Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
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An old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that everyone loves! This creamy custard base homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is made from five ingredients and is even better than an ice cream parlor favorite!
Vanilla ice creams come in more varieties than you might think! It’s made with five simple ingredients and turns into such a rich, creamy, delicious and decadent ice cream. Just look at those real vanilla bean specks!
It’s an old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that was passed down from my aunt many years ago. It’s a custard base that tastes even better than the best ice cream parlor ice cream you’ve ever had.
I enjoy my other types of ice cream recipes too. But when I want the most creamy, most vanilla, best vanilla ice cream, this one is it!
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
My family has always loved making ice cream in the summer. It gets really hot here in the south and enjoying homemade ice cream with family and friends is so much fun! I make many different ice cream flavors and recipes, but as far as vanilla goes it’s this velvety, old fashioned custard type ice cream or my two ingredient No Churn Vanilla.
How to Make this Vanilla Ice Cream
To make this ice cream, you will need these ingredients:
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
Make the Ice Cream Custard
Start by adding the egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan. Whisk the until it’s a light yellow color and is well combined.
In another small sauce pan, heat the whole milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not stir the milk.
Then gradually add the heated milk to the pan with the egg and sugar mixture and stir constantly. Return the combined mixture to heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat.
Pour custard base into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it chills to 65º F. The longer the custard base chills, the creamier your ice cream will be.
Finish With Ice Cream Maker
Once the custard base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract). Then, pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
Scoop and Enjoy!
This is perfect for ice cream cones! Although I happily enjoy it in a bowl if cones aren’t around. The scoops hold up well and don’t immediately begin melting the moment they are scooped onto the cone.
How Much Ice Cream Does this Make?
This recipe makes 1 quart as written.
Can this Recipe be Multiplied?
Yes! You can easily double this recipe for a 2 quart ice cream maker. It can easily be multiplied for a gallon container too!
The Two Types of Vanilla Ice Cream
Both this old fashioned ice cream and my no churn ice cream have their places in my ice cream making life. They are both incredibly delicious, easy to make and I make them both often.
More Ice Cream Recipes
No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream and Chocolate Ice Cream
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
And so many more ice creams to love!
Here’s my Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Add egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk until a light yellow color and well combined. In another small sauce pan, heat milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not stir. Gradually add milk to egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Return to heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat. Pour custard base into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it chills to 65º F. The longer the custard base chills, the creamier your ice cream will be.
- Once the custard base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract and pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published in 2013.
could you please email some recipes for GL5400 sunbeam icecream maker please
Judith, you should be able to make this vanilla ice cream according to your ice cream maker instructions. I’m sorry but I don’t have recipes specific to any ice cream maker. If recipes for that ice cream maker were not included with the instructions, you might want to contact Sunbeam.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU! This was my first time making proper ice-cream and it turned out perfectly. I followed your recipe to the letter with only one change. Swapped sugar for Erythritol as am doing KETO and it was delicious. I got 4 single portion ice-cream tubs. I used an Emma ice-cream maker and let it run for 60 minutes.
Will continue to experiment with adding different flavours and berries.
Thanks for the tip on how you made this recipe KETO. I’m so glad you liked this, especially it is your first time making ice cream. xo
This recipe is so creamy and delicious. I love it! I do have a question about the milk. Why aren’t you supposed to stir it? Not stirring resulted in a thick skin on top and a burned mess stuck to the pan on the bottom before the milk simmered. I had to sieve out the skin and do some serious scrubbing on my pan after it finally simmered.
Bridget, too high heat will cause the milk to burn on the bottom of the pan and a film to appear on the top of the milk. You need to heat the milk over medium-low heat just until it is heated throughout. Hope this helps!
You didn’t say how much or how many egg yolks
Hi Elizabeth,
It’s the first ingredient in the recipe, 4 egg yolks. Hope you enjoy the ice cream. xo
I just used this recipe and love it. Easy to put together and serves well without being icy. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Mary. So glad you enjoyed this ice cream. xo
One of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes. I often make it for my family and they just love it :-). I get inspired by your wonderful recipes and the gorgeous photos you make help a lot too. By the way, do you know if this recipe can be made into a paleo or keto version? I would really like to try and make a paleo version of this delicious vanilla ice cream. Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi Jessica,
I’m so glad you love my original ice cream recipe. I’m sorry but I have not tried to make this in either a paleo or Keto version. Thanks!
No lie – this is incredible, family and extending family were impressed. I don’t allow my children anything but homemade ice cream now. much healthier
So glad you liked this ice cream. Thanks!
This may be a dumb question but do you heat the egg and sugar mixture before adding in the heated milk? It says add to saucepan but doesn’t say to heat like it does for the milk.
Thanks!
Hi Diana,
You add eggs and sugar to a cold saucepan and mix. Set aside. In a second saucepan, you heat the milk and then pour into the saucepan with the sugar and eggs. You then heat that mixture over medium-low heat. Hope this helps!
This recipe turned out beautifully – this one will be stored in the permanent file. The only thing that I would change next time we make it is to decrease the sugar to 1/3 or even 1/4 cup since the final product (and most desserts in my opinion) was a bit too sweet for my tastes. Hopefully, that still works with the ratio of egg yolks.
I’m so glad this turned out great for you. I haven’t made reducing the sugar so I’m not sure how it will turn out. Hope it works for you.
Fail Proof recipe. I love it and I can even add my own flavor combinations! AMAZING!!!!
Thanks, Bella!