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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}
This is the only vanilla recipe that I need. It is SO easy and SO good!! Hubby loves Reese Cups so I cut a few up and add while it’s churning. My ice cream maker is one of the most used small appliances in our house, and this is my go-to recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the ice cream, Bonnie!
Crazy question, could I use fat free creamer instead of heavy cream, Thank you
While technically, you can churn and freeze just about any milk based products, this would likely result in something closer to an ice milk product than an ice cream. The fats in heavy cream contribute to the creamy final texture.
New to this page. Excited!
I hope you enjoy the recipes, Jonna!
FANTASTIK RECIPE! For keto users, substitute whole milk with plain almond milk (1 carb/ cup), instead of regular sugar, I used 1/2 cup of Allulose sweetener and 1 tsp of granulated espresso powder. That recipe is spot on. Thank you for simplifying my life.
I’m thrilled you love it!
Good conversion, but I’ve recently found Date sugar. It is Keto friendly, but also full of fiber, which makes it a little off for some people because it doesn’t dissolve. So it’s better to use in smoothies, yogurt, and would be great in ice cream.
Best vanilla ice cream… and sooooo easy🥰
I’m glad you liked it!
Does it matter the quart size of maker for this recipe
This recipe makes approximately 1.5 quarts. You can multiply as needed for your machine.
I noticed you put add in’s as cookies and such. Can I add in strawberries?
Sure thing, Melissa. You’ll want to smash them a bit or chop them very small to avoid having icy chunks.
👍💓
Hi, can half and half be used instead of heavy cream?
You can replace both the milk and the cream with half and half. The resulting ice cream won’t be as rich, but ice cream made with just half and half will work.
Delectable. First batch was a tad sweet. Second batch I’m going to reduce sugar to 1/2 cup
I’m glad the ice cream was a hit, Peg.
You never said when to add the 1/8 tsp of seasalt so I added it with the heavy cream and mixed well. That must not be right because my family said it’s disgusting. Where am I going wrong?
That should be the right time to add the sea salt. I’m not sure what might have happened, Trey; sorry to hear the family wasn’t thrilled with the recipe.
I made this vanilla ice cream and it was delicious! I will be making it again. My family is a fan of hazelnut. Do you think it’s be ok to add hazelnut butter before churning? I was thinking maybe a half a cup. Do you have experience in adding nut butters?
I do not, Laura. If you decide to try it, let me know how it turns out! Glad you’re loving the ice cream.
Can I use almond milk or condensed milk?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried that for this recipe, Cookie.
I would like to try this recipe. I have a 4 quart electric ice cream maker. Would I need to double this recipe?
Colleen
You can double the recipe for a 4 qt machine, Colleen.
Can I put strawberries in the ice cream mixture?
I recommend smashing them well to avoid icy chunks. Happy ice cream making!
I love this recipe! I am brand new to making ice cream. I made this and froze it. When I pulled it out of the freezer 2 days later, it’s consistency has changed and it froze much harder than traditional ice cream. Is there a trick to keeping it more like ice cream? Thank you!
Hmmm that doesn’t typically happen. Is it still scoopable? The temp of the freezer can affect how firmly it freezes, but if you had store-bought ice cream in there as well, it should definitely not be firmer than those. Did you by chance change any ingredients? Or adjust the percentage of milk vs cream? The lower the fat content, the more firmly it will freeze.
She makes it so simple
I’m glad you’re enjoying the ice cream, Richard!
Just tried this today. It was delicious!
I’m glad it’s a win for you!
Made this for a church function, easy and impressive…everyone loved the ice cream. I did the no simmer, and instead of whisking I used a hand blender. Will definitely use this again…..and again…..and again
YAY! I’m happy to hear it.
Hello when you mention you did ‘no simmer’ exactly what did you mean ?you did not heat to dissolve sugar with milk or/and cream?
I do not own an ice rearm making machine, but I do have a kitchen aid machine with balloon whisk. You said you used a hand mixer which is why I am asking as I’ve tried twice to make ice cream first time was ok ish second was a complete waste of ingredients!! I’d so much appreciate your advice thank you if you can
Regards
Hi Marjorie, “no simmer” is what is mentioned at the bottom of the recipe card. You can stir the ingredients and pour them into your ice cream maker. You don’t need a kitchenaid. However, if you want to make a no-churn ice cream (without an ice cream maker) you can follow these instructions: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/ice-cream-without-a-machine/ I hope that helps!
are you using actual heavy cream or heavy WHIPPING cream as shown in the picture.. We just started making ice cream and I’ve been using the heavy whipping cream, but wondering if heavy cream will work as well??
Both will work, Liz. I use whichever I have on hand, as heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are technically the same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they’re sold by different brands under two different names. Heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat and both products do that. However, with some brands they might have a very slightly different % of milk added. I have never noticed a difference between the two when making ice cream.