Lemon Ice Cream Shells (no churn)

Lemon Ice Cream Shells are the easiest dessert to make and look even prettier when served in a lemon shell. It's the perfect dessert to serve on a hot day in summer.

Make this easy 3 ingredient lemon ice cream with condensed milk in minutes, let it freeze, and you'll be enjoying it in no time. Keep reading for the recipe details.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this easy recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make real fruit shells for desserts
• Top tip
• How to make no-churn lemon ice cream
• Wine pairing for lemon ice cream
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• Other easy ice cream recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

This summer dessert for lemon lovers tastes deliciously citrusy and works well served after other summer dishes like baby squid calamari and BBQ black garlic chicken.

Why you'll love this easy recipe

1. The flavor: Full of fresh lemon flavor, this no-churn lemon ice cream recipe is zesty and creamy with just the right balance of sweetness. I don't add any extra sugar, as the sweetened condensed milk is already sweet and has added sugar, which means that the tartness of the natural lemon flavor shines through.
2. The presentation: Get the Dolce Vita aesthetic (which means 'the sweet life') by serving lemon ice cream in lemon shell cups. I always make these at parties or as a summer dinner party dessert as they look so pretty.
3. The ease: This is a very easy recipe for creamy ice cream with no machine. You don't need any special equipment; you don't need any special techniques and just a handful of ingredients; it is literally a case of mixing things together and putting them in a freezer. You don't even need a hand mixer!

Ingredients

We love a 3 ingredient dessert recipe. But there are a few tips and tricks to getting this no-churn lemon ice cream recipe right, and I'll also show you exactly how to make the perfect lemon shell for ice cream. Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make this fresh lemon ice cream with sweetened condensed milk.

1. Lemons: The main character. We need both the zest and flesh/juice from fresh lemons for this no-churn citrus ice cream recipe for the perfect balance of flavor.
2. Sweetened condensed milk: The magic ingredient. Classic ice cream is made by churning a custard mix as it freezes, which prevents ice crystals from forming and making it solid. Condensed milk has had a large proportion of its water content evaporated, which means it gives all the creamy texture but none of those pesky crystals. Do not use evaporated milk; it isn't the same!
3. Heavy cream (or double cream): We still need some cream to give a decadent creamy taste and texture; buy high-quality cream with high-fat content. Don't use half and half or single cream.
4. Other citrus zest (optional): You can mix it up and garnish it with other citrus zest like orange, lime, yuzu, or even pink grapefruit.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step instructions on how to make easy lemon ice cream in real fruit shells.

How to make real fruit shells for desserts

To make a lemon shell for ice cream, we need to remove the flesh from the inside of the fruit so that you're left with lemon boats that are perfect for serving desserts like this no-churn ice cream. If you have a curved grapefruit knife, this makes life much easier. But you can use a normal kitchen knife or paring knife just as well. Follow these steps to make a lemon shell:

1. Slice the lemon in half lengthways.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut down through the center of the lemon flesh just until the knife reaches the pith or skin on the other side, but take care not to cut all the way through the lemon. Cut across the inside of the lemon three times to divide it into six (again, only cut through the lemon flesh, not the skin).
3. Now cut around the outside of the flesh, along the line of white pith.
4. Using a spoon, scoop and scrape out the chunks of the flesh until you are left with a shell that is smooth.

How to make no-churn lemon ice cream

1. Grate the zest from the lemons into a large bowl, then slice them in half and remove the flesh from the insides of the lemon shell. Strain the juice into the bowl.
2. Pour heavy cream (double cream) into the bowl whilst lightly whisking the cream with a fork or balloon whisk. The cream will naturally thicken and take on the flavor of the lemon zest and juice, as fat is excellent at absorbing flavor.
3. Fold in the sweetened condensed milk until you have a thick and gloopy mixture.
4. Pour the lemon ice cream mixture into the lemon shells and smooth over the tops with a palette knife.
5. Grate over some extra citrus zest and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
6. Enjoy your no-churn creamy lemon ice cream in lemon shells! Take out of the freezer 10 minutes before enjoying to take the chill off the shells and make them easier to handle.

A lot of other no-churn ice cream recipes, like my white chocolate raspberry ice cream bars, call for whipping heavy cream before folding in the sweetened condensed milk. But thanks to the citric acid in this recipe, we don't need the whipped cream and, therefore, no need for an electric mixer and no electric ice cream maker. Citric acid naturally curdles and therefore thickens the cream all on its own, making this recipe even easier and less time-consuming. There's a similar effect in my key lime ice cream bars, which are another favorite summer dessert recipe of mine.

Wine pairing for lemon ice cream

Serve a semi-sweet sparkling wine, like a demi-sec Champagne or Crémant, or even a Prosecco. Alternatively, on a hot summer day, I will serve an ice-cold glass of Limoncello (and make my Limoncello creme brulee whilst the bottle is open).

Equipment

You will need a measuring jug to get the right quantities of cream and condensed milk. You can also weigh ingredients with a digital scale, and I normally recommend this for baking recipes in particular rather than measuring by volume. But this easy homemade lemon ice cream recipe is quite robust and doesn't require as much precision as, for example, macarons.

Use a fine cheese grater to zest the lemons or a lemon zester.

Combine your ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use a silicon spatula to mix.

If you'd prefer not to make homemade lemon shells for ice cream, you can simply pour the mix into an air-tight container or reuse an ice cream tub.

Storage

Once frozen, you can wrap the no-churn lemon ice cream in lemon shells in plastic wrap individually. Alternatively, transfer the lemon shells of ice cream into an airtight container separated by sheets of parchment paper, or place them on a plate and cover them with plastic food wrap.

You can also pour the 3 ingredient lemon ice cream into a freezer-safe container and then serve it with an ice cream scoop.

Consume within 6 months.

FAQ

Other easy ice cream recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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