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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}
Can this be used with 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream?
You may replace the cream and the milk with half and half to make this, Sherise.
It did not freeze. Tried for 4 hours.
Hi G, What kind of machine were you using? If it was a freezer bowl, it will only stay cold for about 45 minutes and then it will thaw. If the mixture didn’t freeze in that time period, the bowl would’ve warmed at that point. My guess is that there is a problem with the machine that you used. Pretty much any liquid mixture will freeze, given an hour in a properly functioning ice cream machine.
Thank you so much for the recipe. It’s currently being made! First time I have ever made ice cream and now I’m mad it took this long!
You are welcome, Kyra. Let me know how it turns out.
This is delicious!! Made it also adding different things like homemade Raspberry thick syrup, and made into to Raspberry Ripple. Adding chunks of fudgeos, oreos, and chocolate wafers. Rippled homemade thick caramel sauce, and it was also delicious. Strawberries and bananas work great also. I squished the bananas, put them in a put and caramelized them as in David Lebovit’s Carmelized Banana Ice Cream, and added chopped strawberries. DELICIOUS. It was great just with the bananas or just with strawberries also.This recipe is so easy and versatile, and TASTY!!!! Love it!
I’m glad you love it. Enjoy!
Mmmm, nice easy recipe for my hand crank maker! Starting to gain weight lol. Thank you! When you speak of whole milk, are you referring to 2% milk?
I use whole milk, but 2% will work as well, James. I’m glad that you like the ice cream!
I You are doing a great job.
Please help me send healthy recipes like 5 and recipe for convalescent. Thank you
There are over 1500 recipes here, Alice. If you check out the recipe index, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of recipes that fit your needs there.
Fabulous recipe, so easy and, came out delicious!
I’m thrilled that you like the ice cream, Pam.
Hi,
Is there a specific amount of time that the mixture should chill in the refrigerator? (or temperature that it should chill to?) I haven’t had much experience making homemade ice cream and want to be sure it turns out right. :o)
As long as it’s cold (similar to the temp milk is when kept in the fridge) it will work nicely, Janeen.
I’ve been making homemade ice cream for years and years. This is the best vanilla I have ever made. Even my picky husband loved it!
That’s awesome to hear, Gena. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the ice cream!
Do you double this for a 4 quart freezer?
Yes, you can double the recipe for a larger freezer, Mike.
How much salted caramel sauce should I add? And at which point should I add it?
Thanks,
Stacy
I typically just swirl 1/3-1/2 cup into the finished ice cream in an airtight container, Stacy.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, this recipe will double nicely for a larger ice cream maker, Janet.
Hi Mary, This looks so good! I also am a Huge ice cream lover ❤🍦 My question is about the vanilla. I don’t normally have beans on hand – they’re pretty darn expensive – is it ok to just use extract?
Yes, that’s perfectly fine. That should work well.
Can you use lowfat milk or cream? Will that chsnge the consistency too much? Also can you use monk fruit in replace of the sugar?
I haven’t tried using monk fruit myself. Lowfat milk or cream will not work the same way; it won’t be as creamy. It should freeze just fine, though.
I teach cooking classes in my home to kids from ages 9-18. This recipe fits my ice cream maker and we skip the “simmer” stage. It is creamy and they love the flavor. Thanks for posting this recipe. VB
You are welcome, Vickie. I’m glad you and your students are enjoying the ice cream.
Hi Mary
Can I use this as a base for chocolate ice cream. Add cocoa powder and eliminate the vanilla extract ?
I am making my second batch of vanilla as I am typing this. Excellent recipe! Everyone loved it.
I would not recommend that, Jane. There are several chocolate ice cream recipes on this website that work beautifully.
The ice cream was so good and so easy to make. I made it for my dad’s 86th birthday and it was a hit. Thanks!!
I’m glad you and he liked it, Stephanie.
We really like this ice cream. Loved it’s without eggs. Do you have a recipe for chocolate ice cream? Or can you add cocoa powder to this to make it chocolate ice cream?
I have a few chocolate ice cream recipes on my site, Jeanette, including some with additional add-ins like peanut butter. Enjoy!
Your recipe is super stupid, any fool can make an ice cream with the ice cream maker. Where is the recipe for normal people who don’t have the device?
This is an ice cream recipe for an ice cream maker. If you’re looking for an alternative to that, you may want to search for a recipe that is specifically not for the ice cream maker.
when do you add the cookies etc?
After it has finished churning, you’ll stir in the additional ingredients.