Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
This Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is made with eggs and heavy cream to get a rich and smooth custard base. This homemade ice cream recipe has a heavenly vanilla flavor, a divinely smooth and creamy texture and freezes beautifully for ice cream cones and sundaes.
Knowing how to make old-fashioned vanilla ice cream in an ice cream maker is very helpful when the weather starts warming up. It’s perfect for a classic vanilla ice cream cone or a Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. Or serve this classic ice cream alongside a classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting. Looking for more ideas? Drizzle with homemade Butterscotch Sauce or turn into Fried Ice Cream! For more ice cream recipes, check out my Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and Raspberry Ice Cream recipes.

Why This Recipe Works
- Best vanilla ice cream. There’s something about homemade vanilla ice cream that tastes so much better than store-bought. Is it the labor of love that went into it or the building anticipation as you wait for it to freeze before scooping? Either way, this recipe is going to become a huge hit in your house! One reader said, “This vanilla ice cream recipe will forever be my vanilla ice cream recipe. I have NEVER had homemade ice cream this creamy and delicious!”
- Ice cream maker vanilla ice cream. Unlike the no-churn ice cream recipes, this recipe is churned, which means it’s light, fluffy, and super creamy. The churning keeps the forming ice crystals small and smooth. It also thickens the texture due to the air churned into it.
- Perfect on its own — perfect with mix-ins! The vanilla flavor is so good on its own and is a great recipe to build off of with mix-ins and add-ons. See my Recipe Tips section for ideas. One reader left a comment saying, “I’ve made this recipe several times now and each time feels like a little miracle! I’ve had fun with different mix ins, from oreo’s to fresh raspberries and chocolate chips. It’s a bit dangerous to know how to make ice cream THIS GOOD, that turns out even better than the local favorite go-to!!”
Ingredient Notes

- Egg Yolks: Homemade ice cream with eggs produces a custard-based ice cream. Egg yolks (and churning) create a rich and creamy texture. The eggs are tempered (slowly elevating the temperature while stirring) when you pour the hot cream into it. It will melt the sugar and gradually cook the eggs (without turning into scrambled eggs).
- Granulated Sugar: When streaming in the hot cream, this will help melt the sugar granules to create a smooth texture.
- Salt: This is just enough salt to enhance the flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream can be used interchangeably. Do not use half and half. Half and half is half cream/half milk so it doesn’t have a high enough fat content.
- Whole Milk: You’ll want to use whole milk because it has a higher fat content than 2% or 1%. When making homemade vanilla ice cream, it’s all about getting the proper fat content from the milk and cream + the tempered eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla flavor is obvious and works with the egg ratio for a vanilla custard without a heavy egg flavor.For an even more prominent vanilla flavor you can use vanilla bean paste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Beat the sugar and eggs yolks. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Mix on medium speed until pale yellow and light and airy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Heat cream and milk. In a large pan, heat the cream and milk over medium-low heat. If you have an instant read thermometer, the mixture should reach 155-160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, it will be hot but not boiling!


- Stream in the warm cream. With the mixer on low, stream the warm cream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.

- Heat the egg and cream mixture. Next, pour the cream/egg mixture back into the large pan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Heat to 155-160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer heat it until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It should NOT boil, however, a few bubbles may come up along the edges. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
- Strain to remove any small chunks. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the warm mixture into the bowl through the fine mesh strainer.
- Chill. Cool the mixture over an ice bath, stirring every few minutes. Then place the mixture in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
- Churn. Set up your ice cream machine according to the manufacturers directions. With the machine running, add the mixture in a slow steady stream. Churn according to the directions.


- Freeze. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for several hours to firm up. Serve with your choice of toppings, as a vanilla ice cream cone or a vanilla ice cream sandwich!

Recipe Tips
Properly freeze the ice cream maker bowl for the correct amount of time (see the manufacturing instructions). I would freeze it for even a day longer to really make sure it’s frozen. Not having a cold enough bowl will greatly impact the ability for the mixture to freeze correctly.
Follow the directions precisely when it comes to heating and cooling the mixture. The key to getting a smooth texture and a proper custard ice cream is to slowly heat and slowly cool the mixture.
Be sure to place a fully chilled cream and milk mixture into the machine for optimal results.
Mix-ins and Toppings:
- Crushed peppermint
- Oreos — or check out my Oreo ice cream recipe
- Chocolate chips
- Crushed (or whole) candy pieces, depending on size
- Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Bites — follow along with my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream recipe!
- A caramel ribbon
- Brownie bits
- Raspberry sauce
- Homemade hot fudge
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — Use any leftover vanilla ice cream to make a delicious Reese’s Blizzard!
Not only can you add things to your custard vanilla ice cream to make it unique, but you can also use any leftovers to create something completely new like praline ice cream or Oreo Milkshakes.
Using homemade ice cream for Ice Cream Cake Roll can be a great option because it is soft enough to spread and roll.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
It’s definitely helpful to make this recipe ahead of time! You’ll at least want to prepare in advance because you need you ice cream maker bowl to be frozen prior to churning.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a few hours before serving for a more solid texture. If you serve right away, it will be more like a soft serve texture.
This recipe will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

Recipe FAQs
Churning combines the freezing and mixing process. By keeping the mixing paddle going as the mixture is chilled, you help to keep the ice crystals nice and small and incorporate more air into the ice cream mix. This gives you an ultra-smooth texture that’s nice and light. As more air is incorporated into the ice cream, the overall volume increases as well (similar to when you make whipped cream). This means that it will look like you have a lot more when the process is over than it did when you started! How cool is that?
Depending on your specific ice cream maker, your time may vary. Pay attention to the manufacturers instructions to make sure you follow the process correctly. A general guideline is that it normally takes between 25 and 40 minutes to churn, but the amount you have in your machine will affect the churn time.
It’s really important to me to adjust recipes based off reader feedback. This recipe used to have more eggs in it, but some readers commented a strong eggy flavor. Due to that feedback, I’ve reduced the amount of eggs. You’ll still get a delicious custard texture without an eggy flavor.
Yes you can! You can use vanilla bean paste on a 1:1 ratio. Vanilla bean paste will give you a stronger vanilla flavor and will provide those vanilla bean flecks.

More Frozen Desserts
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Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until pale yellow and light and airy. About 4-5 minutes.
- In a large pan heat the cream and milk over low heat, stir occasionally. If you have an instant read thermometer the mixture will reach 155-160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, the will be hot but not boiling!
- Turn the mixer to low and add the heated cream in a slow, steady, stream. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the cream/egg mixture back into the pan and heat over medium-low heat stirring constantly. Heat to 155-160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. It should NOT boil, however, a few bubbles may come up along the edges. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the warm ice cream mixture into the bowl (through the fine mesh strainer)*
- Cool the mixture over an ice bath, stirring every few minutes. After about 10-15 minutes place the mixture in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
- Set up your ice cream machine according to the manufacturers directions. With the machine running, add the mixture in a slow steady stream. Churn according to the directions.
- Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for several hours to firm up. Serve with your choice in toppings!
Video
Notes
This recipe and blog post was updated March 2022. The original recipe called for 8 egg yolks, and has since been reduced to 7 egg yolks. This still gives the ice cream the custard taste, texture, and creaminess but with a less likely chance of there being an “eggy” taste to the ice cream.

97 Comments on “Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe”
Just made the base and it’s DELICIOUS! I TRIPLED the recipe (some recipes don’t double or triple well and this did!) making the whole batch using vanilla beans…: cooled it and will take out a cup for creme anglaes for chocolate lava cakes. The rest will be divided to make vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Tripling the recipe yields about a gallon of frozen deliciousness. I only changed that the milk was subbed for half and half and we also used today’s fresh eggs…: happy chickens make yummy ice cream!
Thanks for the kind comment Erica! So glad you love the recipe!! (And lucky you to have fresh eggs) 💛
I made this for the Independence festivities today, and just had to come back and rave. Doubled the recipe and made 3 different kinds from it. Cookies and cream, chocolate ripple, and the original. Perfection, just decadence on a spoon. Im lucky enough we get to use our own milk and eggs, but the recipe is spot on and will be going in my permanent folder, thank you so much!
The kids loved the the mix ins, but I prefer it just the way it is. Happy 4th!
For those that think this is eggy tasting, it means you aren’t tempering your eggs low and slow enough. With any custard recipe, when you try to rush you start to cook your eggs, hence eggy taste. If done correctly you won’t taste the eggs at all.
Thanks Shandel for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment. I really appreciate it!
So true about the tempering the eggs. Low and slow! Thanks for the comment. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star rating, that really helps me! Happy 4th!
Are you sure you can’t get more specific than ’10 servings’? I need to know if this recipe will fit in my 1.5 quart ice cream mixer, or if I need to cut it down.
I churn this recipe in my 1.5 quart ice cream mixer. It’s a bit full though!
Thankee!
I’ve tried quite a few vanilla ice cream recipes and this one is the best—so creamy and delicious!!
Yummy!
Vanilla ice cream is very interesting, especially with children.
So, I usually study and try cooking new recipes for ice cream for my family.
I made this and there are way to many eggs because you can absolutely taste the eggs in it….NASTY!
Not everyone loves custard based ice cream. We’ve never had any complaints about tasting the eggs in this recipe. You can reduce the egg yolks to 7 next time if you’d like! Also, if you used XL eggs, that could be why you’re feeling this way.
How to make with out an ice cream machine?
Can this be made old school?
I haven’t tried this without using an ice cream machine. If you don’t churn the ice cream it won’t be as smooth and creamy. But then again, if you don’t have an ice cream machine, your options are limited! I do know 1 thing for certain… it’s delicious! So if you try it old school, that’s great! Just be sure to come back and report how it went. 🙂
Hi I’m looking at trying this recipe this evening… was wondering how I could convert this to a creamy Belgian chocolate ice cream? Have seen tour chocolate ice cream recipe but somehow this one reads better… could you recommend the amount OD melted Belgian or dark chocolate I could add to this and when? TIA
Hi Priyanka! Sorry I didn’t get to this comment sooner, I was out of town. If you want to add chocolate to this recipe I suggest adding FINELY chopped chocolate after step #4. Stir in the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract until the chocolate has fully melted. Then continue with the recipe as written. As for how much chocolate to add, I’m not 100% sure. I would probably do 6-8 oz. Hope this helps! Let me know how the recipe turns out.
Hi,
I can’t wait to try this. U may have overlooked it, but how much ice cream does this recipe make and what is the serving size for the nutritional info provided with recipe. Thank for sharing.
I figured it would make about 10 servings, so it could serve about 10 people if they each get 1-2 scoops of ice cream. That’s as specific as I can be, sorry. The nutritional information provided in the recipe is for 10 servings. Hope this helps!
Thank you so Much for your revert! I just made the vanilla one and it’s just out of the world! I’m hooked on for sure! Thank you for making my first experience memorable😊
This was so smooth and creamy! I added cherries and chocolate chips, my family’s favorite and they loved it! A keeper indeed!
So happy you loved it Crista!
Is there a way to make this recipe without the eggs? I would like to try your recipe but would like to know if there’s a way to do it without the eggs.
thanks 🙂
You won’t get the same results if you do it without the eggs. You can reduce the amount of eggs though. Instead of using 8, you should still get a delicious creamy ice cream with 6 eggs. Be sure to come back to let me know how it goes!
Gonna try this and add cookie dough (sister-in-law’s) favorite! With chocolate sauce on top!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Oh yes! Add lots of cookie dough to the ice cream, that would be delish!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and each time feels like a little miracle! I’ve had fun with different mix ins, from oreo’s to fresh raspberries and chocolate chips. It’s a bit dangerous to know how to make ice cream THIS GOOD, that turns out even better than the local favorite go-to!!
Karen, your comment made my day! I’m so glad you love this vanilla ice cream! The mix ins you used sound amazing too. Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment.
This recipe was a real hit.? I may try to add it to our offerings at the next catering job we do. Where do you get the inspiration for your recipes? I struggle with coming up with unique recipes.?
Thanks Codi! Glad you loved the homemade ice cream!
This ice-cream looks soooo yummy!and delicious! Great post 🙂 x
It’s never too late for ice cream. 😉 One of my favorite flavors!! ?
Thanks Maria! It’s the best homemade vanilla ice cream!!
These all looks so good!! I actually got an ice cream maker for my birthday few years ago, and I ain’t gonna use it until I move out, and this really inspired me! ? can’t wait til I can start making my own ice creams, because I also love it all year around ?
So creamy! So good! Best homemade vanilla ice cream I’ve had the pleasure of eating. This is my new go-to ice cream recipe.
I made this ice cream yesterday. It was fabulous! So rich and creamy. And the color was beautiful. I have my own chickens so I used fresh egg yolks.
Fresh eggs! Lucky you! So glad you made the ice cream and loved it. THANK YOU for stopping by to tell me you made this delicious treat ❤️
Hi! This looks amazing! How big is a serving? I noticed this recipe says 10 servings but just need to know how big each serving is so I know to make enough 🙂
Great question. I will fix the serving number in the recipe card. This ice cream recipe will feed 3-4 people, and I’d say they’d each get around 4 scoops of ice cream. Does this help?
I made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday and we all loved it!! I cannot wait to make it again. I have a feeling this will be a regular around our house this summer. Thank you so much!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know your feedback! So glad you enjoyed the ice cream! Happy Birthday to your husband!
Just found your blog a few days ago, can’t wait to explore more recipes! Your site is beautiful.
The ice cream looks fabulous! One question, how many egg yolks are needed? It’s not listed in the ingredients at the beginning of the recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind words! Sorry about the lack of egg yolks in the ingredient list, I just fixed it! It’s 8 egg yolks. I got typing the recipe too quickly and didn’t notice I had forgotten one of the ingredients. Thanks for bringing it to my attention❤️
Easy and delicious! I made it to go with my apple crisp for Thanksgiving. It was the best ice cream; creamy and smooth!
My mouth is literally watering right now! Looks absolutely amazing! I love homemade vanilla ice cream ♥♥♥