This Lemon Ice Cream Recipe offers a tart, lemony punch with a rich and creamy coconut finish that’s perfect for the dog days of summer. It’s dairy-free, vegan, and has no refined sugar. Plus it calls for only 3 ingredients.
This Lemon Ice Cream Recipe is so refreshing and light, perfect for a nightcap!
Tangy and sweet, this Lemon Ice Cream recipe is seriously addicting and you might be caught sneaking a spoonful straight from the freezer a couple of times. No shame!
The vegan recipe comes together in ~5 minutes and there is no ice cream maker required. That’s great because churning ice cream can take forever.
After the Vegan Lemon Ice Cream hardens in the freezer, then scooping the sweet treat onto a waffle cone is the perfect way to end a summer night.
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Lemon ice cream ingredients (only 3 ingredients!)
This Lemon Ice Cream Recipe is easy and fast to make. You only need THREE ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand.
- Lemons
- Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Sugar-Free Maple Syrup
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make the lemon ice cream recipe
Let me show you how to make the super easy Lemon Ice Cream Recipe.
Peel or slice the lemon peels off of the lemons. Next, slice the lemons into small cubes. Place the lemon cubes into an air-tight container and put it in the freezer until frozen.
Then, place the frozen lemon chunks into a high-speed blender. Add the other 2 ingredients. You will also want to add salt to balance the flavors. Blend the ingredients.
Pour the lemon ice cream liquid mixture into a small loaf pan. Next, place the loaf pan in the freezer.
The hardest part is playing the waiting game for the lemon ice cream recipe to set and harden. This could take ~2+ hours.
After you tap your finger on top of the lemon coconut milk ice cream and you do not feel a bounce, then the ice cream is ready to scoop. If your finger melts into the ice cream (because it is slightly liquidy), then allow the ice cream to harden a bit longer in the freezer.
When there is a yummy dessert in the freezer and you can’t enjoy it, the waiting game is challenging, we get it! Power through.
Lemon ice cream substitutions
If you are following a vegan or dairy-free diet, then this recipe is perfect for you. However, we have a few substitutions if you don’t prefer coconut milk or the sweetener of choice.
- Coconut Milk Sub – instead of coconut milk, try plant-based oat milk or plant-based almond milk.
- Sugar-Free Maple Syrup – Try using agave or chewy dates. Make sure that you blend the dates well in the high-speed blender to ensure there are no texture deviations.
Try these variations!
Let me put you on the Olive Oil Ice Cream Recipe trend and a few other gems.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil as a topping– The savory flavor of olive provides the PERFECT contrast to the sweet and tangy scoop of lemon ice cream.
- Add flakey sea salt as a topping – The crunchy and salty flavor levels up the lemon ice cream.
- Add soaked cashews to the lemon ice cream batter – After soaking cashews, include ½ cup in the ice cream batter when blending. This addition will make the ice cream EXTRA CREAMY.
No Ice Cream Machine Equipment is Needed!
All you need is a high-speed blender to blend the ingredients. No need to invest in an ice cream maker that collects dust. Try Vitamix or check out this article where we compare the Top 3 Blenders Blenders on the market.
Storage
Store the lemon coconut ice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 1 week for optimal freshness.
Top tip
Don’t throw away the lemon peels! We recommend shaving the zest off first before chopping the lemons. Store the zest in an air-tight container and pull it out to use while cooking. You can also use the peels for a DIY cleaner, air freshener, or candy the lemon peels for a yummy snack.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Ice Cream Recipe (Creamy & Vegan)
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Can (13.5oz) Full Fat Coconut Milk
- ¼+ Cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup
- 3.5 Large Lemons
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the lemons and chop the lemons into little cubes.
- Place the lemon cubes in an air tight container and freeze.
- After the lemon cubes are completely solid, place the cubes in a high speed blender.
- Add the maple syrup, coconut milk, and salt.
- Blend until smooth and transfer to a loaf pan.
- Freeze the lemon ice cream until completely solid.
- Scoop and enjoy! Try adding olive oil and sea salt on top for an amazing flavor explosion.
FAQ
Typically, the best lemon ice cream recipe is made of lemons, cream, and a sweetener. You might also see recipes with a hint of salt or vanilla to enhance the flavor profile.
Lemon ice cream tastes tangy, sweet, tart, and delicious. When adding the perfect amount of plant-based cream (i.e. coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.), then the natural sweetness from the lemons does not overpower the flavor.
To make ice cream creamy, try adding full plant-based cream. For this lemon ice cream recipe, we used full-fat coconut milk from the can.
Check out our lemon ice cream recipe above! The recipe is dairy-free because we swap the traditional heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk.
No worries. Coconut milk is not for everyone. Try using a combination of ½ cup soaked cashews and replace the coconut milk with almond milk.