This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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}
I bought a small 1 quart ice cream maker from a thrift store and this was the 1st recipe I tried. Excellent!!! It’s simple, creamy, and just plain perfect! Thanks, Mary 🙂
Love that, Mia. You scored a good find there.
After trying this I won’t be buying ice cream at the store anymore. It was so easy to make and it was about the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever tasted. My family wholeheartedly agrees. Thank you!
Thank you, Lisa. And I agree completely.
Omg lol
I just want to know if I can use a substitute for the sugar since I can’t have sugar. Thanks
I am not familiar with a good substitute.
You can replace sugar with allulose and it works great in ice creams. Don’t try to do it with erythritol as this sugar substitute will crystalize. How it works with xylithol I cannot tell you, because I never used it..
I just made it with Xylitol and it was amazing! Praise the Lord
Good to note. Thank you for sharing, Greg.
At your local Walmart in the baker’s section there are all sorts of wonderful sugar substitutes. Try monkfruit. Its even good for baking, just read your labels.It’s a bit pricey but I put it in everything from cookies to my coffee .
I use honey.
Hello! Excited to try your recipe! Would this work well with date sugar?
I honestly have not tried it with date sugar.
We enjoy this recipe and use it often. Lately we have experimented with using monk fruit (a zero calorie sweetener) and find the recipe adapts well. We use 1/2 cup of monk fruit instead of sugar and the ice cream is very good. Monk fruit will dissolve in liquid but needs to be heated slightly to encourage it to dissolve. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Thank you for sharing those tips, Lar.
Made this last night with my kitchen aid ice cream attachment. This is the first recipe I tried with my new attachment and it was super simple and yummy!
That is awesome, Belinda. Be careful the homemade ice cream obsession is a slippery slope. I just made a new dark chocolate version I hope to share soon!
Get rid of the milk & put it all in a cup: (heavy whipping cream, dash of salt strawberries chopped, dash of vanilla extract,& add sugar) with tight light lid or mason jar. (TEST THE CUP TO MAKE SURE LID IS ON CORRECT/ NO LEAKING).Then shake for 5 min & freeze for at least three hours. U can make butter with this just no sugar & vanilla extract.
Sure, if you want, go for it, Diamond.
Ann I do believe the reviews are for ice cream, we do not need your thoughts on the author. If you do not like the site jump to one of the other 100 ones. Thanks Mary your pretty patient that’s for sure.
Why do we need your life biography for a simple recipe, all around rating -5
There is a super handy “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of every post. Feel free to use it, Ann.
sounds like someone has melted, go back to the freezer!
You can jump straight to the recipe. It’s at the beginning Ann.
So easy! And you can add any flavour you want. I made a coffee flavoured one using chicory essence.
Question: how much ice cream does this recipe typically produce? A quart, a gallon? Thank you and if I missed this my apologies.
It should make about a quart, Ann.
I’m totally in love with your recipes. They look yummy and pretty much of them are very delicious. I’m glad I came across your web site.
Awww – you are the sweetest, Kellie. I am so glad you found my site! Happy cooking to you!
I work for a nursing home, in the activity department, and tried this recipe adding bananas. It could have used more bananas but the guys thought it was a great treat. I, also, had to triple the recipe to accommodate about 120 residents. The recipe triple easily. This weekend we are making, in triplicate, 4 churns of homemade cherry. We are expecting 140 residents to have some. Thank you!!!!!! Lynn
That is awesome, Lynn. Bless you, for brightening their day with a homemade ice cream treat.
If you dissolve Stevia in liquid first then you can use it. And it won’t crystallize.
I have not tried that, Miranda. But hopefully, your tip will help someone. Thank you for sharing.
AMAZING we added strawberries to make it a fun color and add taste. My 2 little girls loved the pink ice cream it turned out to be. It was so much fun making it, I totally suggest this recipe!
Thank you so much, Carol. I love that you all enjoyed it.
Dude, I don’t need your life story. Basic intro, ingredients, instructions. That’s all I need
Feel free to use that handy “Jump to Recipe” button located at the top of every page.
Then Walter go find one of the other 100 ice cream recipes. These reviews are for ice cream and I do believe your review has nothing to do with ice cream. Thank you Mary! Can not wait to try this one.
When do you add the “add-ins”, if using any?
I like to wait until the end and layer them in the container I am scooping the ice cream into.
Wow
Glad to hear you like the ice cream, Liem!
U use a machine for the ice cream, what to do if not using machine, Cheers from NZ
Here are the directions for making ice cream without a machine: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/ice-cream-without-a-machine/
I have just read a couple of unneeded comments, its a shame humans need to be so opinionated when its of a negative nature, freedom of choice does actually mean they are not compelled to read what is written.
I have searched a number of ice cream methods this evening, yours looks to be the easiest and most simple, the best thing is they’re not loaded with sugar, i’m going to try tomorrow with Stevia. Thanks for your efforts getting your ideas to us way Down Under in New Zealand.
I hope that you love the ice cream, Bobbie. I’ve never made it with stevia, so let me know how it turns out!