Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
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Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is sweet, creamy, delicious, and full of strawberries and graham crackers. Tastes just like your favorite strawberry cheesecake, but in ice cream form!
This simple recipe includes no-churn instructions, but can also be made in your ice cream maker.
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is one of the most decadently delicious flavors of ice cream out there! (In my opinion anyway, lol.)
With the perfect blend of sweet strawberries and the rich, creamy flavor of cheesecake, it’s no wonder this flavor is so popular. The sweet strawberry taste is unmistakable, and the cream cheese and graham crackers add a subtle but delicious hint of cheesecake. This simple ice cream recipe is a must-try for any ice cream lover!
Why you should make this ice cream recipe
- Simple – Five simple ingredients is all you need to make this deliciously easy recipe.
- No ice cream maker necessary – If you don’t have an ice cream maker – no problem! All you need is some sort of loaf pan or small casserole dish that will fit in your freezer.
- No-cook recipe – While I love a good custard-based ice cream, those ice cream recipes always take a bit more prep time since the base needs to be cooked. The addition of the cream cheese makes this strawberry cheesecake version just as rich and creamy as a custard ice cream, but without the eggs.
- Tastes amazing – The sweet strawberries, tangy cream cheese, and graham crackers come together to make a delightfully rich ice cream. Tastes just like strawberry cheesecake, but in ice cream form!
Ingredients + Tips for Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream
Want to try your hand at this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe? Make sure you have the following ingredients on hand.
(Ingredients at a glance, find the full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Fresh strawberries | Fresh strawberries are best, but you can use frozen strawberries in a pinch. Thaw the strawberries first and drain off the extra juice. Make sure to use unsweetened strawberries.
- Heavy whipping cream | Heavy whipping cream gives the ice cream a smooth creamy texture due to the high-fat content coating the ice crystals and preventing them from enlarging. If you don’t care for the high fat mouth-feel of heavy cream, you could switch to half in half or try using half heavy cream and half half n half.
- Cream cheese | You want the cream cheese to be at room temperature for easier mixing. You can use low fat cream cheese, but I do not recommend fat free.
- Sweetened condensed milk | Sweetened condensed milk is used as the sweetener in this ice cream recipe instead of sugar. It helps softens the ice cream, allowing for easier scooping.
- Graham crackers | The graham cracker gives the taste of the classic graham cracker crust, but you could try cookies for a fun twist.
How to make Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream, Step by Step
1.Place chopped strawberries in a small bowl and use a potato masher to crush the strawberries. Set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, mix heavy whipping cream and cream cheese on high using a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Mix until any lumps are gone and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes.
3.Add crushed strawberries and sweetened condensed milk to the cream mixture. Use a spoon to combine. Will be runny.
4.Break graham crackers into small pieces. Gently fold graham crackers into ice cream.
5.Transfer ice cream to a 9×5 loaf pan.
6.Place in freezer to set, about 8 hours.
Recipe tips
- Use fresh strawberries for the best flavor.
- Start with chilled ingredients. (With the exception of the cream cheese) This will help cut down on the freezing time.
- Make sure the cream cheese has come to room temperature. Since you will be whipping the cream cheese into the heavy cream, it needs to be at room temp in order to be lump-free.
- If desired, reserve about 2 tablespoons of the crushed strawberries to spoon on top of the ice cream once it’s in the loaf pan. After spooning on top, you can gently drag a toothpick through the strawberries to create some swirls and movement.
Variations
- You can use just about any fruit: Mixed berries, cherries, or blueberries.
- Try topping the ice cream with hot fudge sauce and whipped cream – YUM!
- Instead of graham crackers, try other cookies like Golden Oreos, Gingersnaps, lemon cookies, or shortbread cookies.
FAQ’s
How long will the Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream last in the freezer?
Homemade ice cream is best if consumed within 1-2 weeks, after that, you may begin to see ice crystals form on the top. Using a premium air-tight container and pressing a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream, will help it last longer. (Up to 3 months.)
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes, you can! Allow the strawberries to thaw, and drain away most of the liquid before using them in the recipe. Make sure to use unsweetened strawberries.
Can I use a lower fat milk?
High-fat milks are necessary when making homemade ice cream, especially the no-churn versions. Using low-fat milk can lead to a more icy rather than creamy ice cream. However, if you are using an ice cream maker, you could get away with using half n half or substitute half of the cream with whole milk. (Sometimes I am ok with icier ice cream to save a few calories, just depends on who it is for. Just me? Icy is ok, for guests, I use the heavy cream. )
How Long Does It Take For The Ice Cream To Freeze?
The ice cream will take a minimum of 6 hours in the freezer to freeze to soft-serve consistency, and possibly up to 10 or 12 hours for a firmer set. I recommend letting the ice cream freeze overnight. (Or use an ice cream maker. 30 minutes to the soft-serve stage and then another 2 to 4 hours in the freezer to firm up. This is the one I use.)
Can I Make This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream In An Ice Cream Maker?
Of course! While an ice cream maker is not required for this recipe, if you have one, use it! Follow the recipe instructions through step 3. After step 3, add the ice cream mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for processing ice cream.
When ice cream is just a few minutes away from being done, slowly add the crushed graham crackers to the ice cream.
Once the ice cream has reached the soft-serve stage, you can eat it as is or transfer it to a pan and freeze for 2 to 4 more hours or until desired firmness is reached.
Help, My Ice Cream Is Frozen Solid, What Do I Do?
Since there are no preservatives in this homemade strawberry cheesecake ice cream to keep it soft in the freezer, the ice cream does freeze quite solid. To fix this, just allow your ice cream to sit on the counter for about 5 minutes or until it is soft enough to scoop.
Two suggestions to keep your ice cream from freezing so solidly would be to either add 1 tablespoon of vodka or add 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup to the mixture.
More Ice Cream Recipes to try
Ice Cream is definitely one of my favorite desserts and I have quite a few to choose from. Some of my most popular recipes are:
- Homemade Strawberry Sherbet
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- No-Cook Vanilla Ice Cream
- No-Cook Chocolate ice Cream
- Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
- Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
- Amazing Homemade Banana Ice Cream (custard-style, not just frozen bananas)
- Fresh Peach Ice Cream
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PrintStrawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Prep Time: 30
- Total Time: 8 hours 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: ice cream
Description
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is sweet, creamy, delicious, and full of strawberries and graham crackers. Tastes just like your favorite strawberry cheesecake, but in ice cream form!
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 3 graham crackers sheets
Instructions
- Place chopped strawberries in a small bowl and use a potato masher to crush the strawberries. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix heavy whipping cream and cream cheese on high using a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Mix until any lumps are gone and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add crushed strawberries and sweetened condensed milk to the cream mixture. Use a spoon to combine. It will be runny.
- Break graham crackers into small pieces. Gently fold graham crackers into ice cream.
- Transfer ice cream to a 9×5 loaf pan. Place in freezer to set, about 8 hours. Let thaw slightly before serving.