This creamy and zesty vegan Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream contains less than 10 ingredients, is quick and simple to whip up and makes for the perfect summer refreshment.
I thought I’d transform it into ice lollies to spice things up a little and ensure everyone got their fair share – because let’s face it, when there’s a tub of ice cream, we all know the distribution is never equal!
Creamy vanilla ice cream with swirls of refreshing, tart lemon curd and crunchy granola crumbles, it’s a texture and flavour match made in heaven. I say swirls of lemon, I didn’t have enough moulds and the swirls became more like half of the ice lolly!
Given the excruciatingly hot summer climate in my neck of the woods, there’s nothing more satisfying than a sweet, juicy ice lolly or ice cream. When contemplating about which ice cream to make, the decision-making process was a challenge, but my final choice was lemon cheesecake.
These tangy gluten-free ice lollies are perfectly kept for a few months in the freezer and are so convenient to give out to guests – well if you have any left! The ice cream part requires no churning, no careful attention and no strenuous labour, just a mould, less than 10 ingredients and roughly 10 minutes of your time- that is literally it! So simple and easy, I might go make another batch!
Questions about Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream
How to make Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream? To make lemon cheesecake ice cream you will need the following ingredients: lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, rapeseed oil, vanilla extract, plant milk, full fat coconut milk, icing sugar, granola of your choice. First you will need to make the lemon curd by adding the lemon juice, sugar and oil to a double boiler. When the sugar has dissolved, add the milk and cornstarch and whisk until the mixture becomes thick and sticks to the spoon then leave aside. Mix the maple syrup, vanilla extract and full fat coconut milk together. To popsicle moulds, add a little of the granola, the lemon curd and then finally the coconut milk mixture. Freeze for at least 5 hours. When set, remove from moulds and sprinkle with more granola.
Is lemon curd vegan? Lemon curd is not usually vegan as it contains eggs. This recipe contains no animal products and is completely vegan.
Is vegan ice cream healthy? Vegan ice cream contains no animal products, which means no dairy cream, cow’s milk or eggs. However, the full cream coconut milk used in this recipe and possibly in other vegan ice creams, is composed mainly of saturated fat and is also not low in calories. However, it does contain many B vitamins, the lipid-soluble vitamin E and minerals such as iron, selenium and phosphorous, so is also considered rather nourishing.
Can coconut milk be replaced with milk? Coconut milk can be replaced with milk in this recipe, but the consistency will be more like an ice lolly rather than ice cream. The higher fat content in the coconut milk gives a more rich, creamy result, whereas this would most likely not be achieved with something like almond or soya milk. The flavour will also be altered.
Does coconut milk contain lactose? Coconut milk does not contain lactose. Lactose is the sugar present in milk sourced from cows. It is broken down by the enzyme lactase, which most humans lack, resulting in the high rate of lactose-intolerance amongst humans. Plant milk is a safer option for those with lactose intolerance.
How to store ice cream. Ice cream or ice lollies should always be stored in the freezer below 0℃, especially if they contain milk or cream. If this is thawed, it should not be frozen again due to the risk of bacteria building up. Ice lollies made of water or cordial are usually more safe to be added back to the freezer after defrosting. This ice cream can be stored in the freezer for around 2-3 months.
Vegan ice cream substitutions
The maple syrup can be replaced with coconut sugar if you prefer and shouldn’t make much difference to the texture, though maybe a little less sweet as the sugar does not combine as well as the syrup with the milk unless the milk was heated to allow the sugar to dissolve.
The coconut milk can be replaced with other forms of milk, but the result will be more like an ice lolly rather than ice cream. However, using yoghurt or oat cream, or something similar could be used and would achieve a similar texture to the coconut milk.
The granola is optional and can easily be omitted from this recipe. However if you prefer to keep it in, you are free to choose which granola you prefer. If you follow a gluten-free diet, ensure that the ingredients used in the granola do not contain gluten.
Cornstarch can be replaced with tapioca starch, potato starch or cassava starch, either of these, or anything similar should be fine for the lemon curd recipe.
This Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream is
Creamy
Tangy
Zesty
Sweet
Summery
Refreshing
Vegan
Gluten-free
Frozen
Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Serving size:
Makes 12
Ingredients for lemon cheesecake ice cream:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100g sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp plant milk
- 250 ml full fat coconut milk (the creamy bit from the top of the can)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 4-5 tbsp granola
Method:
- For the lemon curd, pour the lemon juice, sugar and oil into a double boiler and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Make a paste with the plant milk and cornstarch and whisk into the lemon mixture until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Leave aside to cool.
- Next, add the coconut milk and vanilla extract to the maple syrup and mix.
- In popsicle moulds, add ½ -1 tbsp granola, the lemon curd and the cream – 2/3 of the mould should be filled with coconut cream and ½ with the lemon curd.
- Place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
- When frozen, remove from moulds and sprinkle with granola powder (granola blitzed in a food processor) and serve.
Made this Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream?
If you had a go at this Vegan Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream please feel free to give me a shout on Instagram at @food_flaneur – would love to see your pics!
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Big Thanks to…
Maverick Baking for their inspiration in helping me create this recipe. You can find their version here.
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