Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This homemade vanilla ice cream is made with a custard base, sugar, cream, and real vanilla beans. It’s a classic and so good! Serve it with caramel sauce or on a slice of apple pie!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 16, 2022
Elise Bauer
Side view of homemade vanilla ice cream topped with caramel and with a spoon.
Ciara Kehoe

Do you ever make homemade ice cream? We used an old-style ice cream maker when I was a kid, the kind that uses a lot of crushed ice and salt. These days making ice cream at home is so much easier with an electric ice cream maker, anyone can do it!

I admit that given a choice between chocolate and vanilla, I will almost always raise my hand for chocolate. That said, nothing goes better with a slice of hot apple pie than a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream, right? And if you are going to make vanilla ice cream, you may as well go all in and make French vanilla ice cream.

What Is French Vanilla Ice Cream?

"French" vanilla actually has nothing to do with the variety of vanilla bean, but instead refers to the classic French method of making a custard. French vanilla ice cream is made with a custard base that includes egg yolks.

Using egg yolks results in an ice cream with a creamier texture and a more yellow color, in contrast to what's often referred to as Philadelphia-style vanilla ice cream, which does not require a custard base. French vanilla ice cream also often has speckles of real vanilla bean throughout.

Scooping vanilla ice cream out of a container.
Ciara Kehoe

How To Make Vanilla Ice Cream

French vanilla is a little bit more complicated to make than regular vanilla ice cream, as you need to prepare a custard mix by cooking the eggs and cream first.

To make it, follow these steps:

  1. First infuse sweetened milk and cream with the seeds and pods from real vanilla beans.
  2. Then, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until velvety smooth, and "temper" the egg yolks with some of the hot cream mixture.
  3. Add the tempered eggs yolks into the hot cream mixture and gently cook, stirring, until the custard base starts to thicken.

Once the custard base thickens, you remove it from the stove and pour it through a sieve into chilled cream in an ice bath to stop the eggs from cooking further.

Chill the whole mixture and then process it in an ice cream maker.

Why Temper the Eggs?

If you just add egg yolks directly to the hot cream mixture, they'll cook and curdle almost instantaneously. So to prepare a smooth custard base, one needs to "temper" the egg yolks by adding a little hot liquid to them first while you whisk them vigorously. Once the egg mixture has been tempered, it can be added back to the hot cream mixture.

Drizzling caramel over a bowl of best vanilla ice cream.
Ciara Kehoe

Can I Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker?

Yes! It just takes a bit more attention and time. Our friend and ice cream expert David Lebovitz has some excellent tips about how to make ice cream without a machine.

Basically, once you chill the custard base, put it into a durable container in the freezer. Every 45 minutes or so, open the freezer door to check it. When it starts to freeze near the edges, remove it from the freezer and beat it vigorously with a whisk or with a hand held mixer or stick blender. Keep checking and stirring until the ice cream is frozen in a couple hours.

Video: How To Make Vanilla Ice Cream

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How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream

Can I Make This Vanilla Ice Cream with Vanilla Extract?

Real vanilla beans give you a more intense flavor, but yes, you can use vanilla extract. It is often easier to find and more affordable than vanilla beans. You'll still get a tasty result by substituting 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in place of the vanilla beans in this ice cream recipe. Add the vanilla extract at the end of Step 5.

Throw an Ice Cream Social!

Thinking of hosting an ice cream social? Here's everything you need to know.

And here are a few more classic ice cream recipes to check out:

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 10 mins
Freeze Time 2 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins
Servings 12 servings
Yield 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups milk

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided

  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise

  • 8 large egg yolks

Method

  1. Infuse the milk and cream with vanilla:

    Put the milk and 1 1/2 cups of the cream, half of the sugar, and the salt into a saucepan on medium heat. Use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape out the tiny seeds from the vanilla beans, and stir both the seeds and the pods into the milk cream mixture.

    Heat until steamy, but not simmering. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand while the vanilla infuses, about 20 to 30 minutes.

    Scraping a vanilla bean to make a vanilla ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
    Vanilla bean pods set in the custard to make vanilla ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  2. Beat egg yolks with half of the sugar:

    In a medium bowl, beat together the yolks and the remaining half of the sugar. You can use a hand mixer or beat by hand using a whisk. Beat until velvety smooth and creamy.

    Whisking the eggs to add to the custard to make a vanilla ice cream recipe
    Ciara Kehoe
  3. Prepare a bowl over an ice bath:

    Fill a large bowl half way with ice and cold water. Set a smaller metal bowl inside of it, and place the remaining cup of cream inside to chill. Place a strainer over the smaller bowl. Set aside.

    Chilling the cream in a bowl of ice with a strainer set on top to make a homemade ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  4. Temper the eggs:

    Reheat the milk/cream mixture until it is just barely steamy (not boiling!). Vigorously whisk the eggs while you slowly dribble half of the milk/cream mixture into it. Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remaining cream and milk.

    Adding custard to egg mixture for a homemade ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  5. Cook the custard:

    Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your spoon (about 180°F on an instant read thermometer). You can run your finger in a line over the back of the coated spoon. If the mixture doesn't run, but stays in place on the spoon, it should be thick enough.

    A spoon showing the texture of the ice cream custard to make a homemade ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  6. Strain the custard:

    Remove from heat and immediately pour the custard through the the strainer you've placed over the bowl with cream in the ice bath. This will strain out the vanilla beans, and quickly lower the temp of the custard to stop it from cooking further.

    Straining the custard into a strainer set over a bowl of cream for a homemade ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  7. Chill the custard:

    Let the custard cool completely, stirring to help chill it quickly. Put into the refrigerator and let chill for at least an hour, preferably several hours.

    Whisking the custard base for a vanilla ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  8. Churn in an ice cream maker:

    Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. (Take care not to over churn the ice cream or it will get a grainy texture.)

    Processing the custard in an ice cream maker to make a vanilla ice cream recipe.
    Ciara Kehoe
  9. Freeze:

    If you serve the ice cream immediately, it will have the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Freeze it for at least an hour in an airtight plastic container to have a firmer texture. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before serving it.

    Freezing the vanilla ice cream in a freezer container.
    Ciara Kehoe
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
285 Calories
22g Fat
16g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 285
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 198mg 66%
Sodium 120mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 90mg 7%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 138mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.