This homemade Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream starts with a cream cheese ice cream base, then is swirled with fresh blueberry sauce. Buttery graham cracker pieces finish it off to perfection.
If you are a fan of blueberries and cheesecake, you are going to love this fabulous ice cream!
Homemade ice cream. Is there anything better on a hot summer day? I love coming up with new ice cream recipes, and of course I love eating them!
We had some juicy blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used up, as well as some graham crackers leftover from s’more making. Delicious blueberry cheesecake ice cream was the result of my experimenting!
There are a few steps involved with making this ice cream, but trust me, it’s worth it! It is creamy and decadent, with bursts of berry flavor. The graham cracker crust adds a nice crunch.
My husband declared this one of the best homemade ice cream recipes I’ve ever made. Even my non-blueberry loving son practically licked his bowl clean. If you like blueberry cheesecake, you’ve gotta give this recipe a try!
How to make Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Ice Cream Ingredients:
- graham crackers, sugar, and butter – You will combine these ingredients to make a simple graham cracker crust.
- cornstarch – for thickening the blueberry sauce
- frozen orange juice concentrate – adds an unbeatable fresh flavor to the sauce
- blueberries – You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries for this recipe.
- light cream cheese – Adds that delicious tang to the cheesecake ice cream base. You can use full fat cream cheese if you prefer.
- cream – For the creamiest ice cream, use heavy cream or whipping cream, not light cream or half & half, or you will end up with ice crystals.
- milk – I use 2% because that’s what I have on hand. Whole milk also works. Anything lower in fat won’t yield the same creaminess.
- vanilla extract – Adds flavor and helps the ice cream freeze smooth.
- lemon juice – Boosts the cheesecake flavor of the ice cream. You can use fresh or bottled.
Instructions:
- Graham Cracker Crust – Combine all ingredients and press into the bottom of a baking dish or pie pan. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Break into pieces.
- Blueberry Ribbon – Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk in water till smooth. Add orange juice concentrate and berries. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool completely, then chill.
- Cheesecake Ice Cream Base – Beat cream cheese till smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar till smooth and creamy. Whisk in the cream, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Refrigerate – Chill crust, sauce, and ice cream base for several hours or till very cold.
- Churn – Freeze the liquid ice cream base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it is soft-serve consistency.
- Ripen – Layer the frozen ice cream mixture, sauce, and crust pieces in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
Note: You will have some leftover sauce. You can scoop additional blueberry sauce on top of the ice cream if desired.
PRO TIPS:
- For creamy ice cream, you must use heavy or whipping cream! Half & half or light cream will yield an ice cream with an icy texture.
- Light cream cheese is soft even when cold. If you use full-fat cream cheese, let it come to room temperature before beating in the sugar.
DELICIOUS HOMEMADE ICE CREAM RECIPES:
- Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream
- Blueberry Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Ice Cream
- Oreo Chocolate Ice Cream
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Butterfinger Ice Cream
- French Vanilla Ice Cream
- Creamy Cheesecake Ice Cream
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- ¾ cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp salted butter melted
Blueberry Sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
- 8 oz light cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup 2% milk or whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- For crust: Use a food processor to crush your graham crackers. Stir in the sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a baking dish or pie pan. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Break into pieces.
- Blueberry Sauce: Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk in water till smooth. Add orange juice concentrate and berries.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Cool completely.
- Ice Cream Base: Beat cream cheese till smooth. Gradually beat in sugar till smooth and creamy. Whisk in cream, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Chill crust, sauce, and ice cream base for several hours or till very cold. Freeze ice cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Layer churned ice cream, blueberry mixture, and crust pieces into a freezer-safe container. Note: You will have some leftover sauce.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours or till firm enough to scoop. Serve with additional blueberry sauce if desired.
Notes
- You won’t need all of the blueberry sauce. Set aside about 1/2 cup to serve with the ice cream, or save it for another use.
- If you are short on time, you can substitute store-bought graham cracker crust and canned blueberry pie filling. I won’t judge.
Nutrition
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I have made this recipe a dozen times and it is delicious plus it always dazzles the crowd!! The whole process is a little time consuming but it is well worth it! I have even thought about switching up the berries or maybe using peaches….I’ll keep you posted!
A freezing cold bowl of ice cream seems like the best relief for summer heat. Good post.
YUM! I am featuring this tonight on my round up post- thanks for linking up Kara, I hope you’re doing good!!
Looks Delicious!
The perfect summer treat !
Oh wow! This looks and sounds sooooo good. Really, I wish I could have some right now. 🙂