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Smooth and creamy honey ice cream, infused with cardamom and cinnamon, is the ultimate complement to a bowl of berries or grilled peaches. It’s also terrific scooped into a cone or bowl on its own, or drizzled with warm berry sauce. The flavors in this ice cream are unforgettable.

Cardamom Honey Ice Cream

I was chatting with friends a few weeks ago, on a very warm day, and someone asked what our favorite ice cream flavors were. (Side note – that’s a hard question for some of us!)

My favorite flavor at that moment in time was a three-way tie between lemon ice cream, black raspberry ice cream, and birthday cake ice cream. Another friend commented that his favorite flavor was a cardamom honey ice cream he’d enjoyed a while back.

Cardamom + honey = fragrant happiness

Please don’t let the green cardamom pods intimidate you. They’re an easy spice to work with once you know the trick! All you need to do is gently crush the pod to release the tiny seeds. Cardamom adds an incredible depth of flavor to recipes, and the fresh pods are the ultimate in aromatics.

Honey Ice Cream

I couldn’t get that cardamom and honey ice cream flavor combination out of my mind. I enjoy pretty much anything that has cardamom in it, and I’d never tried a honey ice cream, so I knew I needed to try this sooner rather than later.

The depth of the honey flavor in the ice cream will be determined by the type of honey you choose to use when making this recipe. A basic grocery store honey will deliver plenty of honey flavor. However, a local honey will deliver a more uniquely flavored ice cream, and darker honeys will increase the honey flavor too.

Honey ice cream has a rich, creamy texture, and it stays soft and scoopable even after several days in the freezer. This isn’t an ice cream that will ever be rock-hard after freezing.

Cardamom Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• green cardamom pods
• honey
• ground cinnamon
• kosher salt
• whole milk
• heavy cream
• vanilla extract

Honey Ice Cream Recipe

To make this ice cream, start by gently crushing the cardamom pods and placing both the shells and the seeds in a saucepan. Add the honey, cinnamon, salt, and milk. Warm over medium heat, stirring or whisking just until the honey dissolves and the mixture is steaming. (DO NOT boil.) Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the mixture through it to remove all the seeds and shells. Add the cream and vanilla extract to the warm ice cream base. Stir to combine and chill in the refrigerator.

When ready to churn, whisk the mixture again and pour it into the ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

Cardamom Recipes

Once you’ve tried cardamom in your cooking and baking, you may find that you can’t resist adding a bit of cardamom to many of your favorite desserts. The fragrance of cardamom is sweet and a little bit spicy, with a hint of lemon or mint at times as well.

Fragrant cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are steeped with black tea leaves to infuse each scoop of Chai Ice Cream with the classic flavor of chai tea.

Hot Buttered Rum brings about a full body coziness that feels like you are being wrapped in a thick warm blanket. Add as much or as little cardamom as you like, I’m all in favor of adding a little extra.

You can add a pinch of cardamom to your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe or try these Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies for a whole new cookie you’ll love to eat. And Cardamom Whipped Cream is perfect for topping crepes, pancakes, and waffles. Try it in your hot cocoa too!

{originally published 10/4/2024 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/3/25}