What happens when you mix cheesecake-flavored ice cream, fresh strawberry swirl, and tons of graham cracker crumbs? No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream that is sure to blow your tastebuds! The best part? No ice cream machine required!
I've been on a frozen treat kick lately, as you probably have seen from my Popsicle Summer Miniseries (linked below!) So this latest creation has really been a hit in my household - No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream!
Imagine homemade strawberry compote swirled around a creamy, perfectly sweet cheesecake ice cream base. Plus, tons of graham cracker crumbles and just a hint of lemon zest. It seriously tastes like frozen cheesecake. You have to try this recipe!
Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Sometimes it's just called heavy cream. We're going to whip this up to give our ice cream a nice, fluffy texture.
- Cream Cheese - We're going to whip the cream cheese until it's super smooth and creamy. The finished texture is going to be divine!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - A can of this will provide the perfect amount of sweetness and help the ice cream freeze correctly.
- Strawberry Compote - It sounds fancy, but strawberry compote is super easy to make. You can even use fresh OR frozen berries! I have a similar recipe for strawberry jam already on the site, but keep scrolling to see how to make our perfectly-sweet compote.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - It's not cheesecake without that signature graham cracker crust! When these combine with the ice cream mixture, it makes a super great finished texture.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract - It sounds a bit crazy, but a pinch of salt will balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. And the vanilla extract gives our vanilla ice cream base a pop of flavor.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine
And no, you don't have to use a Ziploc bag, some rock salt, or a lot of arm strength either!
- First, the strawberry compote. It sounds super fancy, but all you do is cook down sliced strawberries, lemon juice, and a bit of sweetener (I used agave, but honey or sugar works as well.) After about 15 minutes, the mixture will thicken up to the texture we need. After it's done cooking, make sure the compote is chilled before stirring it into our ice cream mixture.
- The easiest way to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream machine is exactly how we're making it below. You're going to start out by whipping heavy cream + vanilla extract + salt until stiff peaks form - using either a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- For cheesecake-flavored ice cream, we then set the whipped cream aside and add some softened cream cheese to the mixing bowl. Beat until it's super silky, then, stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Finally, fold back in your whipped cream from earlier to make it light and fluffy. That's all we have to do for our base!
- Swirl in the homemade strawberry compote to make sure you get that berry flavor in each bite. Then, add it to a bowl (I used one of those glass brownie pans) in layers. Ice cream, crushed graham crackers, ice cream, crushed graham crackers - you get the gist. Seal it really well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for at least 6 hours - but overnight is best. Voila! A gourmet ice cream experience with a minimum amount of effort.
FAQs
Not at all! While many recipes (especially those that require an ice cream maker) call for milk or eggs, my no-churn ice cream recipe doesn't need either of those.
Yes, you can! As long as your hand mixer has the whisk attachments to turn that heavy cream into a light, fluffy whipped cream.
Sure can. 6 hours is the minimum, but as long as it's well-sealed (I normally do two or three layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil), you're in the clear!
Other Frozen Treats You'll Love!
No Churn Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Homemade Peaches & Cream Popsicles
Homemade Strawberry Rosé Popsicles
No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 1 lb. strawberries washed & sliced
- 2 tbsp. agave syrup or honey
- ½ ct. lemon
Ice Cream Base
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream (2 cups)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup crushed graham crackers about ½ sleeve
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Add the sliced berries, agave syrup, and the juice of half a lemon to a large pot.
- Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes until it comes to a boil. Then, mash some of the berries and turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Cook for about 15 more minutes until the mixture condenses. Zest the half lemon into the mixture, then turn the heat off and let it cool completely.
Ice Cream Base
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the cream mixture with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the whipped cream and set it aside.
- In the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it out), add in the softened cream cheese and whisk until silky smooth.
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condesned milk and mix on low until the mixture is combined.
- Using a spoon, fold in the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture.
- Take the cooled strawberry compote and swirl it around the ice cream mix.
- In an 8x8 glass pan, alternate layers of ice cream mix with layers of crushed graham crackers.
- Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Let thaw for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.70
- Total Cost: $8.45
- Those Other Guys: $5.50+ per cone
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!