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Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Honey lavender ice cream made with a custard base for a smooth, pale lilac-purple floral finish. Infused lavender steeped in cream and milk gives Provence-style aroma, then the mixture churns into an artisan ice cream texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base and flavoring
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp culinary dried lavender buds
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 Purple food coloring (optional) Optional for a lavender hue.

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Infuse the cream
  1. Combine heavy cream, whole milk, honey, and culinary dried lavender buds in a saucepan and heat until steaming. Turn off the heat and steep off heat for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Strain out the lavender buds from the infused cream. Press firmly to extract flavor while keeping the mixture smooth.
Make the custard
  1. Reheat the infused cream until steaming. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg yolks to temper them.
  2. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until it reaches 175F. Keep the heat steady enough to thicken without boiling.
  3. Strain the custard again for a silky texture, then stir in vanilla extract and salt. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Add a drop of purple food coloring if desired for a lavender hue. Stir until the color is evenly distributed.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely before chilling. Refrigerate for 4 hours to chill thoroughly.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thick and creamy. Stop when it reaches soft-serve consistency.
  3. Transfer the churned ice cream to a container and freeze until firm. Let it harden fully so scoops hold their shape.

Notes

For the cleanest floral flavor, steep the lavender off the heat and strain well; lingering lavender can taste bitter. Refrigerate the finished custard base up to 2 days before churning (or freeze the churned ice cream up to 2 months). This recipe is naturally gluten-free; if you want a lighter version, swap part of the heavy cream for more milk and expect a slightly softer texture after freezing.