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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}
Hello! I’d like to mention that, if you have a KitchenAid stand-mixer, their ice cream maker attachment works wonderfully for making home-made ice cream!
I like it too, Catherine!
This is excellent!
I’m so glad that you’re enjoying it, Janelle.
Can’t wait to try this ice cream!Can I use chopped fruit?
Yes, just chop or smash it very well as chunks of fruit often turn to chunks of ice when frozen. Happy ice cream making, Mary Lou.
I just tried this recipe on a cold stone. It was fantastic!! It tasted great I even choped fresh strawberries in it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the ice cream, Sandra.
Love love
I’m so glad that you love the ice cream, Lebo.
flipping amazing!
I added Oreo’s and a second batch I added coco powder.
super cheers!
I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the ice cream, Itzy.
Made this recipe the other night with the kids and we absolutely loved it. It was so good and easy to make that we made it again. The second time, we skipped the simmering and it was still good. Will be making this again real soon! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad that you are enjoying the ice cream, Sha.
I made two double batches of this ice cream yesterday. I added strawberry jam/purse to one and added two tablespoons of instant coffee to the other one and they turned out great. It is the best non custard ice cream base I have found. The flavor is incredible. I used the heating method and used my old fashioned ice cream churn for this ice cream. Will make many more batches this summer. Thank you for this great recipe.
I’m so glad you like the ice cream, Ralph!
So excited to try this out! I have a 4 quart ice cream maker. How many quarts does this recipe yield as it is written?
This recipe makes approximately 1.5QTs, Katie. You could double it for your machine.
If I wanted to add an egg as an emulsifier do I do so at the cooking stage or afterward?
You honestly don’t need an egg, but if you would like to add one, you’ll need to cook it with the cream on the stove. Happy ice cream making!
How much does this make? Wondering if I need to double this recipe. We have a 4 qt electric freezer..
So sorry! Just saw you already answered this question earlier.
I’m glad you figured it out. Happy ice cream making!
Would I be able to add cocoa powder to this to make chocolate ice cream? Any idea how much?
There are several chocolate ice cream recipes here on the site, Brittany. I’d recommend looking at one of those. Happy ice cream making!
I don’t have a vanilla bean, just high quality vanilla. Should I double the vanilla?
This will be fine with the vanilla as listed in the recipe, Ella.
I made it now three times and it is the best thank you for sharing
I’m so glad that you love the ice cream, Renee.
I don’t have an ice cream maker but I really want to make ice cream for my dads birthday! Would this recipe work without one?
This recipe will not work without a machine, Hannah.
Loved this recipe. Very versatile!
I’m happy to hear that you like the ice cream, Katie!
Making this ice cream today and I have question. I doubled the recipe because I have a 4 qt freezer but the recipe as stated above doesn’t go the fill line on my freezer. Do I add milk to get to the fill line or just freeze it as the doubled recipe states with no extra added milk?
Definitely do not add milk, Terri. The mixture will increase in size quite a bit while churning. For a 4QT machine, you’ll be a little shy of full with a doubled recipe. Tripling the recipe would likely overfill the machine.
Absolutely delicious ice cream. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad that you like it, Lar.
How much will it increase once frozen?
I doubled the receipe but it’s barely 1/2 of my 4qt.
It will increase by at least 2/3 again or closer to double.
Oh man. So, so good! My first time making ice cream and this recipe made me look like a genius to my friends and family!
I’m so happy that you like the ice cream, Heidi.
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Which ice cream maker do you use?
You can find all my favorite ice cream makers here: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/ice-cream-makers/