The Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

This creamy homemade vanilla ice cream uses fresh vanilla beans and cream for the best, most flavorful ice cream recipe. You will love how delectable and rich the flavors of this are.

If you want to enhance some pastry desserts, try serving this ice cream on top of my blueberry pie or apple galette.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream is a milk-based sweet frozen dessert that can be eaten by itself, with an assortment of toppings, or served on top of a pastry. It’s said that this sweet treat originated in the mountains of China, with snow, most likely, being the base for the dessert.

This vanilla ice cream recipe is specifically made with vanilla beans, extract, sugar, and egg yolks for a custard-like base. According to the FDA regulations, must be at least 10% milk fat. Not to worry because my recipe features plenty of heavy whipping cream, which is 35% to 40% fat. You can also add your favorite additions like chocolate, nuts, or fruit to this base to customize it to your liking.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Cream – You will need heavy whipping cream for this.
• Milk – I use whole milk, but if you want to cut back, you can add another cup of milk to replace an additional cup of heavy cream. You can also use lower-fat milk.
• Eggs – You will only need egg yolks for this, which will significantly increase the richness of the ice cream.
• Vanilla – I used fresh vanilla beans, but vanilla extract can be used.
• Sugar – Regular granule sugar is what you will need.

How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream from Scratch

Start by splitting the vanilla pod in half long ways.

Add the split vanilla pod to a medium size pot along with the cream, milk, and sugar.

Cook the mixture over low to medium heat while stirring with a rubber spatula until the milk is scalded and the sugar is dissolved.

Once scalded, remove the vanilla beans with a spoon, scrape all the seeds out of the pod using a small knife, and add them back to the pot.

Then, add a small amount of the hot milk mixture to a large bowl with 4 egg yolks and vigorously whisk to temper the eggs. You do this so the eggs can come up to temperature without scrambling.

Then, slowly pour in the remaining hot milk mixture while whisking at a normal pace until combined.

Add the mixture back to the pot.

Cook over low to medium heat while constantly stirring with a spoon or rubber spatula for 5 to 7 minutes or until it has thickened up and can coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or chinois and immediately chill in the refrigerator or an ice bath until completely cooled.

Once chilled, transfer the mixture to an ice cream churner or maker and churn until the vanilla ice cream has solidified.

Serve or keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe several days before you want to serve it.

How to Store: Cover and keep the ice cream in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Chef Notes + Tips

• If you do not have an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture once cooled directly to the freezer until frozen.
• Churning prevents large ice crystals from forming in the ice cream and produces a smooth texture that makes it feel rich and luxurious when you eat it.
• Replace 1 fresh vanilla bean with 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

More Dessert Recipes

• Apple Crisp
• Lava Cake
• Pecan Pie
• Blueberry Crostata
• Apple Pie

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The Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

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5 from 8 votes

This creamy homemade vanilla ice cream uses fresh vanilla beans and cream for the best, most flavorful ice cream recipe.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 2 hours hours

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 vanilla bean pods
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks

Instructions

• Start by splitting the vanilla pods in half long ways.
• Add the split vanilla pods to a medium-sized pot along with the cream, milk, and sugar.
• Cook the mixture over low to medium heat while frequently stirring with a rubber spatula until the milk is scalded and the sugar is dissolved.
• Once scalded, remove the vanilla beans from the pod with a spoon and then scrape all the seeds out of the pod using a small knife and add them back to the pot.
• Then, add a small amount of the hot milk mixture to a large bowl with 4 egg yolks and vigorously whisk to temper the eggs. You do this so the eggs can come up to temperature without scrambling.
• Then, slowly pour in the remaining hot milk mixture while continuing to whisk at a normal pace until combined.
• Add the mixture back to the pot.
• Cook over low to medium heat while constantly stirring with a spoon or rubber spatula for 5 to 7 minutes or until it has thickened up and can coat the back of a spoon.
• Strain the mixture through a fine mess strainer or chinois and then immediately chill in the refrigerator or in an ice bath until completely cooled.
• Once chilled, transfer the mixture to an ice cream churner or maker and churn until the vanilla ice cream has solidified.
• Serve or keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

Notes

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe several days before you want to serve it.

How to Store: Cover and keep the ice cream in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture once cooled directly to the freezer until frozen.

Churning prevents large ice crystals from forming in the ice cream and produces a smooth texture that makes it feel rich and luxurious when you eat it.

Replace 1 fresh vanilla bean with 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 7gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 269mgSodium: 54mgPotassium: 188mgSugar: 39gVitamin A: 1988IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 0.5mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Chinese, French

Author: Chef Billy Parisi