Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (French Vanilla Ice Cream)

Classic Homemade Vanilla Ice cream image

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (French Vanilla Ice Cream)

Course: Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Ice Cream

Cuisine: Other, Worldwide

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 10

Chilling time: 1

Total Time: 1 45

Servings: ½ cup servings

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

The only homemade vanilla ice cream recipe you'll need! This rich, creamy, and easy French vanilla ice cream is always a crowd favorite and a classic summer treat.

EASY - A great starting point for any novice ice cream maker. Requires an ice cream machine. But I have also provided instructions on how to make this without an ice cream maker.

Makes about 4 - 5 cups / 1 - 1.25 L

US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurement. Common Measurement Conversions

Print Recipe

Equipment

3 qt saucepan
Ice Cream maker
Kitchen scale
Whisks
Cooking thermometer

Ingredients

1 vanilla pod or 15 mL / 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
5 - 6 egg yolks from large eggs
150 g white sugar ¾ cup
Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt or ½ tsp for a salted vanilla ice cream
355 mL full cream milk 1 ½ cups (full fat milk / around 3% fat milk)
355 mL whipping cream or heavy cream 1 ½ cups (35% fat)

Instructions

If you’re using vanilla bean, split the bean lengthwise and scrape off the caviar from the bean. Place the caviar in a medium-sized saucepan.
1 vanilla pod
Add the egg yolks into this saucepan, along with the sugar and salt. If using vanilla extract, add the extract to the egg yolks instead. Whisk until you have a creamy, smooth, and thick paste.
5 - 6 egg yolks, 150 g white sugar, Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
Add about ½ cup of milk first and whisk to mix well. Then add the rest of the milk and the heavy cream, and whisk to combine.
355 mL full cream milk, 355 mL whipping cream or heavy cream
Heat over medium heat while whisking frequently. Heat the custard until the temperature registers between 165 - 170°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, then heat the custard until it steams while whisking. This takes about 10 - 12 minutes. Do NOT let it come to a boil.
Remove from the heat and let it cool down. When the ice cream base is only a little warm, you can place it in the fridge or freezer to chill.
Chill the custard base in the fridge for at least a few hours (or overnight) until completely chilled, or an hour or 2 in the freezer.
Strain the custard to remove the pods, but do not use a fine sieve since this will remove the vanilla bean caviar as well.
Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the churned ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 - 4 hours until the ice cream is completely frozen.

Notes

A note about cooking the vanilla custard base

You can also cook the custard with just the milk first, and then add the heavy cream afterwards. If you want the custard to cool down faster, then add the heavy cream at the end after cooking the milk and egg mixture.

Here's how to make vanilla ice cream without an ice cream machine

Commonly asked questions

Nutrition