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Homemade Lemon Ice Cream
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Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

Creamy homemade lemon ice cream with three ingredients: heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice. No ice cream maker and no stirring.
Prep Time10 minutes
Freeze time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream about 600 ml, at least 36% fat
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 standard can, 396 g
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice about 3 medium lemons, 120 ml
  • 1 lemon, zested optional

Instructions

  • Whip the creamUsing a hand mixer or a whisk, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Don't take it all the way to stiff: over-whipped cream folds in badly and costs you some of the smoothness. If your kitchen runs warm, chill the bowl first.
    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream, No Machine and No Eggs - Heavy cream whipped to soft peaks in a bowl
  • Mix the lemon and condensed milkIn a separate bowl, stir the sweetened condensed milk together with the lemon juice and the zest, if you're using it. The mixture will thicken almost immediately. That's the acid doing its job, and it's exactly what should happen.
    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream, No Machine and No Eggs - Lemon juice being stirred into sweetened condensed milk
  • Fold the two togetherAdd the lemon mixture to the whipped cream and fold it in with a spatula, using slow lifting strokes, until there are no streaks left. Take your time here: the more air you keep, the creamier the final texture.
    Homemade Lemon Ice Cream, No Machine and No Eggs - Lemon juice being stirred into sweetened condensed milk
  • FreezeTransfer to a lidded container and freeze for 5 to 6 hours, until it reaches the texture you like. At 5 hours it's soft and spoonable; at 6 it scoops cleanly.

Notes

  • If it's sweeter than you'd like, add more lemon juice, up to 2/3 cup, rather than cutting back the condensed milk. That sugar is what keeps the ice cream creamy. With less of it, you get a harder, icier result.
  • Use a shallow airtight container. It freezes faster and more evenly than a deep one.
  • It firms up overnight. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before serving and it goes right back to the texture you want.