Gluten-Free Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie
Custard-based ice cream blended with cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon, frozen in a buttered graham cracker crust, then topped with macerated fresh strawberries. Rich, tangy, and creamy with a crisp crust foundation.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup whole milk
- lemon juice, from half a lemon
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, lightly whipped
- 1 ½ cups strawberries, sliced
- sugar, to taste(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
- 2
Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Mix in melted butter until combined. Press into prepared pie plate.
- 3
Bake crust for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
- 4
Beat sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and egg together in a large bowl.
- 5
Heat milk until almost boiling in a saucepan or microwave.
- 6
Slowly pour hot milk into cream cheese mixture while whisking constantly.
- 7
Pour entire mixture back into saucepan.
- 8
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
- 9
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, optionally by setting pan in an ice bath.
- 10
Once cooled, stir in lemon juice and lightly whipped cream.
- 11
Refrigerate until well chilled.
- 12
Follow your ice cream maker's instructions to freeze the mixture.
- 13
Transfer to a covered container and freeze for a couple hours until firm but not rock hard.
- 14
Scoop ice cream into prepared crust, smooth the top, and return to freezer for at least an hour until firm enough to slice.
- 15
Combine sliced strawberries with sugar to taste in a bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, until juices develop.
- 16
To serve, cut pie slices and top with strawberries and their juices.
Tips
Cool the custard base quickly by setting the pan in an ice bath for faster preparation.
Do not skip the lightly whipped cream addition—it prevents the ice cream from becoming rock hard when frozen.
Good to Know
Cover and freeze for up to 3 days. Ice cream may harden further over time.
Bake crust and prepare custard base 1 day ahead. Churn and freeze in crust the day of serving.
Cut chilled slices with a warm knife. Top with macerated strawberries and juices just before serving.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip whisking when adding hot milk to prevent curdling the cream cheese and egg mixture.
Do not add lemon juice before cooling to prevent curdling.
Do not freeze the pie until ice cream is at soft-serve consistency to avoid separation.