No Churn Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream

An easy recipe for cold and creamy, no churn lemon ice cream, made with fresh lemons and flecked with nutty poppy seeds. Lemon poppy seed ice cream is a delicious and refreshing treat for the warm weather season, although you can make it with or without the poppy seeds!

You might also love these recipes for lemon lush dessert, iced lemon curd linzer cookies, and lemon icebox pie.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fresh Lemon Flavor. There’s fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in this lemon poppy seed ice cream, as well as a little limoncello. It’s such a sunny, bright and cheery treat for a hot day!

Easy to Make. No churn ice cream recipes are incredibly simple, since all you do is mix the ingredients together and then freeze the ice cream until it’s firm enough to scoop. No ice cream maker needed!

Customizable. If you don’t like poppy seeds, or simply don’t want them in your lemon ice cream, just leave them out. You could even add some crumbled shortbread cookies or pie crust for a yummy lemon pie ice cream. Or swirl in some lemon curd for even more lemon flavor. And for a lime version, just replace the lemon zest and juice with fresh lime zest and juice.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Sweetened Condensed Milk. This is a key ingredient in most no churn ice cream recipes. It adds sweetness, so no other sugar is needed, as well as keeps the ice cream smooth and creamy.
• Lemons. You’ll be using both the zest and juice for lots of lemon flavor.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness, and enhances the flavors.
• Limoncello. The alcohol in the limoncello lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, balancing the acidity of the lemon juice to keep it smooth, rather than icy. You can also use vodka or even a clear rum instead of the limoncello.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. The high fat content is crucial to a smooth, creamy lemon ice cream.
• Poppy Seeds.

Instructions

• In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and limoncello, until smooth.

• In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream until fluffy peaks form that hold their shape. Fold the whipped cream and the poppy seeds into the lemon mixture, until combined.

• Spread the ice cream mixture into a lidded, freezer safe container. Freeze until firm enough to scoop, at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this ice cream last?

Store your lemon poppy seed ice cream in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Can I make this recipe without the alcohol?

The alcohol in the limoncello or vodka lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, helping to break up ice crystals that try to form from the addition of the acidic lemon juice. This keeps the ice cream softer, smoother and creamier than if you were to leave the alcohol out. I’ve made it with and without the alcohol, and the one with alcohol is definitely smoother, while the one without alcohol was a touch icy and hard, and took much longer to soften enough for scooping. So you can definitely leave it out, if you prefer, but I’d suggest reducing the lemon juice to just 3-4 tablespoons, and then adding around 1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or extra fresh lemon zest), if you feel it needs more lemon flavor.

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