The Best (and Easiest) Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make

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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.

The BEST and easiest vanilla ice cream you will ever make! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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.

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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.

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!

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.

You only need FIVE ingredients to make the best and easiest homemade ice cream! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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 Ice Cream is like no other! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is like no other! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk mixture again and pour into ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  4. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

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The Best and Easiest Ice Cream Recipe

The Best (and Easiest) Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make

4.66 from 418 votes
Rich and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe that only requires five ingredients!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (about 1.5 quarts)

Ingredients 

  • cups heavy cream
  • cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 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

Feel free to skip the simmer step and simply whisk everything together, then pour directly into the ice cream maker. The ice cream is absolutely delicious this way, as well as when simmered and chilled first.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal · Carbohydrates: 30g · Protein: 3g · Fat: 27g · Saturated Fat: 17g · Cholesterol: 100mg · Sodium: 97mg · Potassium: 119mg · Sugar: 28g · Vitamin A: 1103IU · Vitamin C: 1mg · Calcium: 103mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 5/22/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/1/21}

The Best and Easiest Ice Cream Recipe you will ever make! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Mia Melo says

    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 🙂5 stars

  2. Lisa says

    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!5 stars

  3. Lar Matt says

    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!5 stars

  4. Belinda Toornburg says

    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!5 stars

    • Mary Younkin says

      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!

  5. Diamond says

    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.1 star

    • Sara Thompson says

      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.5 stars

  6. Ann Wiseman says

    Question: how much ice cream does this recipe typically produce? A quart, a gallon? Thank you and if I missed this my apologies.

  7. Kellie says

    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.

  8. Lynn Batson says

    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

  9. Carol West says

    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!5 stars

  10. Walter White says

    Dude, I don’t need your life story. Basic intro, ingredients, instructions. That’s all I need1 star

    • Sara Thompson says

      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.5 stars

  11. Bobbie says

    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.5 stars