This is a simple recipe for Earl Grey Ice Cream, with fragrant bergamot oil. With only a few ingredients, it's creamy and decadent, made without an ice cream maker.
Ever since I gave up on my KitchenAid ice cream maker, I've been making no-churn ice cream non-stop.
I've been wanting to do a No-Churn Earl Grey Ice Cream since my favourite ice cream flavour comes from a local shop that makes a fantastic London Fog (Earl Grey).
I remember the first time I had it -- the ice cream was creamy and had just the right amount of bergamot and Earl Grey tea.
As an Earl grey fan, I wanted to mimic that intense flavour with this Earl Grey Ice Cream recipe.
If you love Earl grey, be sure to check out these recipes:
Raspberry Earl Grey Cream Puffs
Why you'll love the recipe
This recipe is easy to make -- pretty much fail proof!
It contains only 5 ingredients.
The flavour is fragrant and flavourful, and the texture is very creamy.
What is Earl grey?
Earl grey is a black tea that is fragranced with bergamot oil.
What is no-churn ice cream?
Ice cream is traditionally made by churning air into a custard mixture.
No-churn ice cream removes the actual churning (which can be a time-consuming process), and alleviates the need for special equipment (ie: ice cream maker).
Ingredients you'll need
You need 3 main ingredients for this no-churn ice cream:
- heavy whipping cream (36% MF [milkfat] or higher)
- sweetened condensed milk
- earl grey tea (a good quality tea makes the difference)
When whipped up, the heavy cream gives the ice cream its signature creamy texture.
The sweetened condensed milk acts as the "custard" when the two are folded in together.
Note that there's no eggs and no custard base involved with this type of ice cream.
Type of tea
I like the ease of tea bags, since you can steep them in the tea and remove the bags easily.
You can use loose leaf tea leaves instead and strain them as well.
Other ingredients
- Culinary Bergamot oil: is my must-have ingredient for this ice cream.It is the main flavouring in earl grey tea, but adding in the oil really amps up the flavour and fragrance of the tea. (Note: DO NOT use an essential oil!)
- Pure vanilla extract is another flavouring that I like to add to the ice cream. Alcohol-based extract is what I prefer for this application since it helps make the ice cream softer and easier to scoop due to its lower freezing point.
How to make it
To make No-Churn Earl Grey Ice Cream, heat the heavy cream with the Earl grey tea the night before.
This gives the infused cream a chance to mingle with the tea.
It's important to let the cream cool and chill completely before whipping it up the next day.
Once the tea-infused cream is whipped to a semi-soft peak, add in the sweetened condensed milk, and other flavourings.
Then, whip the cream up to stiff peaks.
Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours or longer.
And voila, ice cream is done!
Storage tips
Keep the ice cream frozen in an freezer-safe container.
It will keep for up to 3 months.
The colour of the ice cream will intensify after the first 24 hours.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to try out these no-churn ice cream recipes:
No-Churn Jasmine Tea Ice Cream
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- be sure to leave me a comment/rating below and tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer!
No-Churn Earl Grey Ice Cream
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 5 Earl Grey tea bags
- 320 ml heavy whipping cream
- 120 ml condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon culinary bergamot oil
Instructions
- Heat cream in a small sauce pot and add the tea bags. Bring cream a gentle simmer, remove from heat and steep the tea bags for 10 minutes. Gently press on the tea bags to extract as much of the tea and transfer to a clean jar to cool completely.
- Place the tea-infused cream into the fridge overnight.
- The next day, add the tea-infused cream into a stand mixer bowl and whip until semi-soft peaks.
- In a bowl, mix together the condensed milk, vanilla extract and bergamot oil.
- Take about ⅓rd of the whipped cream and fold it into the condensed milk mixture using a spatula. Continue to fold in the rest of the cream until incorporated.
- Give it a couple more whisks until stiff peaks.
- Transfer to a clean jar and freeze for at least 6 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Rina
Super easy, and very adaptable.
Michelle
Glad to hear it, Rina! Thank you! 🙂
Katherine L
A very easy recipe to make! Super creamy and rich, but love the earl grey flavour even without the oil which I did not have.
Daisy
Great recipe! I substituted the oil for lavender it tastes amazing too 🙂
Michelle
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it, Daisy! 🙂
Wadee
Dear Michelle,
I'm a fan of earl grey and would like to try this recipe with my new ice cream maker. Could you please advise how to adapt your no churn process to auto ice cream maker machine. (Cuisinart).
Also, I live in Laos where we can easily find kaffir lime, just wonder if I can sub its zest for bergamot?
Excitedly awaiting your reply.
Michelle
You can use a custard-based ice cream recipe and infuse the custard with the earl grey tea. I have not tried substituting bergamot with kaffir lime as it is not readily available where I am. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Beth Sachs
I love making no-churn ice cream and this one sounds delicate and creamy. I used to have an ice cream maker but it took up way too much space!!
Biana
I love tea, so this ice cream flavor is perfect! Looking forward to making it.
Jessica Formicola
Earl grey tea is my absolute favorite, so I can't wait to try this ice cream! Thanks so much for sharing!
Shalini
Your pictures are to die for! Easy and great recipe for the summers.
Lima Ekram
Earl grey is my favorite flavor for tea - I cant wait to try this in ice cream - sounds absolutely delicious!
Kai
Thank you, Michelle. It's delightfully simple to make (even if I thought I under-whipped the cream) and sooo creamy.
By the way, if I want it less sweet do I just adjust the amount of condensed milk?
Michelle
Yes, you can adjust the amount of condensed milk to your liking. Just be sure not to reduce it too much or you'll lose the smooth and creamy texture. Hope that helps!
Amma
What can you substitute for heavy whipping cream if possible?
Michelle
The heavy whipping cream is the base of the ice cream, so no substitution for this style of no-churn ice cream.
gsingh
I accidentally overwhipped the cream past stiff peaks. Followed the rest of the recipe and put it in the freezer hoping it would turn out ok. While it didn't turn to ice cream, I pivoted and served my guests a delicious Earl Grey "mousse." The flavors were amazing! Good to know this is a forgiving recipe.
Michelle
Glad to hear that it still turned out well for you and that the flavors were great 🙂 It can be a little tricky to know when to stop whipping -- when it sticks straight up from the beater, that's time to stop. Hope that helps for next time!