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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}
This is the best ice cream!!! I have been making it since last summer, usually adding the same stuff and it’s always good…..I am now the official ice cream maker of the family and everyone want’s me to bring my ice cream!! At Christmas I made it with egg nog instead of cream and man oh man, it was out of this world good!!! Even the kids ate it up!! Thanks again for the fabulous recipe!!!
I’m glad that you like the ice cream so much, Maggie!
How can you make ice cream slightly harder
The ice cream will firm up in the freezer, Lisa.
We made this with some left over whipping cream and it was delicious! The ice cream freezer didn’t work so we did the mixer/freezer method and it worked just as well. I’m curious to try adding cocoa and perhaps a touch more sugar to counteract the cocoa and see if it can be modified to make chocolate ice cream.
I’m so glad that you like the ice cream, Andi.
When do you add the add-ins? I wanted to add brownies and caramel. Should I do that when the ice cream maker is done, before the freezer?
Yes, you’ll stir them in after it finishes churning, Alissa.
Omg It is like summer like right now like this is the best like delicious ice cream like in the World
I am so happy that you are enjoying the ice cream, Jasmin.
Can you swap out the sugar for a sugar substitute like monkfruit?
I’ve been told you can, but haven’t tried that myself, Dottie.
One other question, is this I cream scoopable if frozen overnight?
Yes, this ice cream will remain firm but scoopable after freezing.
How do you make this with out an ice cream maker?
There are tips in the above post for making without a machine.
This is absolutely the best (and easiest) vanilla ice cream ever. We substitute Swerve for the sugar and it’s still super awesome every time! We’ve tried the recipe with some peppermint extract to make mint chocolate chip ice cream and it was equally as good as plain vanilla. This is a keeper recipe and very simple.
I am thrilled that you are enjoying the ice cream, Lana! Thanks for the heads up on the different variations.
Thanks for the thorough reviews!
I’m glad you like the ice cream.
Love the ice cream but it was far too sweet for me. Would it be ok to leave out some sugar or would that ruin the consistency? I added some coffee to it when I had taken it from the freezer to taste and it did supress the very sweet taste Will try with less sugar next time Certainlynthe easiest recipe I have ever tried !!! PS Coffee ice cream is actualy my favourite so was not much of a sacrifice !
I adore coffee ice cream as well. You can reduce the sugar a good bit without sacrificing flavor or texture. I typically reduce it when I know that I’ll be adding sweet ingredients at the end or when I’m making it to top a cobbler or something like that.
I dont have an ice cream maker – will a whisk do? Xx
Unfortunately, this recipe can’t be made without a machine, Tracey.
Wow so easy
I hope you love the ice cream, Victory.
Can you clarify what size ice cream maker this recipe will fill? 2 quart or 4 quart?
This makes approximately 1.5 QTs of ice cream. You’ll want to double the recipe for a 4 QT machine.
I want to start making simple ice cream
I hope you love it, Dorothy.
Hello. Can. I. Get. The. Recipes. Sent. To. My. Address. Is
Debbie. Krause. (edited by moderator to remove address) Would. Be. Happy. To. Get. It. In. The. Mail
Yours truly love recipes Debra Krause
Hi Debra, I am happy that you are enjoying the recipes. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that I am able to do.
Loved the recipe!! Do you have a chocolate version? Thank you, Lori
You bet, Lori. There are several chocolate ice cream recipes on the website. Just search “chocolate ice cream” in the search bar or go to the recipe index to see all 60+ ice cream recipes.
My kids and I have loved this recipe! So easy and yummy! Thanks for posting for us to enjoy!
I’m so glad that you like it, Becky.
Cool recipe! Pretty excited to try it! One suggestion to the article though. It really did hurt my head with how many times the word “homemade” is in this. Maybe in the title and a couple more times but not almost every paragraph
I hope you love the ice cream, Bob.
This recipe is a hit. Too bad about Bob’s comments. “You said homemade too many times”. You handled that like a pro, Mary.