Key Lime Cheesecake Ice Cream
Dessert • Ice Cream
Serving size: ~2 Quarts
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Ingredients
- Base
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup Oikos key lime Greek yogurt (this = cheesecake tang)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp key lime zest (IMPORTANT for strong flavor)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup key lime juice (fresh or bottled)
- Cheesecake Element
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- “Pie Crust” Mix-In
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
- OR
- 1 store-bought 9” graham cracker crust
Directions
- Make graham cracker crumble (pie crust)
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and pinch of salt. Bake at 325°F for 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then break into small chunks. Store in the freezer until it’s ready to be mixed in to our ice cream.
- Heat the base
- In a saucepan combine milk, cream, sugar, salt, and lime zest. Heat until steaming and sugar dissolves (don’t boil). Remove from the heat and let sit for ~10 minutes to let the lime zest steep for maximum flavor.
- Blend everything
- Now that the base has cooled slightly (warm, not hot), blend base, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and vanilla until completely smooth.
- Add lime juice LAST
- Stir or blend in lime juice. Adding it last helps prevent any curdling and keeps flavor bright. At this point, your base should taste slightly too tangy and sweet—freezing dulls both.
- Chill
- Refrigerate 4–12 hours (overnight best).
- Churn
- Churn according to your ice cream maker’s directions until soft-serve consistency.
- Add crust pieces
- During last 1–2 minutes of churning, add your frozen graham cracker crumble. This helps ensure the pieces don’t get fully incorporated into the ice cream.
- Freeze
- Freeze 3–5 hours until scoopable and enjoy!
Notes
- Add a drop of green food coloring if desired.
