Lavender coffee ice cream is how I’m getting my caffeine fix today.
I’ve made coffee ice cream before and I’ve made lavender ice cream before, but never together — until now. Combining the floral notes of lavender with bold coffee and warm spices creates a uniquely delicious quart of ice cream.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know I’m obsessed with lavender iced lattes. There’s a lavender vanilla iced latte recipe in The Pretty Dish that I make again and again. I don’t usually gravitate toward floral flavors, but lavender paired with coffee and vanilla is something that makes my palate sing.
I had a bit of a journey with coffee — I didn’t always like it, but I wanted to. Coffee ice cream was my gateway: it felt nostalgic and comforting. My grandparents kept coffee ice cream in the freezer, and somehow that sweet, creamy coffee flavor stuck with me.
The marriage of sugar and coffee in ice cream form is irresistible. I’m always searching for the perfect coffee ice cream, and I’d previously developed a Vietnamese-style coffee ice cream loaded with spices and a rich, creamy texture. For this version I used that recipe as a base, added culinary lavender, removed a few elements like extra cinnamon, and ended up with something heavenly.
If you grow culinary lavender, use that; if you buy it, make sure it’s culinary grade and untreated. When I test recipes a lot, I sometimes buy a larger bag to have on hand.
This batch barely lasted a week in our freezer. My husband wouldn’t try it because he doesn’t like coffee, but I couldn’t stay away and shared scoops with anyone who stopped by. Even the kids loved it — so now, yes, ice cream for breakfast is officially acceptable here.
Lavender Coffee Ice Cream
Lavender Latte Ice Cream
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried culinary lavender
- 1 tablespoon whole cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
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Combine the cream, espresso powder, lavender, crushed cardamom pods, salt, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring once, then turn off the heat and let the flavors steep in the cream for about 20 minutes. Strain the cream through a very fine mesh sieve to remove the lavender and cardamom solids, then return the strained cream to a clean saucepan and warm it again over medium heat.
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While the cream is warming, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl. Very slowly and gradually whisk in the heated cream — start with just a few drops at a time to temper the yolks, then continue adding more until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the custard and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until fully chilled.
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Once the custard is cold, churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. I used a KitchenAid attachment and churned for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours to firm up. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
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It’s also delicious with chocolate — no surprise there.