Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Loaded with vanilla flavor – and totally customizable, so you can make whatever flavor your heart desires!
Texture: Rich, creamy, silky, and velvety.
Ease: So much easier than you might think, and each main step can be done ahead of time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Better than any store-bought ice cream!
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There is nothing quite like the creamy indulgence of homemade ice cream.
The rich, silky-smooth texture and incredible flavor of homemade ice cream is so much better than anything storebought.
I LOVE ice cream – and I’m kind of an expert on the topic. I wrote a whole cookbook on ice cream sandwiches!
Below, I’ll walk you through the simple steps for making your own ice cream right at home. I’ve even listed out 10 delicious flavor variations!
Step-By-Step How to Make French Custard Vanilla Ice Cream
1. Prepare an Ice Bath
Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and a cup or two of water. Place a medium bowl fitted with a fine strainer inside the ice bath. Set aside.
2. Begin the Custard Base
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, vanilla seeds, and vanilla bean. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and begins to steam, about 5 minutes.
3. Temper the Eggs for Ice Cream
This process allows you to gently heat the yolks so you don’t scramble them and end up with (unintentionally) chunky ice cream.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until very well combined and lightened in color.
- Carefully and slowly ladle half of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture is gently warmed.
- Slowly whisk the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Cook the Custard
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and registering around 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Be careful not to boil the mixture to avoid scrambled eggs.
- Make sure your thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pan when you take the temperature.
5. Chill the Custard
- Immediately strain the mixture through the fine strainer into the prepared ice bath. This prevents overcooking.
- Discard the vanilla bean pod.
- Cool the custard in the ice bath until it’s at room temperature, stirring often.
- Press plastic wrap against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or up to 1 day.
- Overnight is best for maximum flavor development.
6. Churn the Custard
- Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Place inside an airtight container.
- Cover the ice cream surface with plastic wrap pressed against the surface before placing the lid on.
- Freeze until the ice cream is firm and the flavor is ripened, at least 2 hours.
Sprinkle of Science
Tips for How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
What is the Difference Between French vs. Philadelphia-Style Ice Cream?
French-style ice cream:
- Custard based.
- Ice cream made with an egg custard that’s cooked and then completely chilled before churning.
- It takes more time and effort, but the results are ultra-rich, creamy, and delicious.
- Since homemade ice cream is made without stabilizers and gums to keep it soft when frozen, going through the effort of making a custard base helps to create that velvety texture, instead of something that turns into a big ice cube in the freezer.
Philadelphia-style ice cream:
- Typically made by directly mixing together cream, milk, sugar, and flavorings, then churning it.
- Definitely faster, but far less rich in taste and texture.
- This style tends to harden more quickly in the freezer.
What Does Churning Mean? How to Churn French-Style Custard Ice Cream
Churning ice cream is simply the process of incorporating air into the custard while it’s being frozen. Ice Cream machines make easy work of this. Simply chill the cooked mixture, then the machine does the rest of the work!
You’ll notice some brands of ice cream contain much more air than others. Some cheaper manufacturers intentionally ‘overchurn’ to yield more – with a less satisfying outcome.
The wonderful thing about making homemade ice cream is you get to decide how much air you want to incorporate!
How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine
No ice cream maker? No problem! Check out my article with 4 methods for How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine (I’d recommend the food processor method for this recipe!).
Homemade Ice Cream Flavor Variations
- Chocolate Ice Cream: I have a delicious Chocolate Ice Cream recipe here!
- White Chocolate Ice Cream: Add 6 ounces (170 grams) of melted and cooled white chocolate to the warmed milk mixture before adding the eggs. After cooking and straining the custard mixture, add an optional 1/2 teaspoon orange zest.
- Cookies & Cream: During the last 5 minutes of the churning process, pour in just over 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Oreo cookies (filling intact; about 15 Oreos).
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 4 to 5 drops of optional green food coloring after straining the cooked custard into the ice bath. During the last 5 minutes of churning, add 1 cup (170 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints.
- Malted Vanilla: Add 1/2 cup plain malted milk powder along with the milk and cream.
- Cherry: Increase the egg yolks to 5 total. After cooking the custard, stir in 1 1/2 cups fresh pitted sweet dark cherries. Let cool in an ice bath then transfer to a food processor or blender to puree. Strain as you transfer to an airtight container.
- Nutella: Add 1 cup (270 grams) Nutella after straining the cooked custard mixture into the ice bath, stirring to combine. Don’t worry if it doesn’t dissolve completely. It’ll mix in during the churning process.
- Peanut Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup (270 grams) of peanut butter and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Add the milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and vanilla and continue with the recipe as written. During the last 5 minutes of churning, add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped peanut butter cups if desired.
- Mocha: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed, and 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder along with the salt.
- Raspberry: In a food processor or blender, 2 1/2 cups of fresh or thawed frozen raspberries. Strain into a mixing bowl, discarding seeds and pulp. Refrigerate while you prepare the vanilla ice cream base. Once in the ice bath, stir the raspberry puree into the custard mixture. During the last minute of churning, add 1 tablespoon of raspberry liqueur such as Chambord.
Check out all the answers to your FAQ just under the recipe!
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeded
- 4 large egg yolks
Instructions
Prepare the ice bath:
- Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and a cup or two of water. Place a medium bowl fitted with a fine strainer inside ice bath. Set aside.
Begin the custard base:
- In a medium saucepan combine the milk, cream, 1/2 cup (100 grams) of the sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod. Set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and begins to steam, about 5 minutes.
Temper the eggs:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar until very well combined and lightened in color. Carefully and slowly ladle half of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture is gently warmed. Slowly whisk the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook the custard:
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and registers around 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to boil the mixture.
Chill the custard:
- Immediately strain the mixture through the fine strainer into the prepared ice bath. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Cool the custard in the ice bath until it’s at room temperature, stirring often. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or up to 1 day.
Churn the custard:
- Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place in an airtight container. Cover the ice cream surface with plastic wrap before placing the lid on. Freeze until the ice cream is firm and flavor is ripened, at least 2 hours.
- If the ice cream has been in the freezer for more than a couple days, it’ll need to soften before scooping and serving. Allow it to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before scooping for best results.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Homemade Ice Cream FAQs
If you accidentally heat your custard over too high a temperature or cook for too long, there is one option to salvage it:
1. While it’s still warm, blend the mixture with an immersion blender or carefully ladle it into a standard blender (don’t fill more than half full).
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Once smooth, strain into the ice bath as described in the recipe.
The Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Machine is my favorite Ice Cream Maker. I’ve had mine for over 10 years and used it to test all the recipes in my ice cream sandwich cookbook.
Unless you have a self-freezing ice cream machine, make sure your ice cream machine’s freezer bowl is thoroughly chilled according to the manufacturer’s directions. If it’s not cold enough, you may end up with liquid even after 30 minutes of churning.
Check out my article How to Use an Ice Cream Maker here for more tips.
I recommend using a whole vanilla bean pod. In the recipe, you’ll notice I scrape out the seeds and steep the milk and cream mixture with the vanilla pod to ensure maximum flavor.
If you don’t have a vanilla bean pod, the next best thing is vanilla bean paste so you still get those flecks of vanilla seeds. I recommend using about 2 teaspoons.
If you’re flavoring your ice cream with another bold flavor (like many of the customization ideas listed above the recipe) feel free to simply use vanilla extract. This is an easier and more economical option since the other ingredient will likely overpower the vanilla flavor anyway.
Allow the ice cream to soften by placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. This allows it to soften evenly, as opposed to letting it sit at room temperature where it’ll soften most at the edges and remain hard at the center of the container.
Next, get a good quality ice cream scoop like this OXO one or this Zeroll one. It makes a huge difference! Make sure it’s totally dry before using.
If you have issues with ice cream hardening, try adding up to 3 tablespoons of alcohol during the last few minutes of churning. This helps since alcohol doesn’t freeze.
Vodka works well for vanilla ice cream, and for other ice cream flavors, liqueur products like kirsch not only enhance taste but also maintain that creamy texture.
If you prefer not to use alcohol, adding a tablespoon of corn syrup can also help to prevent the ice cream from crystallizing.
Also, correct storage is important in keeping your ice cream smooth and creamy. See just below for tips on storage.
Once the ice cream is churned, place it in an airtight container (I love this 1-quart ice cream tub or this 1.5-quart ice cream tub), pressing plastic wrap against the surface to avoid ice crystals forming.
For best results, freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. The longer you freeze, the more time the flavors will have to ripen.
Tessa, I have made gallons of ice cream and all sorts of different flavors using your recipe! My friends an family love it! I’ve ordered your cookbook for cookies, and I’m looking forward to becoming an ice cream and cookie master! Thank you so much for providing all this info for free. You’re a saint!
A question for you – if I wanted to make strawberry Ice Cream, could I follow the raspberry or cherry recipe? (I see the strawberry cheesecake ice cream, which looks great! But I have a specific request.)
Thanks!!
Colton
Hi Colton! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoy Tessa’s recipes and tips!! We haven’t tested a plain strawberry ice cream recipe, so I can’t say for sure how much to use or which method will work best, but either should work okay – it just may take a little tinkering to perfect. I know you’re not going for the strawberry cheesecake version, but check out the tips Tessa included on that page for why roasting strawberries works so well, and this should also give you an idea of ratios to aim for as you experiment. I hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂
Thanks Kiersten!
I love the idea of roasting the strawberries
Do you have any recommendations on what to cover the strawberries with when roasting them? I feel like balsamic vinegar would not be the best unless if it’s not a strawberry cheesecake recipe. I was thinking lemon juice?
Hi Colton! Lemon juice, orange juice, or even a little simple syrup, instead of the sugar + balsamic, should work well. Keep an eye on them as they may roast faster than the recipe states with different liquids used. Let us know how it goes! 🙂
Thank you so much for this! It just came in the perfect timing;-))
I want to use vanilla powder in place of the bean. how many teaspoons should I use?
H Ammaarah! We haven’t tried that, but I would recommend starting with two teaspoons and adding more to taste from there, if needed. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Hi. Can I use this recipe to make dulce de leche ice cream? And would I add it while it’s churning or swirl it through at the end, or both? Also, I don’t have any vanilla extract, so would it still taste good with just the caramel? Sorry about all these questions, I can’t wait to try make this!!
Hi Abby! I would normally say to go splurge on a nice bottle of vanilla extract, because it will really shine in your ice cream – but adding dulce de leche may save you from needing to buy that! We haven’t tried adding dulce de leche to ice cream, so I can’t say for sure, but I would recommend swirling it through for best results – but I would also encourage you to experiment with adding it while churning. If you add too much, it’s not going to set – but if you strike the right balance, you might create something really amazing!! Experimentation is always encouraged here 😉 Good luck and let us know how it goes 🙂
Hi, thank you for your reply! I ended up just giving it a go, and see how it would work without the vanilla. I had just bought a new ice cream maker (I’m only 14 and I don’t have a job, so this was a big deal!) so I could try giving ice cream a go as we are coming into the warmer seasons here in New Zealand! Well, I made the mistake of putting the whole batch of custard into the churner, and after 25 minutes you could tell it was getting there, but definitely wasn’t close to soft serve. So I waited a few hours for the bowl to re-freeze and then did in in 2 halves which ended up working perfectly! I made a last minute decision to stir in some of the dulce de leche (About 1/4 to 1/2 a cup) and then I swirled through the rest. I’m not sure if it affected how it set, because we had it as soon as it was the perfect scoop able consistency, but it was definitely silky smooth and so, so creamy! I am already looking forward to trying more of your ice cream flavours! Thanks heaps <3
Hi Abby! Congratulations on your big purchase of your ice cream maker!! Yay!!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed your ice cream, and I can’t wait to hear what you come up with next in your ice cream journey!! 🙂
14 yo, bought your own ice cream maker, experimenting with recipe. you are definitely my daughter from another mother.
What ice cream freezer do you use and which one would you recommend
Hi Josaine! Tessa talks about her favorite ice-cream maker (which also churns and freezes the ice cream) in the article. Here’s a whole article Tessa wrote about ice cream makers! This is the model Tessa recommends! Enjoy 🙂
My go-to recipe! I use vanilla sugar, vanilla paste, and extract. It is amazing!
Sounds delicious, Jen!! So happy you enjoy this ice cream!!
Hi Tessa!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have any recommendations for air-tight containers? In the past I’ve had issues with freezer burn. Thanks in advance for any recommendations that you may have.
Hi Sarah! I’m so surprised we didn’t include that in the post! I just added links to the pink box above the recipe, thanks for pointing that out! We absolutely love these containers by Tovolo. They have a 1-quart tub, as well as a 1.5 quart tub. Be sure to cover the ice cream with plastic wrap before closing the container, as that will also help with freezer burn. I hope that helps! Enjoy your homemade ice cream 🙂
Rich and creamy, pairs nicely with warm desserts or alone!
Love this recipe and all the extra directions and information, we have made it twice the second time making peanut butter and both were delicious and came out prefect. Thank you
The process described is good and easy to follow, but the final product is sickly sweet. I used high quantity ingredients, but the ice cream is so sweet it just tastes like cheap no-name bottom-shelf store bought stuff.
After making this, I looked up similar recipes and noted in many places the amount of sugar listed for the same amount of liquid was closer to 1/2 cup. I’ll definitely be cutting the sugar in my next ice cream making adventure.
I also realized the same thing! Gave me the biggest headache.
Can you share with me the measurements in gram? 🙂
Hi there! Not everyone agrees with this, but Tessa actually prefers to measure liquids in volume. With a liquid, you can’t compact too much into a measuring cup, and it’s easy to tell when to stop pouring once you’ve reached the line. If you’d like, please check out our Ingredient Measuring Guide to help convert the recipe. I hope that helps!
I’ll never buy ice cream again. It’s homemade for me from now one. And if you follow this recipe exactly as written you can’t fail!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Donna! I agree, homemade ice cream is SO much better than store bought