Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

The perfect homemade vanilla ice cream is rich, creamy, vanilla-flavored and just the right amount of sweet. This vanilla ice cream is infused with fresh vanilla bean pods and seeds, giving it an aroma and flavor like no other.

If you’ve ever wondered why you should make ice cream at home instead of buying it at the store, try this recipe. This recipe is a rich, creamy ice cream with a classic vanilla flavor that store-bought vanilla ice cream just can’t replicate. Enjoy it with a soft serve ice cream texture, or wait a little longer and let it set until it’s smooth and dipping ready.

Learn how to make ice cream at home and you’ll never have to buy mediocre ice cream again.

What makes homemade ice cream so delicious?

Homemade ice cream is made with custard, a sweet concoction of eggs, milk, and sugar. Custard is a thick, creamy sauce used in all kinds of desserts. Chilling the custard base for hours, overnight, or even days in advance accomplishes two purposes: first, it allows the custard to fully thicken and develop the rich, creamy texture that will ultimately become the base for your ice cream (the thickness of the custard is essential for a thick, creamy ice cream that reduces ice crystals); and second, it allows the flavors to meld and develop, giving the finished product a very rich, balanced flavor.

This homemade vanilla ice cream recipe also uses fresh vanilla bean pods, which are infused into the milk to create a unique woody and floral vanilla aroma.

Homemade vanilla ice cream ingredients

You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make homemade ice cream — in fact, this is all you need (excluding your favorite toppings, of course):

• Vanilla beans: We use both the seeds and the pods to enrich our ice cream with a distinctive and dynamic vanilla flavour.
• Whole milk and cream: A balance of rich cream and whole milk forms the dairy base of this ice cream.
• Granulated sugar: This dairy mixture will be the base for the custard mixture, which will be sweetened.
• egg yolk: It gives thickness and richness to the custard base.
• Kosher salt: It enhances and balances the flavor of ice cream.

How to make ice cream

The most time-consuming part of making homemade ice cream is the chilling and freezing. If you can wait, it’s worth the wait. Here’s a quick overview of the process. The full recipe is below.

• Step 1. Heat the milk: Place the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a medium saucepan, add the cream and milk and bring to a boil over low heat.
• Step 2: Heat the eggs to make the custard. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Then pour the warm mixture back into the saucepan with the milk. This method keeps the eggs from scrambling and helps prevent floating particles from being left in the ice cream mixture. (More on that below.) Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture sticks to the back of a spoon or reaches about 170°F.
• Step 3: Make the ice cream: Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately for a soft serve texture, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

Tips for warming eggs

Custard can vary in consistency from a thin sauce to a rich pastry cream, but it always requires egg tempering to gently pasteurize the eggs, or heat them to a temperature that kills harmful bacteria without overcooking them (about 170°F). Heating custard above 180°F can give the finished ice cream an overly thick, sticky texture.

• Shop smart: The recipes are simple yet indulgent, allowing every ingredient to shine – use high-quality eggs, cream and milk for the best flavor.
• Using a thermometer: It’s handy to have a thermometer handy when incubating your eggs – it takes the guesswork out and gives you peace of mind knowing when it’s time to proceed.
• Keep a spare spoon readyThe custard doesn’t thicken much as it cooks, so don’t expect it to change dramatically – it will still look the same, but will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Do it smoothly: Don’t worry if your custard overcooks a bit: The recipe instructs you to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve to collect and remove any accumulated solids, ensuring a smooth, creamy end result no matter what.

Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream

Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit in the summer or with warm gooey brownies in the winter. This recipe is delicious no matter how you scoop it, with sugar or in a waffle cone, or mixed or sprinkled with a variety of mix-ins to suit your taste.

Thanks to the high quality ingredients and techniques, this ice cream is delicious on its own but also makes a great base for ice cream sandwiches or a celebratory ice cream cake.

How to store vanilla ice cream

The custard can be made up to 3 days in advance, just wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

The same goes for ice cream: press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before sealing the container. This prevents ice crystals from forming and locks in moisture, keeping the mixture creamy and fresh. Stored properly, homemade ice cream will last for up to 3 weeks.

Try more homemade ice cream recipes

And there’s more! If you’re in the mood for more homemade ice cream while your ice cream maker is sitting on the counter, try these recipes:

Editorial Support Katherine Jessie.