🍨 How to Make Traditional Persian Saffron Ice Cream (Bastani Sonnati)
Traditional Persian saffron ice cream — or bastani sonnati — is a fragrant, nostalgic dessert with a soft, chewy texture that’s truly unforgettable. Made with full-fat milk, saffron, cream, rosewater, and pistachios, this homemade treat brings the authentic taste of Iranian summers right into your kitchen!
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 1 litre full-fat milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 level tablespoon salep powder (sahlab)
- 2 tablespoons concentrated brewed saffron
- 2 tablespoons rosewater
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 200 g cream
- Slivered pistachios – as much as you like
🌿 Steps to Make Persian Saffron Ice Cream:
1. Preparing the Frozen Cream:
Spread the cream thinly inside a freezer bag and flatten it using the back of a spoon. Freeze it until fully solid. Once frozen, break it into small chunks using a knife or your hands. Place it back in the freezer — you’ll add it at the final stage.
2. Boiling the Milk:
Pour the milk into a saucepan and place it over low heat. Once it starts boiling, stir in the sugar until it fully dissolves. Turn off the heat. Add the saffron, rosewater, and cardamom, and mix well.
3. Adding the Salep:
Take about one cup of the hot milk and let it cool slightly. Mix the salep with one tablespoon of sugar (to prevent clumping). Gradually whisk this mixture back into the rest of the saffron milk, stirring constantly. Keep whisking until it starts to thicken slightly.
4. Cooling and Freezing:
Pour the mixture into a metal or steel container and place it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take it out and whisk it thoroughly using a hand or electric mixer to keep the texture smooth and prevent ice crystals. Repeat this 3 to 4 times.
(If your freezer is very cold, do this every 20 minutes.)
5. Adding Cream and Pistachios:
On the final mix, fold in the frozen cream chunks and slivered pistachios. Mix gently, then return the ice cream to the freezer and let it set for another 4 to 6 hours until fully firm and scoopable.
💡 Tips:
✅ Salep is essential — it gives the ice cream its signature stretchy texture and holds everything together.
✅ Use full-fat or raw milk for a richer, smoother result.
✅ The better your saffron, the more vibrant and aromatic your ice cream will be.
✅ A metal container helps the ice cream freeze faster and more evenly.
Enjoy your saffron delight! 😍🍨
also see Mashhad Jam Sweets
