This no churn Earl Grey ice cream is infused with citrusy floral Earl Grey tea and layered with salted honey shortbread cookies. Have your tea and cookies all in one dessert with this decadent, creamy and silky ice cream.
No churn ice creams are super easy to make and super convenient as they don't require an ice cream machine. Flavor options are endless and this recipe is super versatile.
The honey shortbread is simple to make, buttery, and salty sweet. The honey melts into the shortbread and the salt gives it that sweet and salty flavor that makes these shortbread so, so good. The floral tea with a creamy ice cream base, layered with the honey shortbread is a combination that is not to be missed. It's so so good.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Doesn't require an ice cream machine or any special equipment
- Simple to make
- Egg free
- This ice cream is velvety and rich, but light in texture and so creamy.
- Easy to follow recipe with step by step photo instructions.
Recipe Ingredients
Earl Grey tea - teabags or loose leaf tea
Heavy whipping cream - the foundation of this ice cream. The fat in the cream is important as it has less water in it, allowing the ice cream to freeze smooth and creamy and not icy. It also makes the ice cream super creamy. Whipping the cream incorporates air, making the ice cream light. Other milk products cannot be substituted.
Sweetened condensed milk - acts as the sweetened custardy base that is used in traditional custard-based ice cream
Vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Fine sea salt
Unsalted butter
Honey
Flaky salt
Recipe Instructions
Before beginning the shortbread recipe, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine the heavy cream and tea bags in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
- Let the tea bags simmer in the cream for 10 minutes. Squeeze the cream from the tea bags, and discard the bags.
- Transfer the cream to an airtight container and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 6 hours. I recommend doing this step the day before you make the ice cream.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
- Pulse in the cold butter until the mixture starts to form clumps.
- Lightly and evenly pat the shortbread dough into the pan with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Once cooled, brush the shortbread with honey and lightly sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Cut into small ½" pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the chilled Earl Grey infused cream to stiff peaks. You should be able to slowly pull the whisk out of the cream and the peak will be pointed straight up. If the peak curls, it needs to beaten a bit longer.
- Fold half of the cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
- Fold the remaining cream into the mixture taking care to not deflate the cream.
- Layer the ice cream into three layers, scattering shortbread over each layer.
- Scatter any remaining shortbread pieces over the top of the ice cream.
- Freeze for 6 hours or until frozen through.
Recipe Tips
- Don't want to make your own shortbread? Purchase and use your favorite brand from the grocery store.
- Start with a super cold bowl and whisk for whipping the cream. Place both into the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping the cream. This helps it whip up faster and lighter.
- Reduce the freezing time by using smaller or individual containers. Reusing pint size ice cream containers makes this easy. You can also use ramekins, or food safe plastic containers.
- This ice cream freezes hard. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before scooping.
Storage and Freezing
This ice cream can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months, though no churn ice cream is at its best for up to 2 weeks. The ice cream starts to develop ice crystals after a couple months.
Recipe FAQs
Earl Grey tea is a black tea that is primarily blended with the citrusy and floral flavor of bergamot, but you can find different varieties. One of my favorites has the addition of lavender to it. You can use any variety of Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea (Earl Grey with the addition of orange and lemon peel) for this recipe. It can be found online and in most grocery stores.
I like to use loaf pans, but you can use any pan or container that will fit 6 cups of ice cream. Some other containers you could use includes, paper or plastic ice cream containers - emptied and washed, plastic containers with lids, or cake pans.
Switch out the Earl Grey tea for Lady Grey, Chai, Matcha, or jasmine green tea.
Skip the shortbread and swirl in chopped blackberries, raspberries or lemon curd.
If you make this Earl Grey ice cream with honey shortbread, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
More Ice Cream Recipes to Try
Roasted Strawberry Malt Ice Cream
Coffee Brownie No-Churn Ice Cream
Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
Recipe
Earl Grey Ice Cream with Honey Shortbread
Equipment
Ingredients
Earl Grey Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 tea bags Earl Grey tea (2 tablespoons loose leaf)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Honey Shortbread
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Earl Grey Ice Cream
- Combine the heavy whipping cream and tea bags in a medium saucepan. Push down the bags to ensure they are fully submerged.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 6 tea bags Earl Grey tea (2 tablespoons loose leaf)
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until the cream mixture begins to simmer. Don't boil.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Let the tea steep for 15 minutes in the pan.
- Remove the tea bags from the cream one at a time, squeezing as much liquid out of the bags as much as possible.
- Stir the mixture and strain over a medium size bowl, to catch any large tea leaves.
- Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for 5-6 hours or overnight. The cream mixture needs to be very cold.
Honey Shortbread
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, or spray the pan with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse a couple times to mix.¾ cup all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add in the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, starts to form clumps, and sticks together when pressed together.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- With a light hand, evenly press the shortbread mixture into the prepared pan with an offset spatula.
- Place the shortbread in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Bake the shortbread for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
- Drizzle the honey over the shortbread while it is still warm. Use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool completely.1 tablespoon honey, flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
- Chop up the shortbread into bite sized pieces.
Make the ice cream.
- Place the steeped and chilled heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Whip the cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine.1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Scoop half the whipped cream into the milk mixture. Fold the whipped cream into the milk mixture.
- Fold in the remaining whipped cream to the milk mixture, folding until thoroughly mixed.
- Layer the ice cream in a loaf pan, freezer tub, or a container that holds 6 cups, alternating with shortbread pieces, and swirl to mix.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, or overnight before serving.
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