A simple homemade cream cheese ice cream recipe with marmalade. This post is sponsored by Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Jump to recipe.
Spring is a time of waiting. Waiting for strawberries and asparagus. Waiting for the first short-sleeve day. Waiting for lamb. Waiting for grill weather. To make all that waiting go faster, our family of four always makes a trip out to local farms to see what we have in store. We love the lambs, calves, and kids, plus all the newly planted summer crops and the spring produce almost ready for the farm stand, such as chives, spring onions, mint, nettles, and fresh lamb. As the first foods of the season are just coming to life, so do the leaves and flowers back in the city. Brian and I make sure the girls take notice of all this , so they’ll understand and appreciate the hard work and patience it takes to grow and produce good food.
And, when planning our family’s Easter celebration, we love to make use of any fresh produce we can find (wild chives from the backyard included). But we also love to make use of our favorite staples like dairy, eggs, and canned goods, especially after a particularly chilly winter and a late start to the spring growing season. Versatile favorites like Philadelphia Cream Cheese see us through these in-between times, making everything from lunch sandwiches to special desserts delicious.
Fresh fruit desserts are totally my thing, but here in Virginia, the very first spring berries have yet to trickle in. So, for a festive Easter dessert during this time of waiting, I decided to savor the last of the winter citrus crop. In a nod to warm weather ahead, I folded of jar of pretty kumquat marmalade in with a rich, wonderfully tangy cream cheese ice cream. Layers of lightly sweet fruit are balanced beautifully by the fresh, creamy homemade ice cream made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I topped my creation with just a few strips of citrus zest and a handful of clementine segments for color and texture.
A simple homemade cream cheese ice cream recipe with marmalade.
- 8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese , room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup marmalade (I used kumquat marmalade)
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Combine the cream cheese, milk, cream, sugar, zest, juice, and sea salt in the pitcher of a blender. Blend on low speed until smooth. Pour into a zip-top plastic bag and set in an ice bath in the fridge. Chill for an hour or longer.
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Process chilled ice cream base according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Note that this is a thick ice cream, so you may need to stop and (very quickly) scrape down the sides during process time.
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Spoon a thin layer of ice cream on the bottom of a freezer-proof container. Next, spread 1/4 cup of the marmalade. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of marmalade and 6 layers of ice cream. Cover and set in the freezer to cure for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.
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Serve ice cream with citrus segments and strips of zest.
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Ice cream has the best texture for 3 days after it's made. Before serving, set ice cream on the counter for 10 minutes to soften.
I partnered with Philadelphia Cream Cheese to come up with this dessert. Do you have a favorite Easter recipe using Philadelphia Cream Cheese? Leave a comment below and share.
Note: I developed this recipe myself. It is not an original Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe
mmmm ice cream season!!! bring it on. and kumquat marmalade?! yes plz.
Ice cream season is my favorite, favorite thing. (Except maybe pie season?) Thanks for dropping by!
LOVE this recipe! Love the use of cream cheese. Love the marmalade. Love how bright and cheery this is! Thank you! Winter has really beaten me down this year.
I hear you on that, Carrie. Early springs a few years in a row have me expecting strawberries by now; but in my yard, there’s just a hint of green. Until then, I’ll take all the bright cream cheese and cheery citrus I can get!
Oh my gosh, I love the sound of this ice cream! I’ve been hooked on cream cheese in ice cream ever since I tried a Jeni’s recipe a ways back — I can’t wait to up the ante with this one! And with that marmalade, so fresh and bright!! (Plus — KUMQUATS?!) This is perfection.
Hi Cynthia, Yes! Jeni’s is such a revelation. This one’s much richer, but the tangy creaminess of the cream cheese is just as irresistible.
I am so thrilled we’ll get to meet soon! Really, really excited to see you in NYC this summer. xo
Woah Elizabeth this sounds amazing and so creamy! Also, I love the use of sweet but slightly tart marmalade!
Thanks, Millie. I figured no one would want chive ice cream, so best to stick with tried-and-true citrus. Glad you find the recipe appealing. Thanks for dropping by!
Gorgeous colors and flavors here. I love the citrus mixed with the creaminess of the cheese. Brilliant.
Thank you kindly, Kristie! It was a fun recipe to “have” to “test.” I mean, sometimes eating ice cream is just what you have to do to get things right! Cheers.
Wao, this looks fantastic. Is there a trick to making this without an ice-cream maker?
Hi Mimi,
This recipe is super rich and the ice cream maker plays an important role is getting air into the mix. There are a lot of recipes out there that rely on a mix of whipped cream cheese and airy whipped cream – that might be the best no-churn option. This recipe from The Candid Appetite looks great: http://www.thecandidappetite.com/2013/02/11/no-churn-strawberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/ I bet you could even sub marmalade for the strawberries to make something very close to my recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
Ooh, this ice cream looks just wonderful, Elizabeth! Cream cheese + marmalade?! Yum. <3
Thanks Abby! So glad you like the ice cream recipe. (And here’s to warm days when we can actually justify eating said ice cream in the near future!)
This sounds so tangy and wonderful! i couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s time to break out the ice cream makers.