This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe is made using fresh strawberries, a vanilla cream cheese ice cream base, and homemade Graham Cracker crust crumbles. It's a perfect dessert for strawberry cheesecake lovers and great for hot summer BBQs, family gatherings, or enjoying while you soak up the sun!
Table of Contents
As you probably know by our Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes, Summertime Strawberry Shortcake, or these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars, we are obsessed with fresh strawberries when strawberry season hits. There are so many easy recipes we can use our strawberries for when we're not just grazing on them all day long!
I'm already crazy about my Classic Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, but this Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream takes the strawberry ice cream concept to a new level. This amazing Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is basically a strawberry cheesecake in ice cream form and you get more concentrated strawberry flavor in the form of swirls of strawberry ripple!
What I love most about homemade ice cream is probably the natural flavor you get from using whole, fresh ingredients. Homemade ice cream is easier to make than you'd think, requiring very little effort as your ice cream maker will work its churning magic all by itself. This cheesecake base doesn't even need to be cooked first like a lot of custard ice cream base flavors!
Plus, knowing your ice cream is free from artificial flavor, a ton of preservatives, and colors is great too.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Make your favorite flavors with different berries and toppings!
- Using the freshest ingredients will give you a truly fresh strawberry flavor here.
- Only 15 minutes of prep time is needed here!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Strawberries - Fresh strawberries are best for the base of the sweet strawberry swirl although frozen strawberries can also be used.
- Cream Cheese - Cream cheese adds a classic cheesecake flavor to this ice cream.
- Granulated Sugar - You'll need white sugar for the ice cream base, the strawberry sauce, and also the graham cracker crust!
- Heavy Cream - Heavy whipping cream is what makes it a really creamy ice cream with a smooth mouthfeel.
- Milk - Whole milk is best for a creamy consistency and rich flavor, but any kind of milk will work here.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds a warm depth of flavor. Use my homemade vanilla extract for a great flavor.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice will work best here, so find some decent, ripe lemons for the best flavor.
- Cornstarch - To help thicken the strawberry swirl sauce.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - The base of the Graham Cracker crust crumbles, which act like the cheesecake base part of this ice cream. Some cheesecake ice cream recipes just use graham crackers without actually turning them into a crunchy buttery crust, but I prefer this approach with the crumbs better after our recipe testing.
- Butter - Salted butter will enhance the flavor of the crust but also bind it together.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Make Graham Cracker Crust Crumbles
- Make crust mixture. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor (affiliate link) until they are fine crumbs. Add the butter and sugar, pulsing until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Bake crust then break it up. Press the crust mixture into a pie plate (affiliate link), baking dish, or large bowl that's oven-proof. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes to set. Cool it completely, then break it into chunks and crumble pieces.
Make Strawberry Sauce
- Make strawberry sauce. Combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Thicken sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries break down and thicken into a sauce. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Make Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
- Make ice cream base. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar and beat well to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add heavy cream and mix well to combine. Stir in milk and vanilla extract.
- Churn ice cream. Churn the ice cream mixture in your ice cream machine. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to do this. It typically takes around 25 minutes for the mixture to become thick and develop a soft-serve ice cream consistency.
- Layer ice cream, sauce, and crumbles. Layer half the ice cream base, strawberry swirl, and graham cracker crumbs in a freezer-safe container.
- Complete layers and freeze. Repeat the layers until all the mixes are used up. Freeze for 4-6 hours until firm.
Recipe FAQ's
It's a little strange, but yes, this Ice Cream DOES taste like actual strawberry cheesecake. The trick is using cream cheese with heavy cream and milk for the ice cream base. I love using a graham cracker crust as well, as that's what I'd normally use for my Classic Cheesecake Recipe.
It's a no-brainer that this ice cream needs to remain frozen. Use a freezer-safe container to layer the ice cream in, and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Keep in mind that homemade ice cream freezes harder than storebought ice cream, so you will want to let it sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes before scooping so it has a chance to soften slightly.
Tips for Success
- Use a freezer-safe, airtight container to make your ice cream to prevent freezer burn.
- If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add a pinch of salt to the crust mix.
- Leave the cream cheese at room temperature to allow it to soften before mixing it. Make sure the remaining refrigerated ingredients are chilled when you use them.
- You can buy pre-packaged Graham Cracker crumbs to save a bit of time if you prefer or buy a whole pre-made Graham Cracker crust.
- Be sure to freeze your ice cream maker canister for at least 24 hours before making this recipe to ensure it's completely frozen.
What to Serve with Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is wonderful on its own - it's actually like a cheesecake and a side of ice cream all in one, and it's perfect for warmer weather. But I find that you can always add a little something to ice cream to make it extra special!
We get quite excited about ice cream, so we host Ice Cream Sundae Bars from time to time with our favorite ice creams, toppings, and sauces!
Toppings that would go particularly well with this choice of ice cream are chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans, fresh berries, white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or sprinkles!
Try it with Homemade Marshmallow Sauce, Homemade Hot Fudge, Salted Caramel Sauce, or even a Peanut Butter Topping for a PB&J effect!
Substitutions and Variations
- To save a bit of time, you can buy a pre-made crust and break it up or buy packaged Graham Cracker crumble pieces.
- Use a different type of cookie for the crust crumble mixture, like vanilla sandwich cookies, Biscoff cookies, shortbread cookies, or gingersnaps.
- Try the recipe with any kind of berry to make different fruit cheesecake ice cream flavors! Raspberries, cherries, or blueberries would work well for this recipe. You could try it with my Raspberry Coulis for a sweet and tart raspberry cheesecake flavor!
- Add some white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips to the ice cream mix for extra sweetness and texture.
- Top your ice cream with candy, sprinkles, or crumbled cookies.
- Use gluten-free Graham crackers to make this ice cream gluten-free.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
- Fresh Lemon Ice Cream
- Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream
- Cherry Pistachio Ice Cream
- Huckleberry Ice Cream
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Strawberry Swirl
- 1½ cups strawberries, diced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1 cup Graham cracker crumbs (about 6 graham crackers)
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor (affiliate link) until they are fine crumbs. Add the butter and sugar, pulsing until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened.1 cup Graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 Tablespoons salted butter,
- Press into a pie plate (affiliate link) or baking dish and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes to set. Cool it completely, then break it into chunks and crumble pieces.
Strawberry Swirl
- Combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat.1½ cups strawberries,, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries break down and thicken into a sauce. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar and beat well to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add heavy cream and mix well to combine. Stir in milk, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Churn the ice cream.
Assemble Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Layer half the ice cream base, strawberry swirl, and graham cracker crumbs in a freezer-safe container.
- Repeat the layers until all the mixes are used up. Freeze for 4-6 hours until firm.
Notes
- Storage: Use a freezer-safe container to layer the ice cream in and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let the ice cream sit on the counter for 15 minutes to soften slightly before scooping.
- Substitutions: Feel free to replace the strawberries with another favorite fruit like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mangos, or peaches to change up the flavor.
Could I use frozen strawberries?
Fresh strawberries are best for the base of the sweet strawberry swirl although frozen strawberries can also be used.
Hi! When does the lemon juice get added into the recipe? I'm assuming into the strawberries and not the base?
It actually goes into the cheesecake base along with the vanilla extract to help bring out the tanginess of the cream cheese for that classic cheesecake flavor.