← Back to Recipes

No-Churn Honey Lavender Oolong Ice Cream

By • Updated August 2026
Jump to Recipe ↓

This no-churn ice cream proves you don't need a machine to achieve a velvety, professional-texture frozen dessert. A good stand mixer does the heavy lifting—whipping double cream to soft peaks, then folding it through a floral oolong tea–infused condensed milk base spiked with honey and culinary lavender. The result is a silky, scoopable ice cream with delicate oolong complexity and a subtle, aromatic sweetness.

The technique relies on the fat content of cream to carry flavour and on trapped air to keep the texture light, even after hours in the freezer. Choose a medium-roast Taiwanese high-mountain oolong or a lightly oxidised milk oolong for the best balance of creaminess and floral notes. Dried culinary lavender and a drizzle of good honey round out the profile without overwhelming the tea. It's the kind of dessert that feels indulgent but comes together in under 20 minutes of active work—then it's hands-off until you're ready to serve.

No-Churn Honey Lavender Oolong Ice Cream
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time5 mins
ServingsServes 6–8 (approx. 1 litre)
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

  • 10 g loose-leaf oolong tea (medium-roast Taiwanese or milk oolong)
  • 397 g tin condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds
  • 600 ml double cream (cold)
  • 3 tbsp runny honey (plus extra to serve)
  • Pinch of sea salt
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 320
Fat: 22g
Sugar: 26g
Protein: 4g

Instructions

1
Infuse: Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan over low heat. Add the oolong tea leaves and lavender buds. Warm gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fragrant and steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the leaves to extract every drop of flavour. Stir in the honey and salt, then leave to cool to room temperature.
2
Whip: Pour the cold double cream into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the cream holds soft peaks—about 3–4 minutes. It should be thick and billowy but still slightly droopy when you lift the whisk. (If you're whisking by hand, expect 6–8 minutes of steady work.)
3
Fold: Pour the cooled oolong-lavender condensed milk over the whipped cream. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently fold the two together with long, sweeping strokes from the bottom of the bowl upwards. Stop as soon as no streaks remain—over-mixing will deflate the air you've worked so hard to incorporate.
4
Freeze: Scrape the mixture into a 1-litre freezer-safe container (a loaf tin or lidded tub works well). Smooth the top, cover tightly with a lid or cling film, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. The ice cream will firm up without ice crystals thanks to the sugar and fat in the base. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Drizzle each serving with extra honey if you like, or pair it with other frozen tea treats for a full summer spread.

🫖 Equipment You'll Need

A powerful stand mixer transforms this recipe from a workout into a pleasure. Whipping 600 ml of cold double cream to soft peaks by hand is possible but tiring; a stand mixer does it in minutes with consistent speed and minimal effort, leaving you free to prep the oolong infusion. The stable bowl and whisk attachment also make folding delicate—essential for preserving the air that gives no-churn ice cream its scoopable, creamy texture.

See our stand mixer picks →

Expert Tip: Don't Skip the Steep

Let the tea and lavender steep in the warm condensed milk for the full 10 minutes—this gentle extraction pulls out complex oolong florals without any bitterness. Rushing it will leave your ice cream tasting faint and one-dimensional.

Continue Your Journey

Affiliate disclosure: TeaTrade is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission by linking to Amazon.co.uk. We may earn a small commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability shown on Amazon are current at the time of click.

Comments