Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

This Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream features a rich cheesecake flavored ice cream base swirled with tangy blackberry sauce and buttery graham cracker crumbs.

The other day we were all standing around in the kitchen talking about our favorite berries. My son said blackberries were his favorite. It's hard for me to pick a favorite, but I had to agree that a ripe, juicy blackberry is pretty hard to beat. He then suggested I make a blackberry ice cream. Just like that, this blackberry cheesecake ice cream recipe idea was born. I've said it here many times before, but creating homemade ice cream recipes is one of those things that really fuels my creative soul. I have an ever-growing list of ice cream recipe ideas that should keep me busy for years to come!

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What makes this a cheesecake ice cream?

To me, cheesecake has a very distinct flavor profile which includes cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon. So when developing this recipe I knew I needed to incorporate all of those flavors.

This blackberry cheesecake ice cream recipe begins with a cream cheese ice cream base. This is not the first time I've used cream cheese to add tang and rich creaminess to an ice cream recipe. Check out my Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream or my No Churn Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream. Cream cheese is like a secret ice cream weapon, it adds balance and ensures creaminess, and of course it had to be a main ingredient in this cheesecake flavored ice cream. I almost always use egg yolks and vanilla in my ice cream recipes, so that was a no-brainer. Now all I had to figure out was the last flavor element: lemon.

For this, I decided to do something fairly unique that I have done before in my lemon curd ice cream as well as my lemon blueberry ice cream. I add fresh lemon juice to the cold ice cream base just before churning. There are two reasons I add it at this stage. First, adding an acidic element like lemon juice to the custard while cooking or while still hot would most certainly result in a curdled mixture. And second, I wanted the lemon flavor to be as fresh and bright as possible, not cooked at all. It really works and the taste difference between the batch without lemon juice and the one with was incredible and very noticeable. Both delicious, but the lemon juice made it scream, "cheesecake!"

I use frozen blackberries to create the sauce/swirl for this ice cream

You could definitely use fresh berries if you have an abundance of them. But if you have perfectly ripe blackberries I think you should just eat them fresh! And serve them alongside this delicious homemade ice cream, hehe. You'll cook the berries down with some sugar, lemon juice, and a bit of cornstarch, then strain them to remove the seeds. This mixture will get layered and swirled into the freshly churned ice cream base along with toasty, buttery graham cracker crumbs. So, so good! I should mention, if the seeds don't bug you, feel free to skip the straining step.

What is the secret to making ice cream very creamy?

Fat! More specifically, egg yolks. This is a traditional custard-based ice cream recipe. This means it incorporates egg yolks and this is the secret to making the creamiest, silkiest homemade ice cream. Also, churning this in a high-quality ice cream maker ensures it will be super creamy. This is the one I have used for about 10 years and absolutely love: Cuisinart Ice-100 Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients needed

cheesecake ice cream base

• heavy cream and half and half - This combination creates the perfect ice cream texture
• egg yolks - the addition of egg yolks makes the creamiest, custard-based ice cream
• granulated sugar - for the perfect, neutral sweetness
• cream cheese - adds creaminess, tang, and the signature cheesecake flavor
• vanilla extract - I can't imagine ice cream or cheesecake without it!
• lemon juice - brightens and balances all flavors and adds the final cheesecake flavor element

graham cracker swirl

• graham cracker crumbs - for the classic cheesecake crust!
• butter - graham crackers and salted butter belong together
• granulated sugar - for a hint of sweetness in the crumbs
• salt - the little bit of salt makes a huge difference and is just SO delicious

blackberry swirl

• frozen blackberries - easy to have on hand and create the perfect sauciness
• lemon juice - to enhance the tart sweetness of the berries
• granulated sugar - sweetens the mixture and helps create the sauce
• corn starch - for a glossy, thickening finish to the sauce

and some fresh blackberries are always a nice garnish but are totally optional!

I hope you'll give this delicious ice cream recipe a try. Of course this is perfect for summer, but if you always have frozen berries on hand you could make this anytime of year! As I've said before, it is always ice cream season around here!

Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream features a rich cheesecake flavored ice cream base swirled with tangy blackberry sauce and buttery graham cracker crumbs.

• Total Time: 30 minutes active prep + churning and chilling
• Yield: 1.5 quarts

Ingredients

cheesecake ice cream base

• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 1.5 cups half and half
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

graham cracker swirl

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt

blackberry swirl

• 2 cups frozen blackberries
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

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Instructions

1. Make the ice cream base by combining cream cheese, sugar, and heavy cream in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until cream cheese is melted and the ingredients become one smooth mixture. I like to use a whisk to really cream them together. If your cream cheese is cold this will take longer.
2. Whisk egg yolks with half and half and add to the hot cream cheese mixture, whisking vigorously as you add. Cook this mixture, stirring often, over medium heat until it thickens slightly and you see little wisps of steam. Do not boil. If you have a thermometer, you are looking for a temperature of 170 degrees F.
3. Add vanilla, stir, and transfer to a large bowl or measuring cup and place in refrigerator until completely chilled. Feel free to strain through a fine mesh strainer if you feel you may have curdled anything, but I almost never bother with this step in my ice cream recipes anymore. 
4. Make the graham cracker mixture by melting butter in a skillet and adding graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir often over medium heat until the crumbs brown slightly and the mixture becomes fragrant. Let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container until ready to use. 
5. Wipe out the graham cracker pan and use it to make the blackberry sauce. Combine berries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in skillet over medium high heat. Cook until berries are very soft and sugar is completely dissolved and creates a syrup with the berry juices. This should all take about 5 minutes.
6. Mash berries with a fork or potato masher before straining the mixture through a sieve. Use a wooden spoon to really mash them through. You should end up with about 8 ounces. Allow berry sauce to cool completely.

Bring it all together:

Place a 2 quart container in the freezer. I often use a 9x5 inch loaf pan. When the ice cream base is cold, add to ice cream maker along with lemon juice and churn according to your ice cream maker instructions. When ice cream is done, transfer ⅓ of mixture to frozen container. Add ⅓ of blackberry sauce by dropping spoonfuls here and there over ice cream. Then add ⅓ of graham cracker crumbs in the same manner, followed by another layer of ice cream. Continue until you have completed 3 layers. Take a chopstick or butter knife and poke all the way to the bottom and make trails all over ice cream keeping the chopstick on the bottom the whole time. 

When you are done swirling, cover ice cream with plastic wrap and place in freezer until firm - about 6-8 hours.

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
• churning: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: ice cream, dessert