Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
A homemade vanilla ice cream to rule them all: real cream, real sugar, and yes, real churning. Don’t shy away from making this recipe: it’s easier than you think and worth the effort.
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 vanilla beans
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks
- pinch salt
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Instructions
- Heat the milk and cream. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat, until warm and steaming, or about 170 degrees.
- Beat the eggs and remaining sugar. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until light yellow in color and well combined. They will noticeably change color when mixed enough. (A hand mixer on low will work well.)
- Temper the eggs by adding half of the warm milk mixture, a half cup at a time. Then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and cream.
- Heat the custard. Heat the saucepan, which now contains all of the milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 185 degrees. The custard is ready when it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Once off the heat, add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract, if using.
- Strain the custard and add the vanilla and salt. Hold cheesecloth or a strainer over a bowl to strain the custard. Scrape the vanilla beans and add the vanilla bean and vanilla extract along with the salt and stir to combine. Immediately place the custard into in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4-24 hours, until very cold.
- Freeze ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions. When it has reached the consistency of soft serve ice cream, place into loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm. Will keep well, covered in the freezer for a week.
Notes
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Saves money: If you’re tired of paying a small fortune for tiny pints of ice cream, it’s time to get to work. Just a few dollars of ingredients can easily be transformed into a homemade ice cream that is better than any of them.
- It’s delicious! This recipe is going to teach you how to make a fantastic homemade vanilla bean ice cream that tastes like the type you would buy in your favorite ice cream shop.
- Simple (once you’ve tried it) The process is not as hard as you might think, but it does take some time and patience.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this creamy, delicious dessert
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- granulated sugar
- vanilla beans (find them in bulk on Amazon, here or use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste)
- tablespoon vanilla extract
- egg yolks
- pinch salt
🥣 Equipment
- An ice cream maker. The model I use requires you to freeze the canister ahead of time, but it’s affordable and does a great job.
- Strainer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or whisk
- Medium saucepan
🍴Instructions
Step One
Heat the milk and cream. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat, until warm and steaming, or about 170 degrees.
Step Two
Beat the eggs and remaining sugar. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until light yellow in color and well combined. They will noticeably change color when mixed enough. (A hand mixer on low will work well.)
Step three
Temper the eggs by adding half of the warm milk mixture, a half cup at a time. Then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and cream.
Step FouR
Heat the custard. Heat the saucepan, which now contains all of the milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 185 degrees. The custard is ready when it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Once off the heat, add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract, if using.
Step Five
Strain the custard and add the vanilla and salt. Hold cheesecloth or a strainer over a bowl to strain the custard. Scrape the vanilla beans and add the vanilla bean and vanilla extract along with the salt and stir to combine. Immediately place the custard into in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4-24 hours, until very cold.
Step Six
Freeze ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When it has reached the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, place into loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm.
🥫 Storage instructions
Homemade ice cream will keep well, covered in the freezer for a week.. Be sure to keep it tightly covered with the plastic wrap right up against it.
🔍 FAQs
Yes! But it’s sort of a pain. Place the custard in the freezer and stir for 30 seconds once per hour. It will take a while to set up, but the results will be very similar.
No, the flavor of this ice cream is highly dependent on having real vanilla.
Yes, it is cooked before you churn it and it’s perfectly safe.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- You can’t rush homemade ice cream. If your custard isn’t chilled or your insert isn’t frozen, it just won’t work. Be patient!
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find. The ingredients for this recipe are simple, so the freshness of your cream and the quality of your vanilla is essential.
- Make sure everything is cold before you churn. The custard will take hours to cool in the fridge, or you can cool it quickly by transferring it into a bowl that has been set over an ice bath and stir it frequently until the temperature drops.
- A thermometer is helpful, but not essential. Just make sure the vanilla custard thickens but don’t let it boil.
Serving ideas
Besides the obvious (scooping it into a giant bowl and loading it with toppings), this recipe is the perfect companion for so many desserts. You’ll love it on top of everything from strawberry rhubarb cobbler to peachy apple pie.
📘 Related Recipes
This vanilla ice cream is the base of every type we make. Here are some of our favorites:
- Chocolate Ice Cream is our second favorite!
- Peppermint Candy Ice Cream
- Vanilla Caramel Fudge Swirl
- Fresh Peach Ice Cream
- Caramel and Candied Pecan Ice Cream
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
If you love the taste of ice cream but are not keen on how difficult it can be to make, then you should give this recipe a try. I’m confident that once you’ve tried it, there will no longer be any doubt about whether or not making ice cream at home is worth your time.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.