I love my passion fruit cheesecake recipe so much that I decided to bottle up everything I love about it — the tangy cream cheese, the bright passion fruit, the buttery graham cracker crust — and turn it into this passion fruit cheesecake ice cream. It’s rich, tangy, packed with tropical brightness, and honestly might be even more addictive than the cheesecake itself.

Creamy Passionfruit Cheesecake Ice Cream

If you’ve made my passionfruit cheesecake before, you already know the magic combination at play here: cool, tangy cream cheese filling swirled with bright passionfruit glaze, all sitting on top of a buttery graham cracker crust. I wanted every one of those flavors in a single scoop, and after some testing, I landed on this recipe. It has that same unmistakable cheesecake tang, plus a bright, tart passionfruit swirl running through every layer and crunchy bits of graham cracker folded in for that signature crust flavor.

The cream cheese is doing double duty here, just like in the cheesecake — it gives the ice cream that signature tang while also keeping it silky smooth and scoopable straight out of the freezer, with zero iciness. Fold in a ribbon of tart passionfruit glaze and a scatter of graham cracker crumbs between the layers, and you’ve basically got a slice of passionfruit cheesecake in cold, creamy, scoopable form.

Recipe Ingredients

Heavy Cream: Forms the rich, creamy base that gives this ice cream its luxurious texture.

Whole Milk: Lightens the base just enough so it churns up smooth instead of overly dense.

Egg Yolks: These give the base a rich, custardy texture, just like the eggs do in the cheesecake filling. Cooking them into the base helps the ice cream churn up extra smooth and creamy.

Cream Cheese: The heart of the recipe. It brings that classic cheesecake tang and keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable straight from the freezer. Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature so it blends in without lumps.

Sugar: Sweetens the base and helps give the finished ice cream its smooth, scoopable texture.

Passionfruit Juice: The star of the flavor here. It gets swirled into a quick glaze, just like the topping on my passionfruit cheesecake, for that same bright, tropical tang in every bite. I like this passionfruit juice for the best color and flavor, but fresh passionfruit pulp (strained) works too.

Corn Syrup: A tablespoon in the passionfruit glaze keeps it smooth and pliable once frozen, so it swirls into soft ribbons instead of freezing into hard, icy streaks.

Vanilla: Rounds out the tang from the cream cheese and passionfruit with warmth and depth.

Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and make the passionfruit flavor pop.

Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch: Thickens the passionfruit glaze so it swirls into ribbons instead of melting away into the base.

Graham Crackers: A nod to the crust. Baked with melted butter and sugar until golden, then broken up and layered throughout the container for real crust flavor and crunch in every scoop.

Butter and Sugar: Melted together and tossed with the broken graham crackers before baking, so every piece gets that same buttery, sweet flavor as the cheesecake crust.

How to Make Passionfruit Cheesecake Ice Cream

Bake the Graham Cracker Crumble

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break up the graham crackers into rough, bite-sized pieces.

Step 2. Melt the butter, then mix in the sugar until incorporated. Pour the butter mixture over the broken graham crackers and toss well, making sure every piece gets coated.

Step 3. Spread the crackers in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. They’ll be soft coming out of the oven, but will harden as they cool. Set aside and let cool completely before using.

Make the Passionfruit Glaze

Step 4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the passionfruit juice and sugar, and corn syrup. Whisk frequently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reduces for about 5-7 minutes.

Step 5. Stir in the vanilla. Mix the cornstarch (or arrowroot) with the cold water to make a slurry with no clumps, then whisk it into the passionfruit mixture. Continue stirring until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely, then chill until ready to use.

Make the Custard Base

Step 6. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream cheese, heavy cream, and whole milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted in and the mixture is warmed through and just starting to simmer around the edges.

Step 7. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale, creamy, and custardy.

Step 8. Slowly ladle about a cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them so they don’t scramble. Continue adding the hot mixture a little at a time, whisking as you go, until fully combined.

Step 9. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F and coats the back of a spoon. Keep a close eye on the temperature and don’t let it climb above 185F, or the texture may be impacted.

Step 10. Remove from heat and pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to strain out any bits of cooked egg. Stir in the salt and 1/3 cup of the cooled passionfruit glaze (reserve the rest for layering).

Step 11. Let the custard cool to room temperature, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight, until fully chilled.

Churn and Layer

Step 12. Once chilled, pour the custard base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (about 25 minutes).

Step 13. Spoon a layer of the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container, then drizzle a layer of the remaining passionfruit glaze and scatter some of the baked graham cracker crumble on top. Repeat the layers, ending with ice cream. Using a knife, gently swirl to marble the glaze through the ice cream — don’t overdo it, or the ribbons will blend away. Smooth the top, then press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm, before scooping and serving. Drizzle with any extra passionfruit glaze for more tropical flavor.

My Top Tips & Tricks

• Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before scooping if it’s been in the freezer a while.. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface before sealing the lid to help prevent ice crystals from forming.

• Keep a close eye on the custard’s temperature — use a thermometer if you have one, and pull it off the heat right at 175F, well before it hits 185F.

• Straining the custard through a fine mesh sieve catches any small bits of cooked egg, so don’t skip it.

• Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the custard before chilling keeps a skin from forming.

• Don’t over-swirl the glaze layer; a light hand keeps those bright ribbons intact instead of blending them into the ice cream.

• Pressing plastic wrap or parchment directly onto the surface before freezing keeps the top scoop from turning icy.

How to Store

Keep your passionfruit cheesecake ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 4-6 weeks for the best flavor and texture. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface before sealing the lid to help prevent ice crystals from forming.

More Summer Desserts

• The Best Passionfruit Cheesecake Recipe
• The Best Mango Cheesecake Recipe
• Key Lime Cheesecake
• Homemade Banana Pudding Ice Cream
• The Best Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

I hope you love this Passionfruit Cheesecake Ice Cream as much as I do! It’s got all the tangy, tropical flavor of the cheesecake it’s inspired by, but in a creamy, scoopable treat perfect for warm days. If you give this recipe a try, I want to know — leave a comment with a star rating below, and don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram!