Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream – Rich, creamy, and fragrant Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe. Lt. Dan’s absolute favorite ice cream recipe, hands down!

Lavender Ice Cream with Fresh Herbs
We’re making Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream today, fresh and fragrant!
If there is anything I love to shop for, it’s fresh herbs.
I’m often found standing in the produce department (or at the farmer’s market) with bouquets of greenery under my nose, placidly inhaling their intoxicating scent.
I kneel amongst my flowerbeds tenderly rubbing their leaves between my fingers, to accentuate the earthy perfume.
I can’t wait, until my beds are full of mint, basil, thyme, dill, and lavender. In my mind, no dish is complete without a fresh aromatic herb!

Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
Lavender is an herb that comes and goes in culinary popularity. Known for its piney, yet floral essence, it’s considered a wonderful accompaniment to mild proteins like chicken and fish.
Personally, I think lavender deserves a little more credit. Its flavor may be subtle at first, but has an accumulative quality that can hold its own against strong flavors like lemon, or even chocolate.
In today’s Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe, I’ve paired lavender with dark chocolate for a surprisingly balanced and bewitching frozen treat!
This Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream puts most mint chip ice creams to shame, and is a pleasant departure from your everyday freezer-aisle flavors.

What Ingredients You Will Need
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender buds, or 4 tablespoons fresh chopped lavender
- 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 drops of purple food coloring, optional
- 4 ounces dark chocolate bar
Note: No eggs or egg yolk is needed in this recipe!

How to Make Lavender Ice Cream
Pour the cream, half-and-half, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Place the pot over medium heat until it comes to a low simmer.
If using a vanilla bean, cut the bean down the center lengthwise. Carefully open the bean and scrape out the paste. Add the buds and vanilla paste to the cream mixture. Stir; then remove from heat and cover. *Add a drop or two of food coloring if you want to enhance the lavender color.
Place the covered pot in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to cool. (If you’re in a hurry, place it in an airtight container and put it in the freezer for 1 hour until thoroughly chilled, but NOT frozen!)
Once the ice cream base mixture is chilled, strain out the lavender buds and pour into an ice cream maker. Churn for 20+ minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
Meanwhile, chop the chocolate bar into fine shards for your mix-ins. Add the chocolate to the ice cream maker. Churn until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Serve immediately or put in an airtight container and freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this ice cream last?
You can keep this ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let the container sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften a bit before you scoop it with an ice cream scoop and serve it in a bowl or waffle cone.
Are there any benefits to eating this lavender ice cream flavor?
You can put lavender in many different recipes. Some benefits that people have noticed when increasing their lavender intake are relief from migraines, help to regulate sleep cycles, or some improvement in your hair and skin’s health.

Other Great Dessert Recipes
- Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
- Coconut Milk Churn Ice Cream (Dairy Free)
- 4-Ingredient Avocado Vegan Ice Cream
- Vodka Gummy Bears Popsicles
- Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Cones
- Banana Pudding Ice Cream (No-Churn!)
- Banana Pudding Milkshake with Fresh Bananas
- Indian Ice Cream (Kulfi)
- Raspberry Sweet Buns
- Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake
- Homemade Caramel Sauce Whipped Cream by The Travel Palate
- Peanut Butter Custard Base Ice Cream by Ice Cream From Scratch
- Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream by A Latte Food
Lavender Dark Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender buds, or 4 tablespoons fresh chopped lavender
- 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1-2 drops purple food coloring, optional
- 4 ounces dark chocolate bar
Instructions
- Pour the cream, half-and-half, sugar, and salt into a medium sauce pot. Place the pot over medium heat until it comes to a low simmer.
- If using a vanilla bean, cut the bean down the center lengthwise. Carefully open the bean and scrape out the paste. Add the buds and vanilla paste to the cream mixture. Stir; then remove from heat and cover. *Add a drop or two of food coloring if you want to enhance the lavender color.
- Place the covered pot in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to cool. (If you’re in a hurry, place it an airtight container and put in the freezer for 1 hour until thoroughly chilled, but NOT frozen!)
- Once the mixture is chilled, strain out the lavender buds and pour into an ice cream maker. Churn for 20+ minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
- Meanwhile, chop the chocolate bar into fine shards. Add the chocolate to the ice cream maker. Churn until the chocolate is evenly distributed. Serve immediately or put in an airtight container and freeze.



wow lavender ice with chocolate chips…I’d better hide this post from my husband.
Oh my, that looks delicious! I’ve baked some lavender-lemon cookies, but I’d never thought to pair lavender with chocolate.
I wish I had a giant bowl of that ice cram right now!
I’ve never tried cooking with lavender but am very interested. That looks so tremendous! Did you see that movie – It’s Complicated? Meryl Streep makes lavender ice cream. Sounds wonderful.
That looks wonderful. I love the combo of lavender and chocolate.
The ice cream is looking heavenly. I have never tasted home made lavender ice cream and am sure this must be absolutely out of world. sAving this recipe to try out shortly…great pictures !
I’ve been wanting to make lavender ice cream since I tasted in on a vacation a little while back. Thanks for the recipe!
A wonderful ice cream! Those flavors go so well together.
Cheers,
Rosa
Super creative! There’s a couple here in Durham who make organic chocolate-chip lavender cookies! I guess great minds think alike!!! :D
My (Spanish) lavender just started to bloom, and I’ve been thinking about what I can make with it. This ice cream looks fabulous. Thanks for the inspiration!
Now I can’t wait for our lavender to bloom. Posts like this give me the courage to try what seems exotic…yet you somehow make seem doable. thx!
Oh my gosh, that is one out of teh world flavor combinations Sommer! I’ve never worked with lavender and the most I know about it is that its a gorgeous flower and one of my favorite color :-)
Planning to buy an ice cream maker sometime soon and I HAVE to try this one for sure! BOOKMARKED!
That is a gorgeous bowl of ice cream! My lavender died off and I am definitely planting some more this Spring.