When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich, but not too buttery (greasy) and I always start my “French custard” ice cream base with vanilla. So start with my basic vanilla ice cream recipe below (and customize it with your favorite flavors), then try all the other amazing recipes.
If you’re more into sorbet, which is its own icy treat, check out my guide on how to make sorbet.
When the first frozen dessert was created by the ancient Chinese, it was just a mixture of fruity syrups and snow, basically a sorbet. Not until the 18th century in England did you find the first ice cream made with milk, cream and eggs—no snow. Today homemade ice cream is still made this simple way. The secret to getting the perfect texture and flavor is not only the ingredients, but the technique of creating a custard and then freezing it.
Homemade Ice Cream Ingredients
These five ingredients are the basics for a delicious vanilla ice cream base that can be customized to your liking. Get the full recipe, plus more ice cream treats below!
- Heavy Cream for a rich ice cream base.
- Whole Milk to give texture and flavor. The fat is important.
- Sugar for just enough sweetness.
- A Vanilla Bean gives a wonderful, rich flavor that’s better than vanilla extract.
- Egg Yolks for a custardy texture.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
You want to cook the cream, yolks, sugar and vanilla until the eggs thicken slightly, known as crème anglaise (English cream), and then chill the mixture overnight in the refrigerator, about 6 to 12 hours. This last step is a bit of a mystery, but it works to create the best mouthfeel. I have heard the overnight chill described as “maturing,” “ripening,” or “aging.” You get the picture, it gets better with age. I find when I do this extra step the result is smooth and less ice crystals form. The way big manufacturers get past this step is to add gums, starches, or gelatin. I’d rather not, so I just wait.
Once you have the base, you can put it in the freezer or add other flavors, like roasted banana, toasted pecans, brandied cherries and chocolate ganache.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 large vanilla bean scraped
- 1 cup sugar
- 10 yolks
Instructions
- Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. The longer you let this mixture sit, the stronger the vanilla flavor will be. I often bring the mixture to a simmer, turn off the heat and let it steep for an hour or so. Before you continue with the recipe, you will need to bring it back to a simmer.
- Whisk together the yolks in a medium sized bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and whisk a small amount of the cream into the egg mixture. Add enough cream to warm the eggs.
- Once the eggs are warm, add them back into the pot of remaining cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the custard over low heat. Continue stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.
- When the custard seems to be getting thicker, lift the rubber spatula and run your finger through it. It is done when the custard clings to the spatula.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer or chinois into a shallow dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and immediately place in the refrigerator.
- Allow the custard to “ripen” for 6 to 12 hours for the best result. If you are in a rush, at least make sure the custard is thoroughly chilled. As you can see above that the custard will be quite thick once it has chilled.
- If you want vanilla ice cream, freeze this custard in an Ice Cream Maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
I am in the process of making the roasted strawberry ice cream. Do I still let the vanilla base ‘ripen’ in the fridge 6-12 hours before adding the roasted strawberries in and then freezing?
I must be stupid because I can’t find the recipe for the vanilla Base. I want to try some of these recipes but I need the base recipe
Hi Sue–not at all! Thank you so much for commenting because you actually pointed out a technical issue we had that has now been fixed. You can now find the recipe in the post. Enjoy!
I’d really like to try this but can you tell me if it’s possible to use vanilla extract instead and how much? Also, is straining the mixture necessary?
Hi Becca,
Yes, you can use extract. I would start with 2 teaspoons and see if that is strong enough for your taste. I always strain just to make sure the ice cream base is as smooth as possible.
Thanks, Zoë
i made this ice cream today and i must say probably the BEST i have ever eaten. had never made custard or roasted bananas before so the recipe taught me a lot of new things. i have one question what is the purpose of passing custard through strainer?
If there is not enough egg is there anything wrong? Can i add more egg later?
Hi Natalie,
Do you mean after the base is cooked? No, you can’t after the fact.
Thanks, Zoë
Hello Zoe,
thaks for the recipe which sound delicious.
Im’ a big fan of mango ice cream and wonder if I can use this base to make it.
Love your site……
Just made ice cream using your base recipe and my kitchen aid ice cream make – EXCELLENT! Best base I have tried yet – this is a keeper!
I hve just tried your ice cream recipie. Will churn it in the ice cream maker after the custard’s ‘ripen’. I am from malaysia btw.
Can you add the pecans or chocolate in the ice cream maker instead of mashing it by hand after?
Hi Heather,
You sure can.
Enjoy! Zoë
I love homemade ice cream but can’t find the recipe I’m looking 4 eggless no wait ice cream is it possible? Grandma made it every Sunday growing up so creamy so yummy and it was mixed n made, any suggestions? Thanks…Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Yes, indeed you can make ice cream without eggs, here are two recipes: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2012/05/21/philadelphia-style-chocolate-ice-cream-no-eggs/ and http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2012/08/09/passion-fruit-baked-alaska-best-creamsicle-ever/
Enjoy, Zoë