Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream
Every layer of a classic lemon meringue pie is packed into a pint of my lemon ice cream. Bright lemon curd, fluffy Swiss meringue, buttery graham cracker crumble, and a silky no-churn lemon cream ice cream base. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Servings 2 pints
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Lemon Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
- 3 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp celtic salt
- zest of 1 lemon
Lemon Curd
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp cold butter cubed
Swiss Meringue
- 8 egg whites
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- pinch celtic salt
Graham Cracker Butter
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Make the lemon curd. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla paste, and salt. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter one cube at a time until fully incorporated. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let cool completely.
- Make the swiss meringue. Combine egg whites, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler). Whisk constantly until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer and beat on high with lemon extract and vanilla until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Make the ice cream base. Add heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla paste, lemon extract, almond extract, salt, and lemon zest to a blender. Blend until a loose foam forms and the mixture is smooth and silky. Do not over-blend.
- Make the graham cracker butter. Mix crushed graham cracker crumbs with melted butter until the mixture holds together like wet sand. Set aside.
- Partial freeze. Pour the lemon base into a bowl and freeze for 1 hour, until halfway frozen.
- Prep your containers. Before layering, spread a thin layer of lemon curd along the inside walls of each pint container.
- Layer. Start with the lemon ice cream base, then add a layer of meringue, a spoonful of lemon curd, and a sprinkle of graham cracker butter. Repeat — base, meringue, curd, graham — until the container is full.
- Swirl. Using a knife or skewer, poke down into the top layer in a circular pattern, pressing gently downward to marry the layers. Don't overmix — you want ribbons, not a blend.
- Top it. Finish with a dollop of meringue, a swirl of curd, and a generous pinch of graham cracker crumble to make it look as good as it tastes.
- Freeze overnight. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Notes
- Make the curd and meringue first and let them cool completely before you build your layers — warm components will melt the base.
- Straining the curd is non-negotiable. It takes 30 seconds and gives you that silky, professional texture.
- The almond extract in the base is subtle but important — it rounds out the lemon and gives the base that something people can’t quite place but love.
- Don’t skip the halfway freeze on the base. It gives the layers structure so they don’t all sink into each other.
- Use a blender, not a mixer, for the base. Same rule as always — the blender gives you that perfect consistency without over-aerating.