Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender Recipe

Creamy, floral, and just a little bit sophisticated, Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) is the dessert you never knew you needed in your life. This no-churn recipe delivers all the aromatic magic of your favorite tea blended with sweet, delicate lavender—without a fussy ice cream maker in sight. Each spoonful melts into the dreamiest scoop of elegance, perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself after a long day.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

This Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) is delightfully easy to make, but each ingredient plays a starring role in building the dessert’s creamy base and floral complexity. Here’s what you need, and why each element matters.

• Heavy Cream: This provides the rich, silky body and luxurious texture of classic ice cream—no churning required!
• Earl Grey Tea Bags or Loose Leaf: The real flavor anchor, lending bold black tea character and those signature bergamot citrus notes.
• Dried Lavender Buds (optional): Just a teaspoon brings delicate floral perfume—totally worth it for the wow-factor swirl!
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Sweetens and smooths everything out, keeping your ice cream soft and scoopable straight from the freezer.
• Liquor (Gin, Vodka, Rum, etc.): A dash of booze lowers the freezing point just enough to keep your ice cream dreamy—not icy—plus it quietly amplifies flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the tea and lavender with a warm, mellow note.
• Salt: Don’t skip it—a pinch intensifies every nuanced flavor.
• Purple Food Coloring (optional): A few dabs turn the lavender swirl into a visual showstopper—purely for fun!

Variations

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) is already a stunner, but don’t be afraid to let your creativity shine! This recipe is incredibly adaptable, so it’s easy to play with infusions, replace ingredients, or tweak the color to match your mood or pantry.

• Herbal Twist: Swap out the lavender for rose petals, chamomile, or even fresh mint for a different floral or herbal undertone.
• Dairy-Free Version: Use well-chilled coconut cream in place of heavy cream and look for a vegan condensed milk.
• No-Booze Option: Simply omit the liquor if you’re serving kids or prefer not to include alcohol—the result is still delicious, though slightly firmer from the freezer.
• Citrus Pop: Add lemon or orange zest while infusing your cream to bump up the bergamot notes in the tea.

How to Make Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn)

Step 1: Infuse the Cream

Begin by pouring your heavy cream into a small saucepan and warming it gently with the Earl Grey tea bags (or leaves). Bring the cream right to the edge of a simmer—tiny bubbles at the sides, but no boiling! Remove from heat and let the tea and cream mingle until the mixture cools to room temperature, absorbing every bit of flavor. Pop the infused cream in the fridge for at least a couple of hours (overnight is best for depth!).

Step 2: Optional Lavender Swirl

If you want the color and flavor contrast, divide your warm Earl Grey infusion in two. Into one, steep dried lavender buds and an additional tea bag; in the other, steep the remaining tea bags. Chill both overnight so each absorbs all their fragrant notes. This simple extra step creates those beautiful, distinct swirls.

Step 3: Whip It All Up

Once cold, remove all tea bags and any lavender bits (unless you like the rustic look). Now, whip the infused cream with the rest of your ingredients—sweetened condensed milk, your chosen liquor, vanilla extract, and salt—until the mixture forms stiff peaks. For the swirl, split the ingredients halfway for each portion, tinting one with purple food coloring if desired. Both should whip up to ultra-luxurious peaks!

Step 4: Swirl and Freeze

Spoon the ice cream base in dollops into your loaf or cake pan, alternating colors if doing the swirl. Gently drag a spoon or butter knife through in a figure-eight pattern for a gorgeous marbled effect, adding layers and swirling as you go. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and tuck it into the freezer for at least six hours, or until scoopable and firm.

How to Serve Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn)

Garnishes

Dress up your scoops with a light shower of dried edible flowers, a pinch of fresh lemon zest, or a tiny sprig of lavender for instant elegance. A crisp butter biscuit or shortbread tucked on the side makes each serving feel like afternoon tea in dessert form.

Side Dishes

This ice cream pairs beautifully with delicate pastries, lemon tarts, or even a slice of olive oil cake. For a cozy, late-night twist, nestle a scoop alongside warm stewed berries or grilled peaches—the contrast is out of this world.

Creative Ways to Present

Serve Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) in crystal teacups, atop mini pavlovas, or sandwiched between crisp meringue cookies as dreamy ice cream sandwiches. You can even scoop mini spheres as a whimsical palate cleanser at a dinner party.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface before sealing. Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) keeps its perfect texture for up to two weeks, though it’s so tasty it’s unlikely to last that long!

Freezing

This ice cream is happiest when stored at the back of your freezer (where the temperature is most stable). Just scoop straight from frozen—thanks to the liquor, the texture stays scoopable for days.

Reheating

No reheating required here! If your ice cream is very firm, let it rest at room temperature for 3-5 minutes before serving for the perfect creamy scoop.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to treat yourself to something equal parts comforting and elegant, give this Earl Grey Ice Cream with Lavender (No-Churn) a try. It’s as simple as it is stunning—no fancy gadgets, just pure, creamy, floral-laced delight, scoop after lovely scoop. Happy swirling!

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