Five ingredients, no ice cream maker, and the most luxurious dessert you’ll make all summer.

There’s something magical about June when the air is thick with the perfume of elderflower blossoms. I love elderflower season and each year I make our traditional elderflower cordial recipe (which I shared in a previous post).

This year, as those familiar blooms appeared, I was inspired to transform that beautiful scent into the creamiest, most delicious ice cream you can imagine.

This Elderflower Mint No-Churn Ice Cream is ridiculously simple to make (honestly, no ice cream maker required!) but tastes like pure luxury. The delicate floral notes of elderflower dance beautifully with fresh mint, creating a sophisticated flavour that’s both refreshing and comforting. Whether you’ve foraged your own elderflowers to make homemade cordial or you’re using a good quality store-bought version, this recipe transforms that distinctive taste into something truly special.

The best part? You probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now. Five ingredients, a bit of gentle folding, and patience while it freezes – that’s it. The result is a pale, creamy ice cream flecked with vibrant green mint that tastes like summer itself.

Perfect for those evenings when elderflower is at its peak and you want something effortlessly elegant to end a meal.

Ingredients

• 600ml double cream
• 397g tin Carnation condensed milk
• 140ml elderflower cordial
• 3-4 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Whip double cream to soft peaks
2. In a separate bowl, mix condensed milk with salt
3. Gently fold condensed milk mixture into whipped cream
4. Slowly drizzle in elderflower cordial while folding
5. Fold in chopped mint leaves
6. Transfer to freezer-safe container
7. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight

Serves 6-8

Some of you have asked me what a vegan version of this recipe would look like and having given it some thought I would recommend substituting the carnation milk for a vegan version and substituting the double cream for homemade cashew cream. I’ve popped it down below.

Vegan Elderflower Mint No-Churn Ice Cream

Cashew Cream

• 200g raw cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours
• 400ml water
• Pinch of salt

Ice Cream Ingredients

• Cashew cream (made above)
• 397g tin vegan condensed milk (such as Carnation Plant Based)
• 140ml elderflower cordial
• 3-4 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Make cashew cream: Drain and rinse soaked cashews, blend with 400ml water and pinch of salt until completely smooth (3-5 minutes)
2. Whip cashew cream until it thickens to soft peaks
3. In a separate bowl, mix vegan condensed milk with salt
4. Gently fold condensed milk mixture into whipped cashew cream
5. Slowly drizzle in elderflower cordial while folding
6. Fold in chopped mint leaves
7. Transfer to freezer-safe container
8. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight

Serves 6-8