Vanilla Lemon Lavender Custard Ice Cream

Aug 28, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Ice cream frozen desserts Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Extract Medium

Scoops of vanilla lemon lavender custard ice cream in a ceramic bowl

This French-style ice cream uses an egg-yolk custard for a rich, smooth texture and a long vanilla finish. A light infusion of culinary lavender adds a gentle floral note that never tastes soapy. Lemon adds flavor and texture. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works.

Prep 25 min

Cook 15 min

Chill 8 hr

Total 8 hr 40 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)heavy cream
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)whole milk
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
6.0 (108.0 g)large egg yolks
⅛ tsp (0.75 g)fine sea salt
2 ¼ tsp (11.25 ml)VanillaGoods vanilla extract
2.0 tsp (2.0 g)food-grade dried culinary lavender buds

Flavor Accent

2.0 tsp (4.0 g)finely grated lemon zest

Make it at home

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Instructions

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl. Warm the cream, milk, half of the sugar, and culinary lavender in a saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes, then return to medium-low heat until steaming again. The lavender should be clearly aromatic but restrained; the dairy should not boil.
Whisk the finely grated lemon zest into the warm dairy until evenly dispersed before tempering the yolks. The accent should be evenly distributed with no visible pockets.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and salt until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color.
Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot dairy into the yolks. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The custard is ready at about 170°F (77°C), when it lightly coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path.
Immediately strain the custard through the prepared sieve, removing the lavender buds, then stir in the vanilla. Set the bowl over an ice bath and stir until the custard is no longer hot. Cooling it quickly protects the texture and shortens the time it spends warm.
Cover and refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely cold.
Churn in an ice cream maker according to the machine's instructions. Transfer to a shallow freezer container. Stop churning when the ice cream is thick and holds soft ridges like soft serve.
Freeze for at least 4 hours before scooping. For easier scooping, let the container stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

Optional add-in: fold 95 g toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (cooled and chopped) into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional add-in, toasted coconut: fold 95 g unsweetened toasted coconut flakes, cooled into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla lemon lavender custard ice cream?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hours to rest, chill, or cool. It makes 1 quart.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

342 Calories / serving

26.1g Fat

22.8g Carbs

4.6g Protein

22.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2736 cal · 209g fat · 182g carbs · 37g protein · 178g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 342 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 65 min·3.8 mi·~7600 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 46 min·2.3 mi·~4600 steps
Moderate cycling 35 min·7.0 mi
Swimming laps 48 min
Jogging 33 min·2.8 mi·~5300 steps
Stair climbing 32 min·~2900 steps
Dancing 56 min
Bodyweight circuit training 35 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 79 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.