This lavender no churn ice cream is fragrant, smooth, and super creamy. It’s the perfect treat for when you want something cold and sweet. The lavender flavour is floral and refreshing - the perfect flavour for summer. The addition of whole vanilla bean gives it a custard-like flavour, similar to that of a churned ice cream. This no churn ice cream is perfectly scoopable, creamy, and melty. I mean, look at all of those beautiful flecks of vanilla bean!
Even though I do have an ice cream machine, this is still my go to recipe because it is much easier to make and tastes like the real deal. All you have to do is infuse and whip the cream, mix it all together, pour into a container and freeze. Then use an ice cream scoop and prepare to be satisfied - by the scooping and the delicious frozen treat, of course!
The hardest step in this recipe is waiting for the no churn lavender ice cream to freeze all the way through.
The best part about this ice cream is that if you accidentally melt the ice cream and put it back into the freezer, it won’t crystallize and get that gritty texture like regular ice cream. This is because of the sugar and milk protein found in the condensed milk helps it to freeze to the perfect soft consistency.
🙌 Why this flavour combo just works
Steeping the heavy cream with dried lavender buds and whole vanilla bean is what this treat its beautiful warm floral flavour. The flavour combination just works so well! The vanilla balances the floral notes with its warm custard-like flavour.
Keep on reading to learn more about what kind of lavender I look for to make this recipe:
💐 Lavender
I had the opportunity to team up with Georgina Naturopathic to bring you this recipe featuring their dried lavender buds. You can book an appointment (online or in person) or just visit the clinic (if you're in the Greater Toronto Area) for some lavender to make this recipe!
Why is it important to choose good quality, food grade, dried lavender buds?
- You want the lavender to be grown in a way that makes it safe for consumption. Lavender is used in beauty products and other non-edible products so be sure that you choose wisely.
- You don’t want any bits of stems or leaves because those will make your ice cream bitter.
- You want it to be responsibly sourced. Which is why I chose a trusted source like Georgina Naturopathic!
🥫 Importance of sweetened condensed milk
You can’t replace the sweetened condensed milk. It acts like the custard in a churned ice cream. The milk proteins and high sugar content help the no churn lavender vanilla ice cream to set to a super creamy, crystal free consistency. The sugars help to lower the freezing point, keeping the ice cream still soft even when frozen. Otherwise, it would freeze into an icy, gritty consistency.
Because this recipe relies on the sugar and protein in the sweetened condensed milk to prevent crystallization, it is a little on the sweeter side. Churned ice cream relies on sugar, eggs or other thickeners and the physical process of churning to prevent crystallization.
I’ve tried many ratios of whipping cream to condensed milk but 2 cups of cream to 1 can of condensed milk is still the best. That way you don’t have an opened can left over, and you still get the perfect scoopable and smooth consistency. It becomes risky to reduce the amount of sweetened condensed milk because then you risk getting a gritty texture.
Make sure you are using full fat sweetened condensed milk for a creamier and silkier consistency. Let’s face it, ice cream is meant to be creamy and the fat helps it achieve that!
Check out my other summer ready recipes:
- Vegan Rose Loaf Cake with Rose Glaze
- Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Salted Caramel Cake with Blackberries
🍦 Ingredients:
This recipe has a few minimal ingredients. I mean, talk about an easy, no churn lavender vanilla ice cream recipe!
Dried lavender buds: It’s important that you use only the buds, or else it could end up bitter. Make sure to source good quality, culinary grade lavender - it will make all the difference! Refer up to the lavender section to see where I sourced lavender for this recipe. If you want a more subtle lavender flavour, then use half of the recommended amount of lavender. A little goes a long way!
Whole vanilla bean: I know, these can get really expensive. But it's worth it! It helps to balance out the floral from the lavender and give it a more custard-like flavour. Delicious! If you can’t find whole vanilla bean, you can substitute it with 2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Cream: Choose a cream that is at least 35% fat content. This will ensure that it will whip to firm peaks, incorporating the air needed to make the ice cream fluffy.
Full fat sweetened condensed milk: this is what is going to give the ice cream its sweetness and prevent it forming ice crystals when freezing. Don’t choose a skim version.
🍨 Steps:
- Steep the lavender buds and vanilla bean in the whipping cream by bringing to a simmer and sitting for 10 minutes.
- Chill the steeped cream (very important to chill or it won't whip), then whip until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the sweetened condensed milk into the cream and pour into a loaf pan or other shallow container. Freeze.
- Scoop and enjoy!
Happy baking! xx
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Lavender Vanilla No Churn Ice Cream
Equipment
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- loaf pan or alternative shallow freezer safe container
Ingredients
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds use ½ tablespoon for a more subtle lavender flavour
- 2 cups whipping or heavy cream at least 35%
- 1 can full fat sweetened condensed milk 300 mL, 390 g, or 14 oz by weight
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the flat edge.1 whole vanilla bean
- Combine the vanilla seeds, vanilla bean pod, lavender, and cream in a small saucepan. Let the cream come to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.1 whole vanilla bean, 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds, 2 cups whipping or heavy cream
- Strain the cream to remove the vanilla bean pod and lavender buds. Squeeze as much cream from the lavender buds as possible. Refrigerate for 3 hours or freeze for 45 minutes to chill the cream completely.
- Whip the infused cream until firm peaks form with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Do not over whip. If it doesn't get stiff then place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes to chill even more.
- Gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk with the whipped cream until even. Pour into a loaf pan, or other shallow container, cover, and freeze until solid - about 6 hours.1 can full fat sweetened condensed milk
- Scoop and serve!
Notes
This blog post was sponsored by Georgina Naturopathic.
madi
could you make this work with coconut cream?!
Mary
Hi, I think if you made a coconut "whipped cream" and used it in the same way as whipped cream it could work! I haven't tried it myself though. If you try it please let me know if it works! 😀