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I have a well-established love of ice cream, with over 150 ice cream recipes here on the website, and yet I still make this simple ice cream recipe at least once a month. There’s a reason why we call this the easiest (and best!) ice cream you will ever make or taste.
How To Make Homemade Ice Cream
Can anyone ever turn down a scoop of rich and creamy homemade ice cream? With just a handful of ingredients, this vanilla ice cream is beyond easy to make and it’s adaptable for whichever add-ins you’re craving.
While ice cream is a staple in our freezer year round, the add-in potentials for this particular ice cream are endless. I’ve filled this ice cream with chunks of brownies, bits of cookie dough, pieces of oatmeal cookies, and swirls of salted caramel sauce.
I have tried many ice cream recipes with many levels of difficulty, but my husband has deemed this recipe his favorite! Thank you so much for your hard work! I love the endless possibilities!
I try to keep a stash of crumbled cookies, brownies, and other treats in the freezer so that I can toss in a few handfuls whenever I’m churning a batch of ice cream.
I’ve also topped this ice cream with warm chocolate sauce, salted caramel sauce, or my favorite of all, this simple berry sauce. There has yet to be a combination that we didn’t love.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
When I first started making homemade ice cream, I initially followed recipes for traditional custard-style ice creams. And while a custard base does make for an amazing ice cream, don’t get me wrong, custard ice creams tend to be rich as can be.
And I quickly found that most custard ice creams just aren’t my thing. Besides, I’ll be honest, I like to make things simpler and not more complicated in the kitchen wherever possible.
The Ice Cream That Changed Everything
When I discovered Philadelphia-style ice cream, it was a complete game changer. You’ll need just 5 ingredients to make this ice cream: cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Philadelphia style ice cream is simply ice cream made with no eggs. I’ve played with the basic ratios and the method over the past few years and I’m telling you now that this recipe is hands down, the BEST simple vanilla ice cream I have ever made.
The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
How To Make Ice Cream
This ice cream is dead simple. Just combine some cream, milk, sugar, a pinch of salt, and a splash of vanilla in a saucepan. Give it a stir and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Then cool, chill, and churn; less than 10 minutes of actual prep time. If I put the mixture together in the morning, refrigerate it, and then churn it in the afternoon, we will happily scoop this ice cream into bowls or cones for dessert the same evening.
Want To Make It Even Easier?
If you are in a rush, you can simply stir everything together cold and pour it into the machine. I can’t deny that simmering it just long enough to dissolve the sugar and then cooling it again does make it even better.
Truthfully though, I’m impatient most of the time, so I skip the simmer step frequently. This is fantastic ice cream, however you make it.
The ice cream works beautifully in every ice cream maker I’ve tried. Hand crank, electric crank, freezer bowl, and ice cream compressor are all terrific options, but don’t worry, you can make ice cream without a machine too!
Ice Cream Recipes
Once you have an ice cream maker in your kitchen, get ready for all the ice cream recipes you can handle. Two kinds of chocolate and real cream make this the best and easiest homemade chocolate ice cream. The deliciously rich chocolate flavor of this recipe comes from the combination of both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips.
Strawberry Ice Cream is an old-fashioned favorite made simply with strawberries, sugar, cream, and milk. Just a few ingredients add up to a summer ice cream treat that everyone loves.
Fresh Mint Ice Cream is like no other mint ice cream you’ve tried in the past. Sweet chunks of edible cookie dough fill each scoop of this rich and creamy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.
This creamy, rich Blueberry Ice Cream is filled with chunks of dark chocolate that will melt in your mouth. Oh, my friends, make this. You won’t regret it – and I’m willing to bet that you’ll fall in love with it at first bite. I know I did.
Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs! Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!
The Best (and Easiest) Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- 1¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of the cream into a saucepan and add the sugar and salt. If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds of the bean into the mixture and then add the vanilla pod to the saucepan.
- Warm the mixture over medium heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream, milk, and vanilla extract (if using extract). Whisk to combine and chill in the refrigerator.
- When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk the mixture again, and pour it into the ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Serve immediately or transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place it in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/22/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 9/14/25}
I want to make this lactose free. Could I use 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream? I found lactose free whole milk and lactose free 1/2 & 1/2 but I cannot find lactose free heavy cream.
Hi Ann, you can make this with 100% half and half, but not a mix of milk and half and half. Even the half and half on it’s own won’t be quite as thick as with the cream, but it should work – I’ve used traditional half and half to make it in the past. Alternatively, you can use coconut cream to make this recipe, IF you like coconut.
Why should use heavy cream? What is the purpose?
Heavy cream is the base for the ice cream. Without the fat content, the ice cream will likely form ice crystals and won’t have a smooth texture.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve made it many times. I usually don’t heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar. I put it in a blender bottle like you would use for protein shakes and mix it up that way.
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the ice cream, Marsha!
Hi can this be made sugar free
I think some people have tried that with varying results. You might want to scroll through some of the comments to see how it worked out for them. I’ve never tried it myself, Loren.
My ice cream turned out hard as rock. How can i make softer ice cream?
This particular ice cream should not have frozen that hard. My guess is that your freezer settings are pretty high, Feryl.
Sounds and Looks Totally Devine Delish…😀💖👌
I’m glad you like the ice cream, Jeanie.
Southern cook here…made lots of homemade ice cream over my 48 years of family life. I used your recipe on Thanksgiving day with an electric maker (salt and ice). My entire family thanks you for the best ice cream recipe ever. I doubled your recipe and put the leftover in my freezer. After being frozen for a week it still was scoopable! Huge plus with me. I used a vanilla bean pod and I truly think this makes a huge difference in taste. Yeah they are expensive but so worth it. Seriously, I was so impressed with this recipe after saving it to several sites and bookmarks I printed out a copy and put it in my safe!!!
TY again!!!
I am so very happy that you love this ice cream as much as we do, Jemma! This makes my day.
I made this Gelato and we fell in love . It’s so easy to make and delicious too. I will definitely be making it my go to recipe for gelato. 5+ stars.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Catha!
OMG! This is THE best and easiest recipe for vanilla ice cream in the world! I’ve shared it with my whole family and they agree. Stays soft and scoopable for days! Thank so much. Keep up the good work 🥰😁
I’m so happy that you love the ice cream, Denise!
When do you add the optional ingredients? We are wanting to add peanut butter. The original vanilla was wonderful!
I’m so glad that you like the recipe, Karen! You’ll stir in the optional add-ins at the end of the churning process. I typically stir them in by hand or layer them in, as I’m transferring the ice cream to a freezer storage container.
“…dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.”
Let’s try corn whiskey. Amazon has a still for $125+/-.
My husband would love that idea, but right now? It’s not on my to-do list. 😉
When do I add in the extras? I was thinking of making this recipe, and adding peanut butter cups. Do I add them before or after the ice cream is made in the churn? Thank you!
You’ll add the optional ingredients at the end of the churning process, Julie. Enjoy!
Can’t wait to make this!! I’m going to add in chopped peppermint bark. When should I add my add-ins?
You’ll stir in the additional ingredients when the ice cream has finished churning, Katie.
Is there a way to use vanilla extract instead?
Sure thing, Bijan. The measurement is listed in the recipe card.
This recipe sounds great, I don’t have an ice cream churn. Are you able to make it without the churn?
This is not a no-churn ice cream recipe, Bonnie.
Here’s the problem with this recipe: I decided to use it to make my first ever homemade ice cream because it appealed to my preference for simplicity, which requires 5 ingredients or so, and because I was deeply suspicious of the recipes from the manufacturer. My plan was to use the ice cream over peach cobbler I am making tonight.
However, when it finished, it was taken from me by my family, who ate it all immediately and began clamoring for more, like baby birds. So I had to make a double batch next. Thanks, this recipe is a keeper! Vivian
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Vivian!
Hi Mary , do i need to add vanilla bean paste if i am adding musk flavouring , debbie
I have never used musk flavoring, Deborah. I’d add the flavoring and taste it and then determine if you want to add vanilla.
I have a cuisunart ice cream maker with a freezer bowl that you freeze for 24 hours then connect to the motor of the machine and pour in the ingredients. I live in Canada and it is -25 Celsius (-13 f) outside. Instead of freezing the bowl in my household freezer, can I freeze it outside instead, or would that make the bowl to cold to make good, creamy, Ice cream.
Honestly, I have no idea, Jasper. I don’t know of any reason it would harm the bowl though and the ice cream should be fine. If it were me? I’d go ahead and just set it outside to freeze, if your temps are consistently that cold. The bowl does need to stay frozen for a minimum of 15 hours. And you will want to wait to take it out of the “freezer” until you’re ready to pour in the ice cream mix.
Thank you for this recipe, it looks delicious!
Please can you clarify at which point do you add the cookies etc?
You’ll stir in the additional ingredients at the end of the churning process, Mon.
Thank you ever so much! 😊
Hi, how long should the mixture be whisked before adding to ice cream machine?
Just enough to combine it, Sindy. Happy ice cream making!