Basil ice cream (or frozen yoghurt) recipe

Basil ice cream

I know this sounds odd, but trust me – it’s one of my favourite ever ice creams. I first had this at the wonderful Amsterdam restaurant, De Kas. There they use Sweet Genovese basil, but I also love making this with Mrs Burns’ Lemon basil. I also make a delicious frozen yoghurt version – here are both recipes for your to choose from.

Written by: Sarah Raven

Last updated: 4th Mar 2025

Ingredients

Makes about 4 litres

Method

Step 1

Blend the basil leaves with the sugar in a food processor, then combine with the other ingredients.

Step 2

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn for about 20 minutes.

Step 3

Either serve immediately or pack into plastic containers for the freezer (allow the ice cream to sit for 15 minutes in the fridge before serving).

Step 4

This has a wonderful flavour if it is eaten as fresh as possible – don’t store it for too long in the freezer.