Creamy Honey Lavender Ice Cream Delights

There are ice creams you eat, and then there are ice creams you kind of… listen to. This one hums. It’s silky, honey-sweet, and lightly floral from real culinary lavender—think meadow breeze, not grandma’s soap. It’s a classic custard base (hello, egg yolks) steeped with lavender buds and whisked with honey so it feels like a scoopable cloud. If your summer needs a soft, elegant dessert that tastes like a slow walk at golden hour, this is it.

My little crew goes feral over this. My husband calls it “hotel lobby gelato” like that’s the highest compliment on earth, and I’ve 100% caught him eating it straight from the container with the freezer door still open. Our kid calls it “purple cloud ice cream” even when I don’t tint it, which is adorable and also… fine, sure, it’s purple in spirit. We’ve turned it into waffle cone nights and backyard “ice cream flights,” and once, when I forgot to chill the base, we had lavender milkshakes for dinner. No regrets.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Honey Lavender Ice Cream Delights

– It’s floral without the perfumy punch—gentle, dreamy, and grown-up.
– Honey gives extra creaminess and that round, sunny sweetness.
– Make-ahead friendly. The base loves an overnight chill.
– You can churn it, or try my lazy no-churn hack when the kitchen’s too hot.
– It tastes like a fancy bakery, but it’s literally milk, cream, and six pantry things.

How to Make It

Here’s the vibe: we steep, we whisk, we nappe (that means “coat the spoon,” not nap, sadly), and we chill like responsible adults who want scoops later.

In a saucepan, warm 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds, and a small pinch of fine sea salt. Don’t boil—just steam. Turn off the heat and let it sit 15–20 minutes so the lavender gets cozy but not bossy. Meanwhile, whisk 5 large egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until they look a little pale and you feel fancy.

Fish out (or don’t—see the strain later) the buds, then slowly whisk a ladle of the hot dairy into the yolks to temper. Do that twice more, then slide the yolk mix back into the pot. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reads about 170–175°F. If you see curdly bits trying to happen, pull it off the heat and keep stirring—been there, saved that.

Strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl (catch those buds and any egg freckles), stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and, if you like, a whisper of lemon zest. Set the bowl over an ice bath to cool it fast, then cover and chill 4 hours or overnight. Cold base = tiny ice crystals = velvety scoop. Churn in your ice cream maker per the manual (usually 18–25 minutes), then pack into a container and freeze 3–4 hours to set. If you want a little drama, warm a spoonful of honey and ripple it in before the final freeze.

Yields about 1 quart. Active time: ~25 minutes. Chill + freeze: plan for 7–8 hours, or overnight if you’re a planner (teach me your ways).

Ingredient Notes

This module dynamically pulls in recipe-specific ingredients. Follow this exact bullet styling (HTML bold labels only).
– Culinary lavender: Use food-grade buds, not craft-store sachets. Steep gently; overdoing it leans soapy. Start with 1 tablespoon; go 2 teaspoons if you’re nervous.
– Honey: A mild variety (clover, orange blossom) keeps things balanced. Buckwheat honey turns it moody and dark—good, just different.
– Heavy cream + whole milk: This 2:1 ratio is the sweet spot between scoopable and plush. Skim milk will make it icy; ask me how I know.
– Egg yolks: They’re the silk. Five yolks = custardy luxury. Cook low, stir nonstop, and strain just in case.
– Vanilla (and lemon zest, optional): Vanilla anchors the floral notes; a little zest lifts everything without reading “lemon.”
– Sugar + salt: Sugar stabilizes; salt makes the honey pop. Don’t skip either unless you like flat flavors.

Recipe Steps

1. Warm cream, milk, honey, lavender, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan until steamy; remove from heat and steep 15–20 minutes.
2. Whisk yolks with sugar until slightly thick and pale.
3. Temper yolks by slowly whisking in hot dairy; return mixture to the saucepan.
4. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until 170–175°F and thick enough to coat a spoon.
5. Strain into a clean bowl, stir in vanilla (and optional lemon zest), cool over an ice bath, then chill 4 hours or overnight.
6. Churn until soft-serve thick, ripple in a spoonful of warm honey if you like, then freeze 3–4 hours until scoopable.

What to Serve It With

– Lemon shortbread or butter cookies (cue the tea party energy).
– Fresh berries, especially blackberries or strawberries.
– A warm peach or grilled nectarine on the side—summer on summer.
– A drizzle of honey and toasted almonds for crunch.
– Pound cake cubes… basically an ice cream trifle in a bowl.

Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t over-steep the lavender. Start tasting at 10 minutes; pull at 15 if you’re sensitive.
– Chill the base thoroughly. Warm base = greasy mouthfeel and sad churn.
– Use a thermometer. The custard sweet spot is 170–175°F; above 180°F and the eggs might scramble.
– Strain it. Even if you think it’s smooth. Insurance!
– Honey is softer than sugar; keep it to about 1/3 cup or your ice cream won’t set up as firmly.
– Freeze your container and the churn bowl (if compatible) to help it set faster.

Storage Tips

Scoop leftovers into an airtight container, press parchment right on the surface to block frost, lid it, and stash in the coldest part of the freezer. It’s primo for 2 weeks, totally fine up to 1 month. Let it sit on the counter 5–10 minutes before scooping—or eat it rock hard and embrace the forearm workout. Breakfast scoop? No judgment. It’s basically frozen custard toast if there’s coffee nearby.

Variations and Substitutions

– Honey ↔ sugar: Swap some or all honey for granulated sugar. Total sweetener around 3/4–1 cup (150–200g) is the lane. All-honey will be softer.
– Lavender level: Go 2 teaspoons for subtle, up to 1.5 tablespoons if you’re a flower person. Taste your steep!
– Color: For a natural lilac vibe, mash 2 tablespoons blueberries and fold in at the end. Or a micro-drop of gel color—easy does it.
– Dairy-free: Use 2 cans full-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar + 3 tablespoons honey, and skip the yolks. Still steep the lavender; churn as usual.
– No-churn hack: Steep 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon lavender and 1/3 cup honey; cool and strain. Whip 2 cups cold heavy cream to soft peaks, fold in 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz), then whisk in the lavender-honey milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Freeze 6 hours.
– Herb twist: Rosemary-lavender is gorgeous—use a 1-inch sprig and pull it at 10 minutes so it doesn’t take over.
– Boozy scoopability: Add 1 teaspoon vodka to the chilled base before churning for a softer freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Creamy Honey Lavender Ice Cream Delights

This ultra-silky custard ice cream is sweetened with honey and perfumed with culinary lavender for a floral, creamy scoop that feels elegant yet comforting. Perfect for warm evenings or special occasions.

No ratings yet

Rate This Yum Pin This Recipe For Later! Share The Yum On Facebook Print

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cup whole milk
• ▢ 1.5 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 0.75 cup honey Light wildflower or clover honey works best
• ▢ 0.25 cup granulated sugar Balances honey and improves texture
• ▢ 5 pieces large egg yolks
• ▢ 1 tablespoon culinary dried lavender buds Use culinary-grade; adjust to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt Enhances flavor

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Combine milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until steaming and the sugar dissolves.
• Remove from heat. Stir in the lavender, cover, and steep for 15 minutes for a gentle floral flavor.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender. Return the infused dairy to the saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the warm dairy to temper, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spatula (about 170–175°F). Do not boil.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, then strain into a clean bowl. Cool over an ice bath, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a lidded container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Notes

For a stronger lavender note, increase to 1.5 tablespoons; for subtler flavor, use 0.5 tablespoon. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the custard in a shallow pan, whisking every 30 minutes for 3 hours to break up ice crystals, then freeze solid. Serve with fresh berries or a drizzle of extra honey.