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A bowl with scoops of vanilla ice cream with a spoon on the side.
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Vanilla Ice Cream

Easy homemade French vanilla ice cream is the perfect summer treat, loaded with delicious toppings or scooped alongside your favorite warm dessert.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chill and Freeze Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings 1 quart
Calories 2399kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker
  • Medium pot
  • Medium bowl
  • Rubber spatula

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream (480ml)
  • ¾ cup whole milk (180ml)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1 split vanilla bean seeds scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 large egg yolks

Instructions

  • Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to give off steam (do not simmer). Remove the heat.
  • Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl just until broken up and smooth. Slowly pour in about ½ cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Whisk the tempered egg mixture in to the cream mixture in the saucepan.
  • Return the saucepan to medium heat, and stir frequently with a rubber spatula. Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 180°-185°F). Immediately remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
  • Place the mixture over an ice bath and stir occasionally to cool the mixture down quickly. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • Churn the chilled custard in a frozen ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the solid ice cream to a container cover in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours, before scooping. The ice cream will keep frozen for up to 1 month if covered tightly.

Notes

  • Temper the eggs. Tempering the egg yolks in this homemade vanilla ice cream recipe ensures that they warm up gradually and become velvety and smooth. If you add them straight into the warm milk mixture, they will instantly cook and scramble, leaving you with egg chunks.
  • Use a rubber spatula when cooking the ice cream base. Be sure to scrape the sides of the pot where the egg tends to collect. This will help prevent the custard from burning or overcooking.
  • Use a thermometer to ensure your eggs don’t overcook. The temperature should reach about 180°F for the proper thickness.
  • Don’t skip straining the custard. Straining catches any little bits of egg that didn’t get tempered or parts of the custard that may overcooked and solidified, ensuring a lusciously smooth ice cream.
  • To get even more vanilla flavor: If using a vanilla bean pod, add it back in while the strained custard chills. This will infuse the mixture with even more vanilla flavor. Just be sure to remove the vanilla pod before churning the ice cream.
  • To get the flavors to pop: Add a pinch of salt when whisking the egg yolks to balance the flavors of the vanilla, sugar, and cream. Less than ⅛ teaspoon is enough!
  • Double this easy recipe if your machine allows for 2 quarts of ice cream! If you’re pulling out the appliance, you might as well get the most reward from the effort. The homemade ice cream holds well for up to a month in the freezer, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to make.
  • Freeze the bowl of the ice cream machine. The bowl needs to be totally chilled to help the custard firm up for the best vanilla ice cream. I recommend freezing it for at least 24 hours before you churn the custard.

Nutrition

Calories: 2399kcal | Carbohydrates: 126g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 201g | Saturated Fat: 121g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 55g | Cholesterol: 1478mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 821mg | Sugar: 123g | Vitamin A: 8519IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 650mg | Iron: 3mg