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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}
I am planning on making this Tuesday for a birthday. This recipe is 1.5 quarts. What about 4 qts?
I’d probably just double the recipe OR set the serving amount to 14 or 15. You’ll have some wacky looking amounts, but it will work to give you closer to the 4QT amount. Enjoy!
I have been making ice cream for 15 years using the flavors that were created by Baskin & Robbins when i was a manager working there. I can make french vanilla and neighbors think it is better than store purchased. My winter white Chocolate is like a which chocolate candy bar but this melts in your mouth and it amazing.
Making ice cream at home really is so much fun, isn’t it??
Hi Dr David M Ward! What is your recipe for homemade ice cream? I’m making some tomorrow and the note you put on Pinterest has me wondering
Thank you ,
Kim Smidl
Do you have recipes for vanilla & chocolate ice cream you are willing to share? Curious what your ingredient measurements are.
Thanks!!
David, how would you make Daquri Ice, I can’t find it anywhere or white licorice? My machine capacity is a quart but I could probably eat a gallon of both🤪I could always keep the xtra mixed ingredients in the fridge until the bowl refreezes…thank you🙂
Do you need your machine to completely froze?
I’m not quite sure what you mean, Bella. If you’re using an ice cream machine, I always recommend finishing the full cycle per manufacturer’s instructions. Enjoy the ice cream!
This is a very easy and delicious homemade ice-cream recipe. Thanks for sharing. We are wondering if we can use 2%milk instead of whole?
If that’s what you keep on hand, it will work fine, Betty. If it were me, I might add a splash more cream (maybe 2-3 tablespoons) and reduce the milk by the same amount. Happy ice cream making!
Just made my first batch and it is so good. Very rich flavor. I crumbled choco chip cookies and cannot wait to try some other ideas like banana or strawberry.
That sounds delicious, Debra! I’m so glad you’re loving the ice cream. It’s a very fun and easy recipe to experiment with. Enjoy, and happy cooking!
Awesome thanks
Best ice cream I have ever made! Had to add some extra cream and milk to fill a 1 gallon freezer, but it came out perfectly creamy with a soft but firm consistency. Since adding extra milk I opted to add a can of condensed milk.
I’m happy to hear it was a hit, Paula!
I am a diabetic, so will replace Sugar with Stevia. I have used this in previous ice cream recipes I have used. But this makes it become a solid brick after it is put into the freezer. I have heard of using xantham gum to help keep it softer in the freezer. What are your thoughts? How much should I use in your recipe?
Hi, Gary! I haven’t tried making this ice cream with Stevia and xantham gum before. I’m not sure how it would turn out.
Can i make this with 1/2 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup? If so, how many sugar grams in a 1/2 c. serving?
Hi, Barb! You should be able to scale the ingredients in the recipe for 1/2 cup of sugar; if you leave everything else the same, the texture of the ice cream may change a bit. 1/2 cup of sugar is roughly equivalent to 110 grams of sugar.
SUPER easy! Super creamy! Loved it and friends loved it. Highly recommend. Too good to be true.
I’m glad to hear that you and your friends have been loving the ice cream, Brad. Happy cooking!
Looking forward to making some this weekend put my bowl for my maker in freezer today, going to add fresh raspberries and blackberries, thank you for sharing your recipe
You’re welcome, Carmelita. I hope you love the ice cream.
Would this turn out even creamier if you only used heavy cream and no milk?
Hi, Angie! While that may work in this recipe, I’m not sure what other effects replacing the milk with heavy cream would have on the consistency of the ice cream.
Can I use 2 % milk for this recipe?
Hi, Samantha! I wouldn’t recommend using 2% milk for this recipe. The ice cream will be very watery.
Hi Mary,
This recipe is absolutely delicious! My 2 batches have turned out to be a bit icy, though, and I’m wondering if you have any advice. I know iciness is usually due to too much water in the mix, but everyone else seems to be getting a creamy texture, so I must be doing something wrong! Could it be that I’m chilling the mixture too much before churning so it freezes too quickly? I’m using a compressor machine and it’s taking roughly 50 mins to get to the point where it is too thick to churn. Have you come across this issue in your recipe testing?
I’m going to keep using this recipe anyway, because it’s super yummy, but improving the texture would be a bonus!
Lucy 😊
In my machine, it rarely gets that firm, but compressor machines can vary in strength. I haven’t every had it turn out icy though. I wonder if the fat content in your cream and milk might vary from ours here in the states?
Hi again,
I wanted to add that I converted the measurements to metric (I’m in Australia) so I used 420ml heavy cream, 300ml full fat milk, and 150g sugar. Does this line up with your measurements?
Sorry for posting separately. I can’t find the post I just made!
Lucy 😊
Hi Lucy, I replied to the other comment, but wanted to answer here as well. That sounds about right to me, but I wonder if the fat content might vary from ours here in the states? You might try upping the cream a bit and reducing the milk to see if that helps.
My whole family agreed this was the best homemade Vanilla Ice Cream! Thank you!
You are welcome. It’s a favorite at our house as well. Enjoy!
I’m thinking of Pumpkin ice cream. What would you suggest for the pumpkin flavor? Thanks
Hi, Jade! I actually have a pumpkin ice cream recipe on the site: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/pumpkin-ice-cream/. I hope you love the recipe. Happy cooking!
hi mary can i use oatmilk to replace milk i am in perth west australia i am going to try anyway thank you dolly
Hi, Dolly. I’m not quite sure how the end result would be affected. If you substitute oat milk, please, let me know how the recipe turns out!
Hi dolly how did it come out with oat milk?
Just used this recipe to make ice cream with our white mountain ice cream maker. It was amazing and so simple. Super pleased with this recipe!
I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the ice cream, Baylie!
I make this recipe all of the time. It’s so quick and easy. When the grandkids come to visit, I add candy cane bits to it and they absolutely love it. If it’s off-season (and they love it year-round) I just buy a bag of the starlight mints to break up and use.
I’m glad everyone’s loving the ice cream, Gina! Happy cooking.