No-Churn Lavender Ice Cream

Ice cream and frozen sweets are my dessert of choice, but sometimes making ice cream at home can cost the same amount of money, and way more time, than just buying the pint. So, that’s why I’m trying to make creative ice cream flavors at home that you can’t typically find at the store! And guess what?! They may *seem* exotic, but they’re extremely easy to whip up (pun intended.) This lavender ice cream is extremely easy and I promise, even if you mess up the whipping technique and get some ice crystals (which you can call semifreddo to be fancy,) it will still taste magnificent! I’m saying this from experience, since I messed this recipe up a few times. :’)

Speaking of which, I made a full video tutorial on YouTube so you can follow along and see what each step should look like. I think that recipes can be as detailed as possible, but if you’re like me, you probably second guess if you’re doing it correctly. Sooooo, that’s why I started doing video tutorials (especially for desserts.)

If you’re wondering: why lavender? Will this taste like soap? I’m glad you asked. First of all, this ice cream will not taste like that all-natural lotion bar from Lush that I know you’ve secretly tasted in the shower. Lavender is a flower, so of course this is going to have a floral element to it. But keep in mind, a lot of spices that have strong floral aromas are used in sweets! I’ve seen thyme, tarragon, fennel, mint and basil on dessert menus at restaurants. And of course, I’ve seen lavender as well. Ok, now that we’ve established that you shouldn’t be scared of this flavor, let’s talk about the taste of it. Lavender ice cream does not taste like soap. Instead, in my opinion, it tastes like a floral cotton candy ice cream (sans the chemicals, thank God!) Lavender contains notes similar to mint (without the cooling factor,) rosemary and even some sweetness (or what smells like a nectar or honey to me.) In my opinion, lavender ice cream is what I imagine clouds would taste like. It’s light, floral, airy, sweet, herbal, creamy and dreamy, might I add.

Ingredients/Products I used:

This is a no-churn ice cream, so we’re relying on our great friends heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and *air* to do the job. Yes, air! Air is actually a super important ingredient for any and all ice creams, whether you use a traditional custard base and churn, or if you’re doing an eggless no-churn recipe like me. The method of this recipe is extremely important and you need to follow it to a T in order to make sure there are no ice crystals. The great news is that the method is very easy, so I am confident and believe in you! If you do happen to mess it up and your ice cream has ice crystals, you can just tell your friends (or yourself) its a semifreddo and I promise it will still taste fantastic.