Honey Lavender Ice Cream Recipe

So, you want to make honey lavender ice cream, huh? First off — excellent choice. If you’ve never tasted this dreamy, floral, creamy goodness before, let me tell you: you’re in for a treat that tastes like a summer afternoon wrapped in a cloud of soft purple flowers. And if you have tasted it before? Well, then you already know why you need this recipe in your life ASAP. 🙂

I’ve been making honey lavender ice cream for years now (yes, my freezer is basically a shrine to ice cream). After many, many sticky spoons and purple-streaked bowls, I’ve finally nailed the perfect recipe. And today, I’m going to walk you through it — step by step — like you’re my kitchen buddy. Ready? Let’s get mixing!

Table of Contents

Why Honey Lavender Ice Cream Is the Ultimate Summer Dessert

Before we jump to the how-to, let’s just take a moment to appreciate what makes this ice cream so special. Ever wondered why lavender works so beautifully in desserts? Or why honey adds that certain je ne sais quoi? Well…

Lavender brings a subtle, aromatic flavor that’s floral without being overpowering (when done right — more on that later).
Honey adds natural sweetness with depth — no plain old sugar here. Plus, it gives the ice cream an impossibly silky texture.
Together, they create a delicate and sophisticated flavor that somehow manages to feel fancy and comforting at the same time.

Basically, it’s the kind of ice cream that makes people go, “Wait… you made this?!?” (Cue the smug smile.)

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Ingredients You’ll Need for Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Alright, let’s talk ingredients. Thankfully, this recipe doesn’t require anything weird or fancy — unless you count dried lavender as fancy. (Pro tip: it’s not. And it smells awesome.)

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up about 1 quart of honey lavender ice cream:

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
½ cup good-quality honey (please, not the weird plastic bear honey, okay?)
¼ cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender buds
Pinch of salt

FYI: Make sure the lavender is culinary grade, not the kind you stick in potpourri. Unless you like eating perfume. No judgment… but also, ew.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Here’s where the magic happens. Don’t worry — it’s way less intimidating than it sounds. If you can whisk eggs and stir a pot without burning your kitchen down, you’re golden.

Step 1: Infuse the Milk with Lavender

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, half of the cream (just 1 cup), and the lavender. Heat it over medium heat until it’s steaming but not boiling. Once it’s hot, turn off the heat, cover, and let the lavender steep for about 15 minutes.

Why steep? Because lavender can go from heavenly floral to soap aisle at the drugstore real quick. So don’t overdo it.

Step 2: Strain and Reheat

Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender buds (they’ve done their job). Pour the milk back into the saucepan and reheat it gently until it’s warm again.

Step 3: Whisk the Egg Yolks

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow. Then, slowly pour in a little of the warm milk while whisking constantly — this tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble. Because, you know, scrambled egg ice cream? Hard pass.

Once tempered, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk.

Step 4: Cook the Custard

Now, cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon. This usually takes about 5–7 minutes. (Don’t let it boil, unless you enjoy eating sweet omelet. Just sayin’.)

Step 5: Combine with Cream and Honey

Once thickened, remove the custard from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream and all the honey. Mix until everything’s combined and silky.

Step 6: Chill, Churn, and Freeze

Pour the custard into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap (press the wrap directly onto the surface to avoid a skin forming), and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When chilled, churn the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (No ice cream maker? No problem — I’ll tell you a hack in a bit.) Transfer the churned ice cream to a container and freeze until firm, about 2–4 hours.

And voilà — you’ve got honey lavender ice cream worthy of a Michelin star. Or at least a very enthusiastic Instagram story.

No Ice Cream Maker? No Problem.

Okay, so you don’t own an ice cream maker. (Same, until last summer. IMO it’s worth the investment, but I get it.) Here’s a little workaround:

After chilling your custard, pour it into a shallow dish.
Pop it in the freezer.
Every 30 minutes, take it out and stir it vigorously with a fork or whisk to break up the ice crystals.
Repeat for about 3–4 hours until it’s creamy.

Does it turn out exactly like churned ice cream? Nah. But it’s still delicious and about 100 times better than store-bought.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

Because I’ve made every mistake in the book (and then some), here are a few pro tips to save you from lavender-related disasters:

Go easy on the lavender. If you overdo it, your ice cream will taste like soap. Trust me. Less is more.
Use high-quality honey. You’re only using a few ingredients, so they need to shine. Cheap honey = meh flavor.
Don’t skip the chill time. I know it’s hard to wait, but chilling the custard fully makes the texture way smoother.
Taste the base. Before you churn it, taste the custard to make sure the flavor balance is right. You can always adjust honey or lavender (a little!) at this stage.

Serving Suggestions

Sure, you can eat honey lavender ice cream straight from the tub (no judgment — I do it all the time). But if you want to get fancy, here are some killer serving ideas:

Scoop it over warm shortbread cookies.
Serve it with fresh berries and a drizzle of extra honey.
Pair it with a slice of lemon pound cake.
Top it with crushed pistachios for a little crunch.

Who knew you could be this classy with a spoon and some flowers, right?

Why Make It Yourself?

Let’s be real — you can probably find honey lavender ice cream at some overpriced artisanal shop downtown. But making it yourself? That’s a flex.

You control the ingredients. No weird preservatives or fake flavors.
It’s cheaper. Seriously, have you seen what they charge per scoop these days? :/
It’s way more impressive. “Oh, this? I just whipped it up yesterday.”

Besides, you get bragging rights for life. Or at least until your next batch.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I’d love to say I nailed this recipe on my first try, but LOL. Nope. Here are some pitfalls to avoid:

Adding too much lavender. Again: soap. Bad.
Not straining the custard. You don’t want bits of scrambled egg in your ice cream.
Skipping the chilling step. Patience, grasshopper.
Using low-fat milk or cream. Sorry, but this isn’t diet food. Just own it.

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Final Thoughts about Honey Lavender Ice Cream

So, are you ready to impress everyone you know (and probably yourself) with this honey lavender ice cream recipe? Honestly, once you taste that perfect balance of creamy sweetness and floral notes, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this sooner.

If you’re still on the fence, here’s my final pitch: You’ll get to tell people you make your own ice cream, which automatically makes you at least 25% cooler at parties. And if anyone asks for the recipe? Just send them this article and bask in the glory.

Now, grab that lavender, snag a jar of good honey, and let’s get churning. Your taste buds (and probably your Instagram followers) will thank you. 😉

Quick Recap: Why You Need to Try This

✅ Elegant and unique flavor combo
✅ Simple ingredients, no weird stuff
✅ Easy enough for beginners
✅ Impressive enough for dinner guests
✅ Tastes like summer in a bowl

So, what are you waiting for? Go make some magic — and save me a scoop, okay? FYI, I take mine with shortbread and a little extra drizzle of honey. 😉

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Or if you totally mess it up and end up with lavender scrambled eggs… hey, at least you tried. That’s what counts.

Happy churning!