Lemon Cheesecake Nice Cream

4.75 from 12 votes

Published 1/13/2024

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This lemon cheesecake nice cream is made with frozen bananas, cottage cheese, lemon zest and vanilla extract, and then topped with crumbled graham crackers and more lemon zest! It has 9 grams of protein per serving, making it one amazing dessert.

This lemon cheesecake nice cream is part of our 2024 Protein Dessert Series. If you make this recipe, snap a photo and upload it to the comment section to enter for a chance to win the Glossier You XL Eau de Parfum. You’ll also be entered into a greater giveaway for this series — a $500 lululemon shopping spree! Winners will be chosen on January 31.

If you’ve been making Fit Foodie Finds recipes for a while, you know we love a good frozen dessert recipe, and we especially love ice cream. Whether it’s a cottage cheese base or a frozen banana base, we love the creamy texture and amazing flavor nice cream has to offer.

Best part about this recipe? It brings together a cottage cheese base with a frozen banana base for the most amazingly creamy nice cream that tastes just like lemon cheesecake. And you can eat it right out of the food processor 😀

A tray of bananas and crackers with a spoon.

What You Need for Cheesecake Nice Cream

Bananas: Large, ripe bananas are the base of this recipe, providing natural sweetness and a creamy texture when frozen. Learn how to freeze bananas here!
Cottage Cheese: 2% cottage cheese adds a creamy and slightly tangy element, boosting the protein content of the nice cream.
Lemon Zest: The zest from one lemon, about 3-4 teaspoons, infuses the nice cream with a bright and zesty citrus flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Two teaspoons of vanilla extract enhance the overall flavor profile, imparting a subtle, sweet taste that’s perfect for cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Sheet: Don’t skip this! A crumbled graham cracker sheet serves as a delicious and crunchy topping for the nice cream, which gives the texture of a graham cracker crust.
Agave Syrup or Honey (Optional): If desired, 1-2 tablespoons of agave syrup or honey can be added to sweeten the nice cream to your liking.

A bowl of food with bananas and cottage cheese.

How to Serve Lemon Cheesecake Nice Cream

No matter how you serve this cheesecake nice cream, it will be delicious. Here are our favorite options:

Soft Serve: If you like to enjoy your nice cream as a soft serve, go ahead and serve it right away topped with lemon zest and graham cracker crumbs.
Ice Cream: If ice cream is more of your jam, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and pour the lemon cheesecake nice cream in the pan. Evenly spread the nice cream out, top with lemon zest and graham cracker crumbs and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours before scooping and serving.

More Protein Ice Cream Recipes

A hand holding a black handle in a bowl of white liquid.

Pro Tips for Cheesecake Nice Cream

Use frozen bananas: Make sure your bananas are completely frozen before you blend it in the food processor.
Do not over process: Be careful not to blend the nice cream in the food processor for too long or it will be too melted / thin in consistency to scoop.
Cover before freezing: If you do decide to freeze the cheesecake nice cream be sure to cover the container tightly to avoid freezer burn.

Variations & Substitutions

Add a berry: Berries pair so deliciously with cheesecake. A few raspberries or sliced strawberries would be delicious!

Amp up the protein: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder right into the food processor to increase the protein content of this nice cream even more.

Jazz up the toppings: Add a sprinkle of coconut shreds, chopped nuts or good old fashioned rainbow sprinkles when serving this cheesecake nice cream.

Storage

Store leftover nice cream in the freezer, covered, for up to 3 months. We recommend storing in a glass container with a lid to avoid freezer burn.

4.75 from 12 votes

Lemon Cheesecake Nice Cream

Enjoy this protein-packed lemon cheesecake nice cream with frozen bananas, cottage cheese, and zesty flavors, topped with graham crackers. A deliciously nutritious dessert!

By: Emily Richter

Prep: 20

Total: 20

Servings:

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Ingredients

▢ 4 large ripe bananas, sliced and completely frozen
▢ ½ cup 2% cottage cheese
▢ Zest from 1 lemon, (~3-4 teaspoons)
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ Optional: 1-2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey
▢ 1 graham cracker sheet, crumbled

Instructions

Add the bananas, cottage cheese, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to a high-speed food processor.
Process the ingredients on high for 5-7 minutes, stirring the ingredients every few minutes. Process until thick and smooth.* Give it a taste. If you’d like the nice cream sweeter, add 1 tablespoon of agave syrup or honey at a time. Pulse to combine.
If serving immediately, use an ice cream scoop to scoop the nice cream into a bowl. Top with crumbled graham crackers and fresh lemon zest.
If serving later, line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Scoop the nice cream into the pan and cover. Freeze until ready to serve.

Tips & Notes

Be careful not to over-process the nice cream or it will not be firm enough to scoop. If the mixture is too thin to scoop, skip to step 4 and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Watch It

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