Lavender Ice Cream with Honey

Is it cheesy to say I made this honey lavender ice cream because of Meryl Streep and the movie It’s Complicated? It probably is, but too late now! Thinking about the movie also makes me want a slice of chocolate cake and a chocolate croissant if you know what I mean. Wink wink!

Also, if you love this flavor profile, try my honey lavender shortbread cookies!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Unique and sophisticated flavor - If it was good enough for Meryl Streep, it’s good enough for me! Seriously though, the combination of lavender and honey creates a truly elegant taste that sets this ice cream apart from other, more classic flavors.
• Homemade is always better - Making your own lavender honey ice cream from scratch allows you to control the ingredients. No weird, unpronounceable food-like items here.
• Impressive enough for guests - I love making this for a summer dinner party or a special summer birthday. Its gourmet fancy ice cream parlor vibe will sure impress all your guests.

Ingredients and Substitutions

As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:

1. Whole Milk - This is key to creating a rich and creamy texture for your lavender ice cream. Its higher fat content contributes much to the ice cream’s smooth and velvety look and feel.

1. Heavy Cream - Also does much to add a rich and creamy texture to your ice cream. If you run out of heavy cream, you can substitute half-and-half. For this recipe, that would mean using 1 cup of store-bought half and half + 1 ½ cup of milk. And if you can’t find either heavy cream or half-and-half, just use all whole milk.

1. Dried Lavender - You may be able to find dried lavender in your local supermarket — check the spices or baking aisles. If you can’t find any, check online. All of the lavender flavor comes from the flowers, so you can’t really skip it or replace it with anything.

1. Egg Yolks - This honey lavender ice cream recipe is made with a custard base, which uses egg yolks to thicken. You’ll need 4.

1. Sugar - Regular granulated sugar works well here. It adds sweetness to the overall flavor profile and dissolves well in the custard base so you don’t need to worry about any granules.

1. Cream Cheese - Added to make the ice cream extra silky and luscious, and to reduce the iciness of the ice cream mixture. You can substitute cream cheese with mascarpone cheese. I used mascarpone in this Mascarpone Ice Cream and this Orange Ice Cream, and they’re delicious!

1. Honey - Also for more sweetness, and to enhance the natural floral notes in the lavender. Honey balances out the potential bitterness of the flowers to create a better overall taste.

1. Pure Vanilla Extract - Warm and sweet, pure vanilla extract also helps balance out the other flavors — it makes everything taste a lot more well-rounded.

1. Salt - A very important ingredient in desserts like this lavender honey ice cream recipe, salt enhances the sweetness and adds complexity to the flavor.

How to Make Lavender Ice Cream

The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Steep the lavender

Add the cream and milk to a medium saucepan, then add the dried lavender to a spice bag and place in the liquid mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the flowers steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger the lavender flavor.

Note: If you don’t have a spice bag, just put the dried lavender directly into the liquid. After you finish steeping, you’ll need to strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender.

Make the ice cream base

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar on a low speed until it becomes creamy and light in color. When you lift the whisk up, it should fall off slowly in a thick stream.

Bring the lavender “tea” back to a simmer and temper it into the egg mixture by adding just a little bit of hot liquid a few tablespoons at a time until completely incorporated.

Pour the entire liquid mixture into your saucepan and heat over medium-low until thickened. After about 4-4 ½ minutes, use a candy thermometer to test the temperature — it should be between 175 and 180 degrees F. When it’s ready, remove the custard from the heat.

Tip: At this point, your custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and not run off when you swipe your finger across the middle.

Add the softened cream cheese to the hot custard mixture and stir to dissolve completely. Add the honey, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir until completely dissolved and allow to cool to room temp uncovered. Then, refrigerate overnight before moving on to the next steps.

Churn the ice cream

Place the cold custard mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions.

This lavender honey ice cream recipe boasts a soft-serve consistency once finished. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. And if you can’t wait, it can certainly be eaten right away!

More baker’s tips

• Use a candy thermometer: The custard mixture must reach a temperature of 175-180 degrees F before you add the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla. This ensures that your honey lavender ice cream will thicken and set properly and be safe for eating.
• How to save overcooked custard: Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to make it smoother before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
• Room temperature cream cheese is crucial: This will make it much easier to stir into the hot custard mixture without leaving any lumps. If you forget to take it out of the fridge, quickly softening it in the microwave first, for about 30 seconds, can help it incorporate more easily.
• Aging the ice cream overnight: This step is highly recommended for the ice cream flavor to develop and to allow the fat in the ice cream base to firm up, which helps the mixture thicken resulting in creamier ice cream when churned. Colder and thicker base will also churn faster which reduces iciness and further enhances creaminess.
• Short on time? Churn the same day: As long as you are able to cool your ice cream base to 39 degrees F, the same temperature as a refrigerated base, you are welcome to churn it the same day. This will take a few hours in the fridge.
• Freeze your ice cream maker: Don’t forget to freeze the ice cream maker bowl per manufacturer’s instructions before making ice cream. My KitchenAid attachment requires 24 hours of freezing.

Storage

Store churned lavender ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer.

To prevent ice from forming on the surface and to keep out any funky freezer flavors, layer a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the ice cream.

FAQs

Topping suggestions

There are so many options:

• Honey Rosemary Peach Sauce
• Mixed Berry Compote with a hint of lime
• Cherry Compote with orange and almond
• Strawberry Sauce with orange
• Blueberry Compote with lemon