Dreamy Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This homemade strawberry cheesecake ice cream delivers all the joy of classic cheesecake in frozen form—creamy, tangy, and bursting with real strawberries and buttery graham cracker pieces.
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Fine Mesh Sieve
Ingredients
Strawberry Swirl
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Graham Cracker Pieces
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Strawberry Swirl: In a saucepan, simmer strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Cool and refrigerate.
- Prepare Graham Cracker Pieces: Mix graham crumbs with melted butter and brown sugar. Spread on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. Cool and break into pieces.
- Make Ice Cream Base: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Heat milk, cream, and half the sugar until steaming. Whisk yolks with remaining sugar until pale.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly whisk half the hot cream into yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook until it coats the back of a spoon (170–175°F).
- Add Cream Cheese: Remove custard from heat and whisk in cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Strain through fine mesh sieve.
- Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn: Churn chilled base in ice cream maker until soft-serve consistency.
- Assemble: Layer half the ice cream into container, add half the strawberry sauce and graham pieces. Repeat layers. Swirl gently with a knife.
- Freeze: Cover and freeze at least 4 hours until firm. Let soften 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use cream cheese powder for a stronger cheesecake flavor. For sandwiches, scoop between graham crackers. Store with parchment on top to prevent freezer burn.