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Sweet and Tart Homemade Lemon Ice Cream. An easy, vibrant lemon ice cream recipe!

Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by Modern Honey l www.modernhoney.com

Homemade Creamy Lemon Ice Cream

My Grandma was the epitome of warmth and love. There was nothing better than going to Grandma’s house because she made us feel like Kings and Queens. Every 4th of July, my family would load up the tan paneled station wagon and make the trek up Camelback Mountain to Grandma’s house. The smell of smoky BBQ let us know we had arrived. The star of the show was always her famous slow churned lemon ice cream.

I can still remember the sound of the ice cream machine churning as we added rock salt to keep it nice and cold. We would watch every firework show in the valley and cherish every single bite of this creamy Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream.

Lemon Ice Cream. Homemade Lemon Ice Cream Recipe. How to make perfect creamy lemon ice cream. www.modernhoney.com #lemon #lemonicecream #lemondessert

I begged her for the recipe so I could pass on the tradition to my own children. This is the recipe that I submitted to the IKEA Together We Eat contest and received a first-place prize. This creamy lemon ice cream is that good!

Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by Modern Honey l www.modernhoney.com

The key to Grandma Faye’s Lemon Ice Cream is using fresh lemon juice so no fake stuff here! The lemon zest adds a burst of lemon flavor. Always zest your lemons before you squeeze them because it’s much easier when it is firm. A microplane works like a charm.

Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by Modern Honey l www.modernhoney.com

Adding egg yolks to cream creates a richer custard type ice cream so cooking it is a must. It needs to be chilled before placing it in an ice cream maker.

Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by Modern Honey l www.modernhoney.com

For all of my lemon lovers out there, making lemon ice cream cookie sandwiches will cure all of your cravings. These are unbelievably good. I used Modern Honey’s Lemon Sugar Cookies, dusted them with sanding sugar, and stuffed them with this Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream. Lemon Sugar Cookies

Creamy Lemon Ice Cream. Homemade Lemon Ice Cream made from scratch. www.modernhoney.com #lemonicecream #icecream #homemadeicecream

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4.50 from 2 votes

Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream

By: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey
Homemade Lemon Custard Ice Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients  

Lemon Ice Cream:

  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 2 cups Half n Half
  • 2 1/4 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Fresh Lemon Juice from 3-4 lemons
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Zest

Lemon Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches:

  • https://www.modernhoney.com/lemon-sugar-cookies/
  • 1 cup Butter cold, cut into cubes
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
  • 3 cups Flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Instructions 

  • In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, fresh lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add heavy cream and half n half. Stir constantly with a whisk and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly. Once it starts to bubble, remove from heat.
  • Place in a bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
  • Once chilled, place in ice cream maker and churn until ice cream is creamy.
  • Lemon Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine.
  • Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.
  • Drop dough onto light colored baking sheet.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar or white sparkling sugar.
  • Once cooled, scoop lemon ice cream on the bottom of lemon sugar cookie and top with another cookie.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Keyword: lemon custard ice cream
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Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by Modern Honey l www.modernhoney.com

This is the perfect dessert to welcome in summer. Eating this Pucker Up Buttercup Lemon Ice Cream by the pool is the ultimate summer treat.

Happy Baking, my friends!


Hi, I'm Melissa Stadler!

I am an Award-Winning Recipe Creator. Cover of Food Network Magazine. Two-Time Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist. I am passionate about sharing the best recipes so you have success in the kitchen!

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4 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try this recipe I have been looking for a good lemon custard ice cream recipe and I will make homemade raspberry sauce to go on top
    Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    Tastes amazing but very soft due to the high lemon juice content – Lemon juice does not freeze solid. I am going to experiment with ratios of lemon juice and lemon extract to get a firmer consistency but also retain that “Pucker Up” tartness. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

  3. I tried this recipe and it didn’t turn into an ice cream consistency in the ice cream maker ni’m pretty sure I did something wrong. Doni wait for the mixture to cool before I cover it and put it in the fridge?