Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (Print version)

Rich, creamy homemade vanilla ice cream with a smooth custard base. Perfect for summer days and customizable with endless mix-ins.

# What goes in:

→ Custard Base

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 5 large egg yolks
05 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

# Cooking steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and half of the granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt until the mixture turns pale and becomes slightly thickened.
03 - Gradually whisk the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream to temper the eggs without scrambling them. Then pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
04 - Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 170–175°F (77–80°C).
05 - Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the pure vanilla extract until evenly incorporated.
06 - Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
07 - Pour the thoroughly chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, approximately 20–25 minutes, until the mixture is thick and creamy.
08 - Transfer the churned ice cream to a lidded freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours until firm and set.

# Tips from flavorandfeast:

01 -
  • The custard base creates a silkiness that puts most premium brands to shame, and you control exactly what goes in it.
  • Once you nail this vanilla foundation, every flavor variation becomes a simple matter of stirring something new into the base before freezing.
02 -
  • Tempering the yolks is the step where everything can go wrong in seconds, so pour slowly and whisk aggressively to distribute the heat evenly.
  • Under churning produces a dense, heavy result while over churning can introduce too much air, making the texture unpleasantly foamy.
03 -
  • Chill your freezer safe container in the freezer for an hour before transferring the churned ice cream into it so the edges do not melt and refreeze into icy patches.
  • A tablespoon of vodka mixed into the chilled custard right before churning keeps the ice cream softer straight from the freezer without adding any alcohol flavor.

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