Swirls of homemade, fresh strawberry sauce and a generous sprinkling of graham cracker crumbles, all combined with a delectable base that perfectly mimics that cheesecake flavor. This is what makes our Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream such a dreamy Summer treat.
We love this recipe for its no-churn simplicity. We have found a way to bypass all of that clunky equipment like ice cream makers and food processors, so we can instead focus on creating the perfect flavor combo with fresh ingredients. Plus, keeping it simple makes it easy to let your little ones help out too!
Rather than making a strawberry puree, we're going to leave a few of those strawberries cooked, yet intact to make for one seriously gorgeous batch of Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Make it ahead for entertaining or just pop it out of the freezer when you need to cool off this Summer.
At less than 30 minutes of prep time and with no 24-hour wait, heavy equipment, or freezer bowls, this recipe is the perfect thing to have up your sleeve during the hotter months. Use it to cure those unexpected ice cream cravings (we all have them) or as a quick day-saver when the kiddos need a pick-me-up!
If you simply adore all things cheesecake, be sure to add our Sopapilla Cheesecake and our No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake to your must-bake list!
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM
- Make the strawberry sauce.
- Whip the cream.
- Make the cheesecake base.
- Fold in the whipped cream.
- Add to loaf pan and freeze.
1. MAKE THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE
You can't have strawberry cheesecake ice cream without the strawberries! So to kick off the recipe, you'll first need to address the strawberry swirl. To make that gooey gorgeous strawberry swirl we are going to make a strawberry compote. But, don't let the word compote scare you off!
A compote is just a fancy name for a strawberry sauce made on the stovetop in less than 10 minutes. Not sounding so scary anymore, huh?
To make the compote you'll begin by combining sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan on the stovetop. Whisk this mixture together to combine and then you will add the strawberries, water, and lemon zest.
Turn the stovetop to the medium heat setting and allow the mixture to gently simmer until it has slightly thickened. The entire process should take no more than 5 to 7 minutes. Then you'll transfer your strawberry compote to a bowl and allow it to cool completely.
It's very important that you do not add warm strawberries to your ice cream mixture! It will deflate your whipping cream.
You won't need all of the strawberry compote for your strawberry cheesecake ice cream. Set aside about one and a half cups of the strawberry mix, and refrigerate the remainder of the compote for another use. Strawberry compote is great for topping off French toast, pancakes, waffles, and of course, ice cream!
2. WHIP THE CREAM
Now, it's off to the whipping cream. The whipping cream serves as part of the base for your ice cream. You will need to whip it to stiff peaks.
To do this, add cold heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl. Then, use a handheld mixer at medium-high speed to whip the cream until you have reached stiff peaks.
If you would like to use your stand mixer for this task, pour the cream directly into the stand mixer bowl, fit the mixer with the whisk attachment, and mix at medium-high speed.
You will know you have reached the stiff peak consistency once you can turn your beaters upside down, and the whipping cream holds its shape entirely. There should be no drooping; the peaks will stay in place facing upward toward the ceiling. Take your time, the cream is a pretty important part of Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream!
Once your stiff peaks are in place, set the whipped cream aside, and tackle that cheesecake mixture!
3. MAKE THE CHEESECAKE BASE
This part of the recipe is extremely simple. All you have to do is combine sweetened condensed milk, softened cream cheese, the juice of half a lemon, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
4. FOLD IN THE WHIPPED CREAM
Add a large scoop of the whipped cream to the cheesecake mix and gently fold it in. Repeat this process, scoop by scoop, until about a third of the whipped cream has been incorporated.
Then, you'll take all of the whipped cream and add it to the cheesecake mixture. Fold it and resist the urge to stir. Next, you sprinkle over the graham cracker and fold that in as well. Your Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is almost ready for the freezer!
5. ADD TO LOAF PAN AND FREEZE
Time to assemble! Add half of the cheesecake ice cream mixture to a standard-size loaf pan, and add big dollops of the reserved strawberry compote across the top. Use your knife to swirl the strawberries into the cheesecake ice cream.
Repeat this process with the remaining cheesecake ice cream and strawberry compote. Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for at least four hours or up to overnight. Once your strawberry cheesecake ice cream is frozen to your liking, scoop it, serve it, and enjoy!
6 STRAWBERRY DESSERTS YOU’LL LOVE
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Strawberry Scones
- Strawberry Brownies
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Strawberry Jam Cookies
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Strawberry Scones
Strawberry Brownies
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Recipe
Strawberry Cobbler
Strawberry Butter Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is the perfect sweet treat to beat the heat this Summer and it's so easy to make!
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, halved or quartered
- ¼ cup water
- Zest of half a lemon
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese, at room temperature
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon + a pinch fine sea salt
- ¾ cup roughly crushed graham crackers
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Combine the sugar, corn starch, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk to combine.
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Stir in the strawberries, water, and lemon, and turn the heat to the medium setting.
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Continue to stir occasionally until it reaches a gentle simmer and has slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes total.
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Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. The compote will thicken as it cools.
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Set aside about 1 ½ cup of the strawberry mix for your ice cream and refrigerate the remainder for another use. Store for up to 2 weeks in your refrigerator.
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Have ready a chilled loaf pan.
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Add the whipping cream to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large bowl and a handheld mixer. Whip the cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks have formed. Set the whipped cream aside.
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Add the condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer at medium-high speed to blend until smooth.
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Add a large scoop of the whipped cream to the condensed milk mixture, and gently fold it in. Repeat until a third of the whipped cream has been incorporated.
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Add the remainder of the whipped cream to the cheesecake mixture and fold it in, resisting the urge to stir. Add the graham crackers, and fold to incorporate throughout the cream mixture.
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Add half of the reserved strawberry mixture to the loaf pan by adding dollops of the cooled strawberries across the top and use the tip of a knife to swirl it around. Add the remaining cheesecake mix on top, followed by a second round of strawberry dollops. Swirl once more.
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Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. Once frozen to your liking, scoop, serve, and enjoy!
Folding Whipped Cream -- To fold whipped cream, add a scoop of it to the center of the bowl. Then, you'll use a large rubber spatula starting in the center of the bowl and cut it downward toward the edge of the bowl. Use the spatula to bring the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl up and over, while turning the bowl counterclockwise as you bring the spatula back upward.
