I scream, you scream, we all scream for HOMEMADE ice cream! This sweet treat is rich, creamy, packed with vanilla flavor, and insanely easy to make.
When was the last time you made homemade ice cream? If it wasn’t this summer, it was wayyy too long ago. Break out your ice cream maker, and make this homemade ice cream recipe stat!
You can buy vanilla ice cream at any grocery store, but it’ll never taste as good as the stuff you make yourself. This homemade ice cream is rich and creamy, with an indulgent vanilla flavor that even chocolate aficionados will love. And the best part? This homemade ice cream recipe is so easy to make. We’re talking 5 ingredients and 15-ish minutes of hands-on prep. Full disclosure, there are a few hands-off parts of this recipe that require some patience, but once you taste this homemade ice cream, I think you’ll agree that every second of waiting was worth it. It really is the best summer treat.
Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients
My homemade vanilla ice cream recipe starts with 5 basic ingredients:
- Heavy cream –Â It creates the rich ice cream base. For a dairy-free alternative, check out this vegan ice cream recipe!
- Whole milk –Â I don’t recommend replacing it with reduced fat or skim. Whole milk’s higher fat content ensures that the homemade ice cream comes out creamy, not icy.
- Cane sugar –Â For sweetness.
- Vanilla extract –Â For warm vanilla flavor. If you happen to have vanilla bean paste on hand, it’s a fun alternative. It gives the ice cream the same rich vanilla flavor, plus a speckled vanilla bean appearance.
- And salt –Â To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Q: What about eggs? Some homemade ice cream recipes call for eggs or egg yolks to make the ice cream richer or thicker. I don’t use them here because leaving them out makes this recipe ultra-simple to prepare. And for my money, it’s just as delicious as one with a custard base!
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
So, you have your ingredients! Here’s my simple method for how to make ice cream:
First thing’s first! At least 12 hours before you want to make homemade ice cream, freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker. It needs to be fully chilled in order for the ice cream to firm up.
Next, make the ice cream base. I recommend doing this step anywhere from 2 to 24 hours in advance. If you do it less than 2 hours ahead, the ice cream won’t thicken as nicely when you churn it.
Combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm for 5 minutes, whisking often, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is warmed through.
Then, chill the ice cream base. Transfer it to a heatproof bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
Churning Homemade Ice Cream
When you’re ready to make ice cream, churn the ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker according the manufacturer’s instructions.
We have the KitchenAid stand mixer ice cream maker attachment (we’re obsessed!), and we typically churn the ice cream base for 20 to 30 minutes. This Cuisinart Ice Cream maker is also great.
Note: The ice cream will have a soft texture immediately after churning, similar to soft serve. It’s delicious that way, but I like it even better after 2+ hours in the freezer. Then, it’s perfectly scoopable—great in a cone, on summer desserts, or on its own with toppings!
Toppings & Variations
This vanilla ice cream is wonderful plain, but toppings certainly don’t hurt! Here are a few topping ideas to get you started:
- Try something fruity, like strawberry compote, blueberry compote, or your favorite fresh fruit. Diced bananas, blueberries, and cherries would all be good choices.
- Go nuts. Drizzle on peanut butter or almond butter, or sprinkle on toasted almonds or peanuts. Shredded coconut is a yummy topping too!
- Choose chocolate. Chocolate chips are always a great option, but crumbled chocolate chip cookies or brownie chunks make for a next-level sundae.
- Keep it classic. You can never go wrong with salted caramel sauce, hot fudge, and/or whipped cream.
Not feeling plain old vanilla? To make a different ice cream flavor, fold 2 to 2 1/2 cups of finely diced mix-ins into the ice cream immediately after churning. Adding fresh strawberries makes a wonderful strawberry ice cream, but another fresh fruit, mini chocolate chips, or cookie or brownie crumbles would be great too.
Storage
Use a spatula to transfer the soft ice cream from the ice cream maker into a quart-size airtight container. If you like, press a piece of plastic wrap or foil into the top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.
Freeze for at least 2 hours and for up to a month. The ice cream will be easy to scoop on the first day, but after that, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for several minutes before you scoop it. It gets firmer after more time in the freezer.
What to Serve with Homemade Ice Cream
We love this homemade vanilla ice cream on its own, but it’s also great alongside other summer desserts. Add a scoop to any of these recipes to take it over the top:
- Homemade Cherry Pie
- Apple Pie
- Peach CrispÂ
- Grilled Peaches
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Blueberry Cobbler
- Rhubarb Crisp
Enjoy!
Homemade Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1½ cups whole milk
- â…” cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Warm over medium-low heat, whisking often, for 5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warmed through.
- Pour into a heatproof bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chilled ice cream base from the fridge and whisk well. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically 20 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will be soft after churning. For firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. If the ice cream is too firm to scoop straight from the freezer, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Awesome, simple vanilla ice cream that has yet to fail on me. I like to use this recipe when I have leftover heavy cream. Sometimes, I’ll only have 1 cup left, but that’s okay because I just reduce everything else equally, and it still comes out amazeballs. And I loooove that it doesn’t ask for eggs. I do skip on heating the ingredients and freezing the bowl beforehand, but the ice cream still comes through perfectly scoopable and soft. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! ♡
Hi Jee, I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
Loved it!! Worked great when directions are followed. I have made it several times and also did add-ins., mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts,, peanut butter, etc . Works great every time!!!
Hi, I’m so glad you love the ice cream! What fun add-ins.
Why are we heating the milk and cream? This risks curdling the milk and cream when the exact same thing can be accomplished by mixing all ingredients EXCEPT the
heavy cream until the sugar dissolves and then mixing it in after. Creates less dishes and reduces the milk/heavy cream heating.
Try my version literally tastes the same and creamier.
did not work. i saw it has 5 strars and was very simple so i decided to try it but it will not thicken. i have tried muiltiple times but its still liquid. i tried to add more cream but it still hasnt worked, currently i am trying to just freezer it but i had to add extra cream because it wasnt thicknng now its just too creamfulled. im sure this recipe will work someplace with diffrent brands and fat content but it didnt for me
Hi Kyla, did you freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker before churning? That’s essential for getting the ice cream to thicken. When it’s done churning, it won’t have a really thick consistency. It’s more like soft serve at that point. You need to freeze it for 2 to 4 hours after that to get a thick, scoopable texture. I hope this helps!
nuh uh
Vanilla ice cream looks good I will try it thank you
Hi Mansour, I hope you love it!
Really easy to make loved it
Hi Gimmy, we haven’t changed this recipe. Is there a different recipe you’re looking for?
Phoebe, I think alot of these people are just TikTok kids who don’t know how to follow your instructions.
Freezing the bowl? Heck no. Letting it freeze for 2 to 4 hours? NO WAY!
TikTok wants everything done in a minute or less, so they’re not doing it right.
It came out perfect for me. Just ignore these people LOL.
ha ha :). I”m glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Reminds me of Blue Bell Vanilla Bean!
I’m so glad you loved it!
yo dog.
great recipe.
just don’t mix in sour patch kids.
We made this tonight and wow! So easy and delicious!
Good recipe, but very complicated
Have you ever tried swapping in maple syrup for the sugar?
Hi Rebecca, I haven’t tried it here, but it might work! We use maple syrup in our vegan ice cream recipe and it’s great.
excellent. made as directed for an ice cream maker. after mixing i added 1/2 cup each of slivered almonds and coconut flakes. placed container in freezer to harden a bit more. the next night it was a wonderful consistency with flavors of almond and coconut. will make again for sure. thank you for the easy recipe!!!
Hi Deb, I’m so glad you loved the ice cream! I’m going to have to try that almond and coconut combo!