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vanilla ice cream in plastic tub and ice cream scoop.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
chilling and freezing: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 251kcal
Author: Shinee
Nothing beats custard-based homemade vanilla ice cream!! Ultra creamy and rich, this time-tested recipe is so easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean Note 1
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

The night before:

  • Place freezer bowl of the ice cream maker in freezer for at least 16 hours.

To make custard:

  • In a 2.5qt saucepan, place milk, scraped vanilla beans and its pod, half of the sugar and salt. Heat the mixture over medium low heat until scalding, about 5 minutes. Do NOT boil the milk.
  • Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine egg yolks with remaining sugar and whisk it until nice and pale yellow.
  • To temper the yolks, pour in half of the warmed milk into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking non-stop.
  • Now, put the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with milk. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Make sure the mixture doesn't boil, it should cook gently. (TIP: 2 ways to check if custard is done: 1. The mixture should reach about 180°F. 2. Or, coat a back of spoon with custard and run a finger through. If the trail stays, then it's ready. If the mixture immediately closes, it needs more cooking.)
  • Pour heavy cream into a medium bowl and place a sieve over it.
  • Pour the custard mixture into heavy cream and strain it through a sieve. Whisk the mixture until well combined.
  • Cover the custard with a plastic wrap, making sure plastic touches the custard to prevent skin to form. Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

To churn:

  • Pour the chilled custard into the frozen ice cream maker and churn according to your specific ice cream maker manual. You'll get soft serve ice cream at this stage.
  • Transfer the ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for a few hours.

Notes

This recipe yields 1 quart of ice cream.
Note 1: I bulk purchase vanilla bean pods on Amazon. This one is my go-to. To prepare for the recipe: split the vanilla bean in half horizontally with a sharp paring knife. Scrape the vanilla beans inside and reserve the pod as well.
Storing Tip: Keep the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Servings: 0.5 cup
Calories: 251kcal
Carbohydrates: 16g
Protein: 3g
Fat: 20g
Sugar: 14g
Sodium: 107mg