No Churn Lavender Ice Cream with Mascarpone and Blackberries
This creamy, dreamy No Churn Lavender Ice Cream is made with rich mascarpone and swirled with homemade blackberry jam!
Dried lavender adds a floral sweetness that brightens and complements the mascarpone’s creamy depth. Combine it with jammy blackberries and you’ve got a frozen treat you’ll be craving all summer long!
Key ingredients
- Lavender: Use dried culinary lavender buds for the best flavor. Make sure to check out my Guide to Cooking with Lavender for sourcing tips and all of our favorite lavender recipes.
- Heavy cream: When whipped, heavy cream creates the light, airy structure that mimics churned ice cream.
- Mascarpone: The fat content of mascarpone enhances creaminess and helps stabilize the whipped cream, preventing iciness.
- Sweetened condensed milk: The magic ingredient in no churn ice cream! Its high sugar content binds with water in the cream, preventing ice crystals and keeping the texture irresistibly smooth. The sugar naturally lowers the freezing point while the concentrated milk solids add rich body, creating that perfect soft-serve consistency straight from your freezer.
- Lemon: You’ll need just one lemon. Use the zest for the lavender ice cream and a bit of the juice for the blackberry jam.
- Blackberries: Both fresh and frozen blackberries work for this recipe. No need to thaw frozen!
Step by step photos
Step 1: Infuse 1/2 cup of warm heavy cream with lavender. Strain the lavender and chill completely.
Step 2: Simmer the blackberries with sugar and lemon juice to make the blackberry jam. Chill completely.
Step 3: Mix together the sweetened condensed milk, mascarpone, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, and food coloring. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
Step 4: Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Transfer to a freezer safe container.
Step 5: Spoon the blackberry jam into lines over the lavender ice cream.
Step 6: Use a knife to gently swirl. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.
Storage and serving
Let the lavender ice cream sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping for ideal creaminess.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 weeks. After a week or two, the ice cream will still be okay to enjoy, but it will lose its creaminess and ice crystals may form.
FAQs
Yes, you can definitely skip the blackberry swirl. If you’d like to try a different flavor, white chocolate pieces would be lovely in this lavender ice cream!
Cream whips best when very cold. Pop your heavy cream, mixing bowl, and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting.
No, this no-churn ice cream relies on sweetened condensed milk for structure and scoopability. Its dissolved sugars lower the freezing point, preventing a hard texture. And the condensed milk adds body without churning.
You can substitute mascarpone with full-fat cream cheese, but use slightly less – about 6 oz (170g) instead of 8 oz. Cream cheese is denser than mascarpone, so reducing the amount helps maintain a light texture.
No Churn Lavender Ice Cream Recipe
- Total Time: 8 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 8-10
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chill Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Churn Ice Cream
- Cuisine: Global
Description
This floral no churn lavender ice cream features creamy mascarpone and a sweet blackberry swirl!
Ingredients
Lavender Ice Cream
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold (divided)
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
- 1 (14 oz/397g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 8 oz (226g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Purple gel food coloring (optional)
Blackberry Swirl (optional)
- 6 oz (170g) blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Infuse the cream with lavender. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (look for small bubbles around the edges). Remove from heat, stir in the lavender, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the lavender. Cover and chill the infused cream for at least 2 hours, or until very cold.
- Make the blackberry swirl (if using). In a small saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar (or honey), and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, gently mashing the berries as they soften, until the mixture thickens into a jammy consistency, about 8–10 minutes. Let cool completely before using.
- Prepare the ice cream base. In a large bowl, beat the sweetened condensed milk and mascarpone until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, salt, and food coloring (if using). Set aside.
- Whip the cream. In a chilled bowl, whip the lavender-infused cream along with the remaining 1.5 cups (360 ml) of cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Combine and swirl. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until fully incorporated. Transfer to a freezer-safe container (such as a loaf pan). Spoon the blackberry swirl over the top and use a knife or skewer to create gentle swirls.
- Freeze and serve. Cover tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 weeks.
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