Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This homemade blueberry cheesecake ice cream is delightful and is so easy to make. You can taste the sweet blueberry sauce, the cream cheese flavor, and the milky vanilla ice cream in every spoonful. Definitely my husband’s favorite! I especially loved the homemade blueberry compote made with fresh blueberries because it added a delightful fruity touch to the vanilla cheesecake ice cream base.
I was recently gifted a ice cream attachment for EID by my best friend a few moths ago, and have since made many delicious homemade ice cream recipes. The combinations are pretty much endless. Sure, it’s much easier to buy ice cream at the store, but there is something very exciting about making it at home. Ice cream machines are now very popular and affordable, so I’d highly recommend one! I have the kitchen aid attachment for my kitchen aid stand mixer.
Do I Need an Ice Cream Machine?
Technically, no. There are tons of no-churn ice cream recipes out there, but I’m not a fan. The texture of no-churn ice cream isn’t as great as that of churned ice cream, in my opinion. This blueberry cheesecake ice cream recipe requires an ice cream maker for churning. It’s so much better!
But first of all, what is churning? Churning is basically a method in which you add the liquid ice cream base to a container or bowl built with chilled walls and a paddle attachment in the ice cream maker, and then allow it to “stir” the ice cream in the frozen bowl. This “stirring” (aka churning) process involves incorporating air into the ice cream liquid base, yielding a creamy and light consistency…a MUST for ice cream!
No-churn ice cream uses a shortcut by folding in whipped cream (heavy cream whipped until you get stiff peaks), which is already aerated. This, in turn, provides a creamy and lighter texture to the ice cream. For some people this is great news, but in my opinion properly churned ice cream using an ice cream machine has much better texture and is creamier.
A few tips for storing ice cream:
store it in the back of the freezer
place plastic wrap in direct contact with the ice cream before you place the lid on, as this will prevent ice crystals from forming
Ingredients
Cheesecake Ice Cream
225 gms cream cheese, softened
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Blueberry Compote
2 cups blueberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Check your ice cream machine's instructions first. Mine required freezing the bowl 1 day ahead.
Prepare the berry compote: add blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, water, and lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low. Cook, stirring often until blueberries are bursting and the compote thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until cooled.
Make the cheesecake ice cream: Combine cream cheese, whole milk, heavy cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Pour mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions.
Once the ice cream is done churning, add half of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Add half of the compote on a layer and swirl using a knife. Then add the rest of the ice cream on top, and top with the remaining berry compote and swirl.
Freeze for about 2 hours before serving or overnight.