Homemade Ice Cream is the quintessential summer treat, isn’t it?
This homemade ice cream recipe can also be called the easiest (and best!) ice cream you will ever make or taste. I’ve been making this ice cream at least once a month for over 5 years now.
Can anyone ever turn down a scoop of rich and creamy vanilla ice cream? This ice cream recipe is the easiest once I make and it’s adaptable for whichever add-ins you’re craving.
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 making a fresh batch of ice cream.
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HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
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’ve also topped this ice cream with warm chocolate sauce, and my favorite of all this simple berry sauce. There has yet to be a combination that we didn’t love.
I probably don’t even need to mention it, but this Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is a pretty much dream come true for topping Southern Peach Cobbler, Grandma’s Cherry Flop, an Old Fashioned Apple Crisp, or this Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch.
How To Make Homemade Ice Cream
With just five simple ingredients, you can have this smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream at your fingertips as well.
When I first started making homemade ice cream, I initially followed the recommended recipes and tried several custard-style ice creams. Traditionally, many ice creams begin with an egg custard.
While a custard base does make for an amazing ice cream, don’t get me wrong, custard ice cream is rich as can be and I quickly found that it just isn’t my thing.
Besides, I’ll be honest, I like to make things simpler and not more complicated in the kitchen wherever possible.
When I discovered Philadelphia-style ice cream, it was a complete game changer. 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!
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
This ice cream is dead simple. Stir everything together in a saucepan, simmer, Stir, Chill and Freeze; 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 are easily having this for dessert the same evening.
However, 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 makes it even better.
Truthfully though, I’m impatient about half the time, so I skip the simmer step frequently. This is fantastic ice cream however you make it.
This ice cream works beautifully in every ice cream maker I’ve tried. Hand crank, electric crank, freezer bowl, and ice cream compressor. Homemade Ice Cream turns out great in each one!
(And yes, I may have a wee bit of a thing for ice cream, because I have each of those machines and love them all!)
Ice Cream Recipes
Once you have an ice cream maker in your kitchen, get ready for all the ice cream recipes you can handle.
These recipes for Rocky Road Ice Cream, Cinnamon Ice Cream, Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream, and Cafe con Leche Ice Cream all need to be on your list to try. 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.
Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream by The View from Great Island and Peanut Butter Ice Cream by Pint Sized Baker both look delicious as well.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
- Pour 1 cup of the cream into a saucepan and add the sugar, salt. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pot and then add the vanilla pod to the pot.
- Warm the mixture over medium heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine and chill in the refrigerator.
- When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk mixture again and pour into ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.
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 or
- Optional: 2 cups of add-ins – soft brownies, cookies, and blondies work great
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of the cream into a saucepan and add the sugar, salt. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pot and then add the vanilla pod to the pot. 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). Stir to combine and chill in the refrigerator.
- When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk mixture again and pour into ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 5/22/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/1/21}
Sherry Myers says
I made this recipe last weekend, but it was not enough for my ice cream freezer. I added a can of sweetened condensed milk and 6-1/4 cups of whole milk and it was fabulous! It’s now our family’s favorite ice cream.
Getrin says
Hi, can you give me the measurments in grams or ml. I checked few websites but im getting different results. Also is heavy cream like whipping cream? Thank you
Mary says
Yes, you’ll use heavy whipping cream for this recipe. I don’t use metric measurements, so you’ll need to convert that using one of the online calculators.
Mitzie C says
This recipe doesn’t make enough for a full 2 qt ice cream freezer. You will need to double the recipe.
EJ says
If you were going to add fresh fruit to the recipe (say peaches as it is that time of year) would you alter any of the other ratios?
Mary says
So, here’s the deal with adding chunks of fresh fruits to ice cream, it often has a very high water content and as a result, it freezes fairly solid and isn’t always great that way. However, you can use this method to roast the peaches before adding them to the ice cream: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/honey-roasted-peach-frozen-yogurt-recipe/ or you can go to a little extra effort and make this ice cream: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/peach-cobbler-ice-cream-recipe/ it is one of my all time favorites.
[email protected] says
Can we use brown or white sugar ? Granulated or castor.. an specifics ?
Mary says
Granulated white sugar.
Sydney says
How long it did to fully freeze, please answer as quickly possible thanks!
Mary says
The freezing time will depend on your ice cream maker. There’s no universal answer for that. Typically, most machines will churn in less than an hour.
Bronxbaby says
Can you use evaporated milk instead of whole milk?
Mary says
It will still work and freeze with evaporated milk, but I can not speak to how that will taste.
Raquel says
This ice cream is amazingly easy and tastes fantastic. Made it twice in a week! Thanks for the great recipe!
Trinity and Brookyn says
Can you make this without the nuts?
Mary says
There aren’t any nuts in this recipe.
Trinity and Brookyn says
Can you make this without nuts?
Lita Johnson says
I’ve never been a huge homemade ice cream fan. In the past it was always so watery and not very creamy. Decided to give it one more try and made this for Father’s Day yesterday. Wow! Seriously the best ice cream ever. It was so creamy and had so much flavor. My only complaint is I wish we had more!!
Matt Morgan says
What size is your serving? Trying to do the math for 4 quarts
Sara says
I made this yesterday and it’s really good! I am in love with how easy it is. My husband thinks it’s perfect as is but it’s a little rich for me, so I am going to try with more milk and less cream next time. Or maybe half and half? Not sure. I can really taste the heavy cream so maybe just switching the milk and cream amounts in the recipe will give it the lighter taste I’m looking for. 🙂
Mary says
That should do it. It will be a little less creamy that way, but it sounds like that’s what you’re looking for. (I make it with whatever amount I have on hand some of the time.) Enjoy!
Sara says
I tried with half and half and it was too crumbly after being frozen. Then I just switched the cream and milk amounts and that was perfect! It’s not quite as creamy, like you said, but definitely still creamy and so delicious!
Merilyn Roll says
How to make chocolate ice cream? Add cocoa to your original vanilla recipe? How much?
Mary says
I have several chocolate ice cream recipes on this website. You can search the ice cream recipe index here: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/category/desserts/ice-cream/ Enjoy!
L says
What ice cream maker(s) do you recommend?
Mary says
I use this freezer bowl machine, and this ice cream compressor. The compressor is my favorite, but they both work great.
Anthony Allen says
Perfect ice cream base! Follow the directions exactly and you won’t get curdling. It keeps well in the freezer, and doesn’t get icy like many homemade ice creams do. Delicious.
Jamie says
Would the condistency still be the same if I replaced the milk with almond or coconut milk? I’m trying to make a simple tasty low carb/keto version. I plan on using Monk fruit/erythritol blend to replace the sugar. Thoughts?
K says
I was wondering the same. Did you try it?
Robert says
I’ve been thinking along the same line, however I have taken a plastic tumbler and filled it with either frozen strawberries or blueberries and poured unsweetened almond or cashew milk over the berries. The milk freezes instantly as it coats berries. Yes, it is somewhat watery, but I love the milk and as the berries melt it is a tasty treat. I was wondering how an ice cream maker might improve the process or whether a blender is all that I need.
Ann says
If we want to make 6 quarts of ice cream. How many recipes should we make?
Heather says
Do the math; 4 cups liquid per quart.
Bethany says
I have used this recipe lots of times now, I love it. I have tried other recipes but they all had a negative about them. But this is now my go to recipe, and I use a super cheap ice cream machine I got online and it works great every time as long as I follow the recipe, as mentioned in other comments you get a different result with small changes.
Kenneth Wright says
Can I churn the creamed stuff using a Cuisine Food Processor? If so, at what speed should it be on? And for how long?
I’m looking forward for your answers soon so I can try out this recipe.
Thank-You,
Ken Wright
Mary says
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to churn this isn’t ice cream without an ice cream maker. It needs to freeze as it churns.
Amanda says
How do you think using skim milk would change this recipe?
Mary says
With a lower fat content, the ice cream will be icier – more like ice milk than ice cream.