I'm going to be enjoying this Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream on repeat all summer! It combines tangy lemon kefir, sweet blueberries, and rich cream cheese for the best summertime dessert! With just 5 ingredients, 15 minutes of prep, and a Ninja Creami, you can have creamy cheesecake ice cream without any pudding mixes, condensed milk, or artificial ingredients.
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I've been obsessed with my Ninja Creami since I got it! So far I've turned my protein fruit smoothie into ice cream and cookies and cream kefir ice cream.
Well, this lemon blueberry cheesecake ice cream is my favorite creation yet! It's incredibly simple, quick, and inexpensive to make, but tastes like something I'd get from Pretty Cool Ice Cream here in Chicago.
The texture is unbelievably creamy with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, just like a slice of blueberry lemon cheesecake!
Shoutout to my friends at Lifeway Foods for making such a tasty flavored kefir and sponsoring this recipe! Lemon is actually my favorite Lifeway flavor. I drink it on its own, add it to my daily protein fruit smoothies, and love using it in baked goods, too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It has the light, fruity flavors of frozen yogurt with the creamy texture of ice cream!
- No squeezing lemons! Instead of lemon juice, the kefir provides its delicious lemon flavor and probiotics.
- No artificial ingredients, sweetened condensed milk, or pudding mixes needed. We're using real cream cheese and blueberries, and the lemon kefir is naturally flavored!
- You can quickly prep the ice cream base ahead of time and keep it in the freezer until you're ready to turn it into ice cream with your Ninja Creami!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need these 5 ingredients to make this Ninja Creami recipe:
Ingredient Notes:
- Cream cheese provides that authentic cheesecake flavor and makes it ultra creamy. Make sure it's completely softened to room temperature for a smooth base without any clumps.
- Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir delivers both the lemon flavor and probiotics. It also helps give it that signature cheesecake tang!
- Milk is added for extra creaminess, so be sure to use 2% or whole milk! If you want to make it extra rich & creamy, try heavy cream instead. Whatever you do, don't use skim milk - it contains less fat, which can result in icy texture.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the ice cream and helps prevent it from freezing too much. You can adjust the amount based on your sweetness preference.
- Blueberries give the ice cream a beautiful purple color, and they just taste so good with lemon flavor! Frozen berries work best since they're solid and match the temperature of ice cream.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Break up a a graham cracker or two and mix them in with the blueberries to give your cheesecake ice cream a graham cracker crust flavor. Maybe even add a few pieces of frozen cheesecake while you're at it!
- Replace the blueberries with strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, or use a mixed berry blend!
- Add a few teaspoons of white chocolate chips along with the blueberries for an extra sweet treat.
- Make it extra lemony by adding ½ teaspoon of lemon zest to the base mixture.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Ninja Creami Ice Cream Machine
I have the Ninja Creami Swirl, but you can make this ice cream with the regular Ninja Creami machine! Here's a labeled photo of its parts to help as you go through the instructions. All parts are easy to use, assemble, and clean.
How to Make Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream
Mix the Cream Cheese & Sugar
In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until it's smooth. This usually takes 1-2 minutes of creaming with a hand mixer.
Freeze the Base
Add the lemon kefir & milk and mix until well combined. Then pour the mixture into a clean Ninja Creami pint. Secure the lid and place it in the freezer until it's completely frozen (I recommend at least 8 hours).
Lite Ice Cream
Take the frozen pint out of the freezer, remove the lid, and place it in the outer bowl with its lid with paddle. Run it through the Lite Ice Cream setting. Scrape the sides & base.
Mix In Blueberries
Add the frozen blueberries to the ice cream, then run it through the Mix-in setting. Stir the ice cream manually to evenly distribute the blueberries.
If you have a regular Ninja Creami, you can stop here and enjoy your ice cream! If you have the Swirl, move on to Step 5.
Swirl!
Secure the swirl dispense lid and place the pint into the swirl part of the machine. Twist open the lid, pull down on the lever, and swirl your beautiful blueberry lemon cheesecake ice cream into a cone or bowl!
Ninja Creami Ice Cream Tips
- Don't fill the pint all the way to the max line. The mixture will expand as it freezes, and you want to leave room for the blueberries.
- Speed up the freezing by placing your pint in the back of the freezer where it's coldest.
- If your ice cream is really crumbly after the first Lite Ice Cream cycle, run it through the Re-spin setting until it's smooth.
- Work quickly! Especially if you're using the Swirl, you'll want to spin and swirl the ice cream quickly so it doesn't get too melty.
Common Questions
If you have ice cream leftover, you can save it for later! Just cover and place it in the freezer, then let it thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before enjoying again.
Alternatively, you can Re-spin it in the Ninja Creami! For this, make sure the pint is at least ⅓ full, smooth the top, and then place the lid back on the pint and freeze it. When you want to eat it, run it through the Re-spin setting until it's smooth!
This homemade ice cream keeps well for up to 2 weeks in the freezer. Store it in the original Ninja Creami pint with the lid tightly secured, or transfer to an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
This recipe is specifically designed for the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. I have not yet tested it in a traditional ice cream machine, but would love to hear how it turns out if you do! Please leave a comment below if you try it
Lifeway's Organic Lemon Kefir can be found in select grocery and convenience stores around the U.S. I find mine on Instacart, but you can also check lifewaykefir.com. Even if you can only find the mini 8-ounce bottle, that's plenty for this recipe!
Ice cream is one of my favorite after-dinner snacks, and this lemon blueberry cheesecake ice cream has quickly become a favorite! I love it in a waffle cone! It's fruity, refreshing, and so simple to make!
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
5-Ingredient Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream (Ninja Creami Recipe)
Equipment
- Ninja Creami ice cream maker
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer recommended
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir
- ½ cup (120 g) milk 2% or whole
- ⅓ cup (49.33 g) blueberries frozen is recommended
- 2 ice cream cones optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to incorporate everything so there aren't any clumps.4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Mix the lemon kefir and milk into the cream cheese mixture really well.½ cup Lifeway Organic Lemon Whole Milk Kefir, ½ cup milk
- Pour the lemon cheesecake ice cream base into a Ninja Creami pint. Secure the lid and place it in your freezer for at least 8 hours.Note: the mixture should not reach the max fill line (the ice cream will expand as it freezes, and we want to leave room for the blueberries).
- Once the ice cream pint is completely frozen, remove the lid and place it in the outer bowl. Secure the mixing lid with paddle and run it through the Lite Ice Cream setting.Note: if the ice cream is more clumpy than creamy, run it through the Re-spin setting.
- Scrape the sides & bottom of the pint and mix up the ice cream. Then add the frozen blueberries, secure the paddle lid, and run it through the Mix-in setting.⅓ cup blueberries
- You'll likely notice the blueberries didn't mix into the bottom. That's okay! Give it a manual stir with your spatula to evenly distribute the blueberry lemon cheesecake ice cream.
- If you have the regular Ninja Creami: stop here and enjoy!If you have the Ninja Creami Swirl: secure the swirl dispenser lid, place it in the swirl dispenser, open the lid, and pull down on the lever to dispense the ice cream into a cone or bowl. Enjoy!
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Chris says
This was an instant favorite! This is the first homemade ice cream I’ve tried that rivals one of my all time favorites, Jeni’s Brambleberry. This recipe is really refreshing, the perfect sweetness, and I can eat as much as I want guilt free since it’s on the lower end in calories. Plus it’s got kefir so there are extra health benefits.
Everyone needs to try this!
Chris, Kayla’s husband