By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 2
1046 cal · 195 min
Key Lime Ice Cream
Recipe GLPRf14b7ec99db110
A creamy and tangy ice cream infused with fresh key lime juice and bright lemon zest. This custard-based frozen dessert is smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced between sweet and citrus flavors. Ideal for a refreshing treat on warm days.
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Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/4 cups half-and-half cream
Directions
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, key lime juice, and lemon zest until well combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 7 to 8 minutes, until the mixture reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer and becomes thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the half-and-half cream until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or cooked egg bits. This ensures a silky texture.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is completely chilled.
Transfer the chilled mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
Serve immediately for soft-serve consistency, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours for scoopable ice cream.
Comments
This is a custard-based ice cream that requires chilling time the stated 195 minutes accounts for freezing but not the initial custard cooling, so budget closer to four hours total if you're not using an ice cream maker. The ingredients are all standard grocery staples available at any Charlotte chain, and at roughly $1.50 to $2.00 per serving it's economical for a homemade dessert. The technique is straightforward—tempering eggs into a sugar base, then mixing with half-and-half and lime juice—but it demands attention during the cooking step and a working freezer; this is not a rustic dump-and-freeze situation. The finished product reheats into nothing, so commit to eating it fresh, but it keeps beautifully in the freezer for weeks and delivers a bright, summery finish that feels special without fuss or a special trip.
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