Lemon Cheesecake Nice Cream

4.75 from 12 votes
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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.

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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 ๐Ÿ˜€

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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

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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.
A bowl of ice cream with a spoon.

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.

A bowl of food with a spoon.
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!
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
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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.
    A bowl of food with bananas and cottage cheese.
  • 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.
    A blender with a white substance in it.
  • 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.
    A bowl of food with a spoon.
  • 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

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”W9v5UXAQ” upload-date=”2024-01-10T21:06:24.000Z” name=”Lemon Cheesecake Nice Cream” description=”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.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]

Nutrition

Calories: 303 kcal, Carbohydrates: 61 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 4 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 32 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.

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About Emily Richter

Emily is Fit Foodie Finds' editor-in-chief. She has a master's degree in strategic communication, and a passion for food. She is an incredible at-home cook making her writing an important part of the content creation process.

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Kristin
Kristin
January 30, 2024 8:45 pm

5 stars
Very fresh and tasty with the lemon flavor! I’ll definitely be making this again!

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Madi
Madi
January 30, 2024 5:38 pm

4 stars
First time making any kind of nice cream and Iโ€™m excited to try different flavors too! Made in my high powered blender and worked out fine!

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