Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream (Egg-Free)
Sweet summer berries meet lemon and ricotta in this easy, egg-free, no-cook blueberry ricotta ice cream recipe. Just blend, churn, and enjoy your best summer life!
This is my favorite berry ice cream recipe by far. I love making egg-based custard ice cream just as much as the next girl, but with berries? I’ve never found a custard recipe that hit the mark for me.
This no-cook ice cream base is perfect for fresh summer berries. It starts with a generous amount of sweet, ripe blueberries and the juice of a whole lemon (the best kind of start, if you ask me) blended with creamy ricotta, a splash of cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. The result is a bright, tangy frozen treat that sits somewhere between sherbet and ice cream: lightly creamy, with a refreshing icy bite thanks to tiny crystals, before melting into a smooth, indulgent spoonful. It’s light and refreshing, but with just enough richness to feel like a treat.
After a quick chill (depending on your ice cream maker), you’ll be churning your way to pure blueberry bliss.
It’s simple enough to whip up in the evening or early morning, and you’ll have fresh ice cream ready by the afternoon (or sooner!). My kids start asking for it at breakfast. It’s that good. Pinkie promise.
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream Recipe
Tools You May Need
High Speed Blender or Immersion Blender
Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients and Substitutions
Blueberries Use fresh, summer-sweet blueberries. Frozen ones typically lack the aromatic depth to shine in ice cream (unless you froze your own ripe berries last year).
Powdered Sugar Stick with powdered sugar for the smoothest texture.
(Since this is a no-cook recipe, granulated sugar won’t dissolve fully. Depending on your equipment, blending alone may not be enough.)
Cream You can substitute whole milk or half-and-half in a pinch. Lower fat content increases the risk of crunchy ice crystals, so aim for the highest fat content available.
How to Make Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream
01
Add all ingredients to a blender jug and blend until most of the blueberry skins are broken down. Don’t blend too long, the mixture can warm up quickly.
Chill the mixture in the fridge, if needed.
02
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to your machine’s instructions. Serve as soft serve straight away, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 2 hours (or until set).
In my experience, it scoops well straight from the freezer, so no need to set it out first.
Tips
- Be careful not to add any lemon seeds to the blender — they’re super bitter!
- If using a less powerful or immersion blender, start by blending the blueberries with lemon juice and cream to break down the skins as much as possible. Then add the rest.
- If your ice cream maker requires pre-freezing the bowl, make sure your ice cream base is thoroughly chilled before churning. (My machine chills as it churns, so I can use the mixture at room temp. It just takes a little longer to set.)
- Think of this as a blueprint for any kind of berry ricotta ice cream you fancy! Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and cherries all have similar water content, making them easy to swap. (Raspberry ricotta is a personal favorite.)
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
If you make this Blueberry Ricotta ICe Cream…
I’d love to hear how it turned out!
P.S. If you need more recipes to use up a flood of blueberries, try my fluffy Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls!
happy baking!
Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream (No Eggs, No Cooking)
Equipment
- High Speed Blender or Immersion Blender
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 400 g blueberries - ~2 cups
- 4 tbsp lemon juice - ¼ cup
- 150 g powdered sugar - ~1 cup
- 200 g ricotta - generous ¾ cup
- 200 ml cream - ¾ cup + 1½ tbsp
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender jug. Blend until most of the blueberry skins are broken down. Don’t over blend, so the mixture doesn't warm up. Chill in the fridge, if needed.
- Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker. Churn according to your machine’s instructions. Serve as soft serve straight away, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until set.
Notes
- Avoid blending lemon seeds—they’re bitter!
- For less powerful blenders, blend blueberries, lemon juice, and cream first to break down skins, then add the rest.
- If your ice cream maker requires a pre-frozen bowl, chill your ice cream base well before churning.
- Use this recipe as a blueprint for any berry—blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and cherries work great!
- No need to set it out first, it scoops well straight from the freezer.
Recipe FAQs
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