare the mixture in advance then ask someone to crank the ice cream as soon as they arrive. When it's done just pop it in the freezer until it’s time for dessert. Serve it straight up, serve brownies on the side or use it to make a Brownie Ice Cream Cake. That's summer fun!
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Ingredients
Sweetening the berries is an extra step but it's a must for this ice cream.
- Strawberries - I originally used frozen, sweetened strawberries but they do not seem to be available anymore. Follow the instructions on the recipe card to macerate the berries before making the ice cream.
- Sugar - I use regular white sugar and consider this a treat.
- Cream cheese - The secret in this recipe that makes it taste like cheesecake.
- Milk & whipping cream - A common combo in ice cream for the right creaminess.
- Lemon juice - For the perfect balance.
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions
This is your second warning. When fresh berries are frozen, without being sweetened, they become hard as rocks. This is one example where fresh is not better than frozen.
Substitutions
Dairy is often what makes ice cream creamy. For my dairy free readers, who bothered to open this post, you've got to check out this Coconut Ice Cream recipe. My Thai twist includes mango and peanuts but you can serve the delicious ice cream with strawberries and make any of the following variations.
Variations: 5 Ways To Serve Ice Cream
Some occasions need an extra special presentation so search on Google images or read these 5 ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Portion ice cream into chilled wine or martini glasses, top with thinly sliced strawberries, a splash of orange liqueur.
- Make ice cream sundaes or a DIY Sundae Buffet. Serve fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, chopped nuts, candy sprinkles and on and on. I even have maraschino cherries in the back of the fridge from my holiday shortbread.
- Make ice cream sandwiches in advance or as a group activity at a party. Just make sure they have enough time in the freezer to eat without ice cream oozing out with every bite.
- An Ice Cream Cake is also a make ahead dessert that everyone loves. I’d choose a crumb crust (graham crackers or chocolate cookies) topped with this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Be sure to add a fresh strawberry garnish after the cake comes out of the freezer.
- Another favourite is a brownie-ice cream cake that is another perfect summer dessert.
So many ideas! Get excited about making summer desserts.
Equipment: Hand-Crank vs Electric Ice Cream Makers
The best ice cream maker is a simple machine that makes creamy delicious frozen desserts. My dad loved ice cream and over the years we bought him several different machines. This is what I learned.
- The old-fashioned hand-crank style requires time, lots of ice and rock salt. It can be a fun science experiment and you might find one at a garage sale. After the experiment there are options for homemade ice cream that are much easier.
- Electric ice cream makers are simple. Plug it in and supervise as it churns. The motor can overheat and the parts will wear out but all kitchen equipment (that gets used) eventually needs to be replaced. We’ve owned a few of these but the models are not memorable.
- The most reliable has been my hand-crank Donvier Ice Cream Maker. It has no moving parts and I've still got the one I bought twenty years ago. The metal insert lives in the freezer (a must) in a clear plastic bag to stay clean. The outer container and paddle live in the original box at the back of an upper cupboard.
Storage
Transfer ice cream to an air tight container if making it in advance. If making it was an activity before dinner simply put the metal insert, full of churned ice cream, into the freezer. It will be fine for several hours and is easiest to scoop ice cream out of without the paddle.
Top Tip
Buy an ice cream maker! If you're an ice cream family, or plan to become one, this is what my sister and I did. We each bought the identical machine so we can borrow from each other when we make ice cream for a crowd. Those two machines, with no moving parts, are more than twenty years old.
Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh strawberries , sliced (do not use frozen)
- ½ cup sugar (first amount)
- 250 grams cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup white sugar (second amount)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- pinch salt
- ½ cup whipping cream
Instructions
SWEETEN STRAWBERRIES
- Combine sliced strawberries and sugar. Let sit 1 hour then stir. Can be prepared a day in advance.
MAKE ICE CREAM
- In a food processor or blender, puree sweetened strawberries, cream cheese, sugar, milk, lemon juice and salt.
- Add whipping cream to pureed mixture and pour into the frozen insert of an ice cream maker. Stir according to manufacturers directions.
- In my hand-crank Donvier ice cream maker I turn the crank a few times every 2-3 minutes. The ice cream starts to freeze to the outside of the metal canister and each time you stir it a small amount of frozen ice cream is shaved off the sides.
- In about 20 minutes you have soft ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours for hard ice cream.
- Transfer to a container with a lid if not serving in 1-2 hours.
- Serve in a dish topped with sliced fresh strawberries, in a cone or layered between a brownie to make an ice cream cake.
- Makes about 4 cups of ice cream. Serves 4-6 people.
Notes
Nutrition
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