Rich Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream (Printable)

Learn to create rich, creamy vanilla ice cream using simple ingredients and classic techniques for a perfectly smooth frozen treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - Pinch of salt

→ Flavor

05 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

→ Enrichment

06 - 5 large egg yolks

# Steps:

01 - In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not allow it to boil.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
03 - Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. This gradual addition tempers the yolks and prevents them from scrambling.
04 - Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Stir continuously over medium-low heat until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, reaching 170-175°F (76-80°C).
05 - Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the pure vanilla extract until evenly incorporated.
06 - Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
07 - Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until thick and creamy.
08 - Transfer the churned mixture to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving to firm up the texture.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The custard base tastes like liquid heaven before it even hits the ice cream maker, and you will absolutely eat half of it with a spoon.
  • Once you master this technique, every store bought pint will feel like a compromise you no longer have to accept.
02 -
  • If the custard boils even briefly the eggs will scramble and you will be making sweet scrambled eggs instead of ice cream.
  • Skipping the chilling step leads to icy grainy results because the custard needs to be completely cold before churning.
03 -
  • The custard should coat the back of a spoon like a thin layer of paint, not like pudding, so pull it off the heat the moment you see that happen.
  • Chill your freezer container ahead of time so the ice cream goes from churner to cold environment without melting and refreezing into crystals.

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