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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}
Hi Mary,
I have just made your vanilla ice cream, but it has turned out very soft!! I did use raw castor sugar instead of white sugar, would this have made a difference? Or does it get harder once placed in the freezer in an air tight container for a few hours? I use a Cuisinart Ice cream maker.
I’m honestly not sure that the sugar would have made that big a difference, Cheryl. Hopefully it hardened nicely for you in the freezer.
Same thing happened to me. I’ll leave it overnight in the freezer and see how it turns out.
Very lovely. Thanks so much for your time. Be blessed!
Hi Mary, made your vanilla ice cream, per recipe, delicious, added chips to blend, best ever. Thank you, Wayne
Happy to hear that you’re enjoying the ice cream, Wayne!
I can barely read the site as there are so many ads that pop in and out. It is a shame as I was going to share this with my chemistry class so they could make ice cream from home.
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Hi Tom, if you’re pulling this recipe up on a desktop, there shouldn’t be any ads in the content of this post. On both mobile devices and on desktop, there’s also a handy Jump To Recipe button at the top of the page. I hope that helps! (For what it’s worth, there aren’t any “pop up or pop in and out” ads on this website. If you happen to see one, please send me a screenshot! Thanks!)
I have to agree with a previous comment. It’s a decent recipe but all the ads are an absolute nightmare. Imagine watching a tv show and 22 minutes of it is ads and 8 minutes contains actual content. I did “skip to recipe” but considering How many recipes are out there, I’d rather just not deal with the eye sore / annoyance at all. I appreciate you Mary, but I’d find another platform.
Hi John, feel free to find a different website with free recipes or just buy a cookbook. I provide the recipes at no charge whatsoever to my readers and the advertising makes it all possible. I wish you only the best, friend!
That’s Right!!! Tell em’ girl! How ignorant of these folk!
Do I need to put this in a ice cream maker or can i put it in a plastic container and freeze it.
This needs to be churned in an ice cream machine, Denise.
If I were to buy vanilla beans, which one’s do you recommend?
Thank you,
Jacqui
Honestly? At this point, anywhere you can find them, is going to be a good find these days. Vanilla has been hard to find at any kind of great price for a few years now. I’m sorry that I can’t be more helpful! I’ve had good success with eBay purchases in the past, for what that’s worth. I recommend reading the reviews and don’t buy “extract grade” beans if you’re wanting them to cook with. Extract grade beans are terrific for making extract, but they will not produce many seeds when you split them to scrape them.
Thanks!
Looks very yummy!
Seeing as I don’t want to go out and only have 1% milk, could I try 2 cups of cream and one cup of milk? I will keep in mind that it may not come out exactly the same but trying to limit outings in these weird times!
Looking forward to trying the recipe!
That will work nicely, Karine.
GREAT! I will do the same! I have those ingredients as well!!
Happy ice cream making, Gina!
I’m experimenting with what I have on hand as well.. I had as much half and half as the heavy cream measurement, and for the rest I used a mix of almond milk and Greek yogurt. 😬 wish me luck, hehe! Thanks so much for the recipe 💖
Good luck, Becca! Let me know how it works out. Hopefully, you’ll get a fun version of frozen yogurt.
Hi, Judi here. During this time of social distancing we are not going to the big grocery stores. I live on an island with no grocery store so I need to get creative. I can get 1/2 and 1/2 not heavy cream. Can I use this instead of the combination of milk and heavy cream. Look forward to you reply.
Yes! You can use half and half for the full recipe. It will be a tiny bit less creamy, but it absolutely works and I’ve done that myself, Judi.
Does the kind of milk you use matter a lot? We only drink skim milk, so I’d rather not have to go out and buy whole milk if I can avoid it
Skim will work, Kristin. I’d just add a little more cream and a little less milk, to balance it out.
Too many ads? Waa-waa! FIRST WORLD PROBLEM, for sure. Seriously, complainers – look somewhere else and move on. Are you paying for this recipe? No. Constructive criticism about the actual recipe, like confusing typos or missing instructions, or you just didn’t like it, might be welcomed by some authors but they probably don’t need technical “advice.” If looking at some ads is really a “total nightmare” for you, you are having a charmed life. Let the rest of us enjoy looking for recipes.
Bless you, Esme. Enjoy the ice cream!
Made my first batch last week. I had some caramel chips that I added at the end of the churning along with some heath bar toffee chips. My husband loved it! I made a double batch just now, it’s cooling in the fridge to churn for later.
I use cream and half-and-half in mine substituting the half-and-half for the milk. Comes out terrific! I Hope the second batch is as good as the first! Thank you for the recipe!!!
I’m so glad that you like it, Suzanne!
I only have whole milk. Can I use all whole milk and no cream?
Yes, you can, Ellen. You will have frozen ice milk, not ice cream, but it will still be tasty.
Thanks for the recipe, finally have a reason to use my ice cream maker without all the fuss over eggs. Tomorrow is my designated shopping day before we go back into lockdown and I will definitely be trying this recipe. Will let you know how it works out. Thanks again.
I hope you love the ice cream, Tora!
Finally tried the recipe this morning. Put the bowl to freeze last night but didn’t prep the mixture (was feeling extra lazy lol). Woke up early and prepared the mixture (straight mix, no fire) and used the machine. I used frozen strawberries and a little less on the sugar. It was so good; my sister loved it. | just know any flavor I use will work and can’t wait to try others. One thing I learned is to crush the strawberries rather than chip them up so it blends in more. I’m already thinking of ways to tweak it for tropical flavors using our local fruits and coconut milk. This is one of the best recipes for homemade ice cream I’ve come across so thank you for sharing. I see an ice cream social in my Brigade future.
FYI: I didn’t come across the ad problem as I only got 2 on the screen and they weren’t blocking the content in any way. Thanks for your hard work and for providing us with recipes that help during this stressful time.
Just made this today. Amazing! Wonderful taste, perfect creamy texture! Printed it off and added it to my recipe book. It will be a new staple in our freezer! Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe, it has been such a treat to my family! Blessings to you!
I’m so happy to hear that you love the ice cream, Jennifer!
This ice cream is amazing. The texture is perfect unlike other recipes I have tried. My family loved it. My son in law raved about it. I used a real vanilla bean which is pricey but worth it. I’ve tried other recipes but this will be my go to from now on. Thank you. I did transfer to another container and froze overnight.
I’m thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the ice cream.
Thanks, Mary! Going to try this with Heath bar mix-in. 🙂
What’s the yield. Maybe I missed that part.
This recipe yields about 1.5QT, Sabrina.
It works really well I did it even though I didn’t have any type of crank 😀
Lovely
I’m so glad you are enjoying the ice cream, Fredal!
I have the Nostalgia ice cream maker that you mention in your Ice Cream Maker Review. I’d like to try this recipe but was wondering what the measurements would be for my ice cream maker. My calculations would be to base it on 16 – 8oz. servings. Would that be correct?
Thanks in advance.
You could easily double this recipe and have room to spare, Cynthia. I’m guessing you could triple it as well.
Coffee ice cream recipe????
If you use the search box on the website, you’ll find many different ice cream recipes and at least 1 or 2 coffee versions. Enjoy!