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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 going to try this recipe, it seems so easy. Do you have to use whole milk or will 2% work?
2% should be fine, Lisa. Happy ice cream making!
Amazing!
So glad you love the cake, Bec!
I made this 6/22/19 i followed the directions but could not get it to freeze while churning was wanting to make for july 4 recipe had great flavor just could not get to freeze …..please help
That sounds like an issue with the ice cream maker, Angie. Is it possible the bowl wasn’t fully frozen? Or it didn’t churn long enough?
i churn for 40 min twice but i did not freeze the bowl i will try to freeze the bowl
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I tried it with my Kitchen Aid mixer frozen ice cream bowl, and it worked beautifully. After 20 mins of churning, the ice cream had the consistency of soft-serve. Then chilling it in the deep freeze overnight made it perfectly hard and scoop-able. The flavor is delicious.
PS I used skim milk instead of whole. The skim worked fine, imo. .
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the ice cream, Diana!
gonna give it a try thanks 🙂
I hope you love it!
Wondering if you would double this batch for the standard 4 qt Ice Cream maker?
Just wasn’t sure how much this recipe yields.
It will work nicely when doubled for a 4QT machine, Kim.
Truely happy I found this ice cream recipe. It is awesome.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Flojo
Do you think this needs to be in a ice cream maker before putting into ice cream bar molds?
I’ve never made ice cream bars, so I can’t say for certain. You can certainly freeze the liquid the way you do for popsicles. But if you want it to have the texture of ice cream, I’d churn it and then scoop it into the molds. I hope that helps, Brittney!
Do you have to use a vanilla bean or could I use just plain pure vanilla extract?
Yes, you can use either form of vanilla, Linda.
Simple clear instructions…….an inspiration for this first timer. (Widower)
I hope you love the ice cream, Simon!
Sounds wonderful. Can I add fresh pureed fruit to this recipe & if so when do I add it? Thanks!!! Will be perfect for the 4th of July.
I would stir in the fruit at the very end as you’re adding it to a freezer safe container, Mary.
Are the add-ins added when before you churn or after??
You’ll add in the extras when it finishes churning, Mary.
Is it possible to make this ice cream without an ice cream maker?
This is not a recipe you can make without an ice cream maker, Runa.
I have yet to try this, but would like to bring it to a Fourth of July party tomorrow. Would it be an issue if I made the ice cream mixture today and then had it in the fridge for 18-24 hrs before churning?
I’m excited to try your recipe as it sounds delicious and simple!
The ice cream mixture will keep nicely in the fridge until you’re ready to churn it, Sara.
I just quadrupled your recipe. I haven’t turned it into ice cream yet but the mixture tastes wonderful. I will be making three batches with the mixture; vanilla, cookie dough and mulberry. I made the mulberry sauce last night by heating up a simply syrup and fresh mulberries from our tree then blending it all together. I’m excited to see how it all ends up.
All of those versions sound delicious, Marianne!
I will never use this recipe again! It was runny and not ice cream at any level of tasting! Very, very disappointed !
I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out for you, Missy. I can’t imagine what went wrong, as pretty much any combination of ingredients should churn and freeze for you in a properly working ice cream machine.
This is the most delicious ice cream. I waited 24 hrs before serving the ice cream, it was perfection!
I used pure vanilla and didn’t heat and chill the base. As long as the base is cold you’re good to go.
I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the ice cream, Marilyn!
Can you use 2% milk?
Yes, you can use 2% milk, Tina. It won’t be quite as creamy, but it’s still delicious that way.
While I haven’t actually tried this myself, I feel as though any negative comments are refuatable in some way. The instructions are so simple, if the ice cream comes out the wrong consistency, it’s likely user error. Looks like a great recipe and I’ll gladly try it sometime.
I agree, Sean. However, it’s still frustrating when things don’t work out, right? I LOVE this simple recipe and fortunately, it works out beautifully for the majority of the people who make it.
I made the ice cream, so easy and its delicious ! Thanks so much
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the ice cream, Beverley.