Classic ice cream recipes use a custard base, which means they take time, patience and skill. Fortunately, this is not one of those recipes. Our blueberry cheesecake ice cream recipe comes together in just a few simple steps, and you don’t need to be an expert to whip up a batch.
All you’ll need are fresh or frozen blueberries, a handful of pantry ingredients, and a few friends or family members to save you from the temptation to eat it all by yourself.
Ingredients for Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Sugar: Used in every part of the dessert, it helps form the simulated graham crust, and sweetens the berry mixture and ice cream. More importantly, sugar plays a key role in keeping the finished ice cream soft and scoopable.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the berry mixture so it stays firm when mixed into the ice cream.
- Blueberries: The dessert’s main flavor, of course. They also provide a fresh and tart fruit flavor to balance the sweetness and richness of the ice cream.
- Lemon juice: A bit of extra acidity to accentuate the blueberries’ tart notes and help offset the sweetness of the ice cream.
- Graham cracker crumbs: Provide a textural contrast to the rich, smooth ice cream and help the ice cream resemble a cheesecake by simulating the flavor and texture of a graham crumb crust.
- Cinnamon: Adds a hint of warmth to the graham crust mixture.
- Butter: Combines with the graham crumbs to give the crust mixture a rich and creamy flavor and texture.
- Cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix: Gives the ice cream its distinctive cheesecake flavor, without the time and effort of making a cheesecake filling from scratch.
- Heavy cream: Gives the ice cream richness and provides enough butterfat to help keep the ice cream soft.
- Whole milk: Combines with the whipping cream to create a soft and tasty ice cream base, without the overwhelming richness of an all-cream mixture.
- Vanilla extract: Provides vanilla flavor, and helps enhance the richness of the ice cream.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the blueberry filling
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and stir in some water with a whisk or fork. Add the blueberries and lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat and simmer for about five minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened. Refrigerate the filling until it’s chilled and the ice cream is prepared.
Step 2: Bake the graham crumb crust
Mix the dry ingredients for the graham crust in a large bowl, stir in the melted butter, and pat it into the bottom of your baking pan. Bake the crust for ten to fifteen minutes until lightly browned, and set it aside to cool.
Step 3: Make the ice cream
Whisk together the ice cream ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Editor’s Tip: If the batch is too large for your ice cream maker, keep half in the fridge while you turn the other portion into ice cream.
Step 4: Assemble the finished recipe
First, crumble the graham crumb crust into your baking pan. Layer the ice cream, crust mixture, and blueberry sauce into a large container with a tight-fitting lid. Swirl the layers, seal the lid and freeze your ice cream until it’s fully set.
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Variations
- Use a prepared blueberry filling: Shorten your prep time even further by using a prepared blueberry filling, either homemade or store-bought. If you opt for a commercial filling, you may need to double the lemon juice because store-bought pie fillings can be pretty sweet.
- Buy a ready-made crumb crust: If you’re in a hurry, you can save time by using a store-bought crumb crust instead of making one from scratch. Break it up into crumby pieces, and you’re good to go!
- Switch up the crumbs: If graham crumbs aren’t your favorite, switch up the crust and use cookie or cake crumbs instead. Consider chocolate crumbs with raspberries or strawberries, or gingersnap crumbs with peaches. And don’t forget to save some fruit to use as a garnish!
- Use your favorite fruit: Blueberries aren’t the only fruit that makes a great cheesecake. Swap out the blueberries for any other favorite fruit or dairy combinations, including raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, fresh peaches, cherries or… Well, you get the idea.
How to Store Your Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Your ice cream will do best when the temperature is between -18° and 0°F, and should ideally never reach a temperature higher than 0°. So if you have a chest freezer that’s your best option, or use a heavy-duty container with a tight-fitting lid meant for freezer use.
How long will my ice cream last in the freezer?
All good things come to an end, and sadly that’s also the case with ice cream. Homemade ice cream is usually best within two to three weeks or, at most, up to a month. So, you’ll just have to eat it within that timeframe (seriously, that’s not a problem, is it?). The colder your freezer, the longer it will last.
Editor’s Tip: Storing your ice cream in a freezer-safe baking dish with a lid can help extend its storage life because glass and ceramic baking dishes are less porous than plastic and provide better protection from the dry air of the freezer. It also helps if you press plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream every time you scoop out a portion. This keeps air from making direct contact with your dessert.
Can I prepare parts of this recipe ahead of time?
Absolutely. The prepared fruit filling will keep nicely in your fridge for two to three days, although it may thin slightly as the berries shed some of their juices. The crumb crust can also be made ahead, and the ice cream mixture will freeze more quickly (giving you a better texture) if it’s already thoroughly chilled when you pour it into the ice cream maker.
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Tips
What if I don’t have an ice cream maker?
You can make this blueberry cheesecake ice cream recipe (and most others) without an ice cream maker, though it will probably take a little longer to freeze. Just pour it into one or more freezer-safe containers with tight-fitting lids – to prevent spills – and put them into the coldest part of your freezer. Flat, shallow containers will chill faster than deep ones, and multiple small containers freeze faster than a single large one.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re in the market for one, we can recommend a few of the best ice cream makers. Ice cream made without one is still delicious, but you’ll enjoy a better texture (and quicker dessert) if you have the right tool for the job.
Can I make the cheesecake part from scratch instead of using a mix?
Sure, why not? We have plenty of no-bake cheesecake recipes and vanilla pudding recipes to choose from. Just remember that the recipe was written and tested in our Test Kitchen and you may need to make some adjustments if you decide to go off-script with a fully homemade alternative. Still, if you’re concerned about additives or working around a food allergy, it might be worth the effort.
