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.
This recipe is by far the best I’ve made. So easy to make, wonderful flavor, creamy and a true old fashioned taste. Due to my lack of time, I chose to make the custard the night before and let cool to fridge temp then added the cream and flavors…
Shari, cooling the custard overnight would make the ice cream be more creamy. I’m so glad you enjoyed this ice cream recipe.
Amazing base! This is going to be my go to for all ice creams! Its so creamy and fairly easy / quick to make. The other recipes I made required 6 egg yolks and I found it too rich, and I am a desert bug, so!? .. Anyhow, I made sponge toffee this week and smashed it all up to add to this ice cream and it’s amazing!! I cut the sugar of this recipe in half and once everything was on the stovetop I stirred in some smashed sponge toffee crumbs. Once all cooled and in the ice cream maker I added more powdered sponge toffee crumbs and this is out of this world. Even as just vanilla this is a winner for sure. Thank you!
Thank you, Amy. This ice cream sounds amazing with the sponge toffee.
Hello, Thank you for making this old fashioned custard ice cream recipe. Vanilla custard is my favourite. It also seems easy to scale it up or down depending on the situation.
Thanks, Jessica. I love that you like this recipe.
Fantastic recipe! Works every time and the whole family loves it!
Do you it would make good chocolate ice cream if I added chocolate in? If so, how much?
Myriam, I haven’t made this as a chocolate ice cream. You also like my Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe and my No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe.
I have been making this ice cream recipe for almost two years now. I LOVE it! Just like my grandmother’s homemade ice cream. I am wondering, can you keep the custard base in the fridge for several days?
Tara, I haven’t left this custard base in the refrigerator longer than overnight but it should be ok refrigerated for 3 – 4 days.
I made this recipe with my grandson in a small electric ice cream maker. The flavor and texture were perfect. We stirred in Oreos at the end. He said that the recipe should get five stars!
What a wonderful memory I feel sure you made with your grandson! Some of my fondest memories are from cooking with my grandmother when I was young and especially making ice cream!
This recipe is phenomenal!!! What is your recommendation for freezer shelf life?
Kristina, place the ice cream in an airtight container, then place a sheet of plastic wrap tightly directly on top of the ice cream. Place the container in the back of the freezer where it is coldest. You may be able to keep the ice cream without any crystallization up to about 2 months. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Robin: we tried your recipe last night using a Cuisinart Icecream maker. It was a total success!!! The texture was velvety and the flavor was great. In Argentina the artisan icecream makers offer a flavor called Sambayon that has egg yolks and Porto Wine, I wonder if I can substitute some of the milk by Porto?
Betty, I have never tried that so I can’t tell you the results. I hope it works well for you if you try it.
Love it! I don’t have an ice cream churn so I just put it in the freezer and gave it a good mix every hour for 5 hours and it still turned out great.
I’m so happy this ice cream turned out so well for you, Michael, without an ice cream maker. Thanks for letting me know what you did.
This recipe looks delicious as is but I’m wanting to make strawberry Icecream. Have you used this recipe to make strawberry Icecream?
Alva, I haven’t made strawberry ice cream using this recipe but I do have my Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe that does not use eggs.
Hi Robyn, I just came across your ice cream and I would love to try it. I see a list of the ingredients but I do not see the amount of each one, could you please send me the list of the ingredients along with the amounts. Can’t wait to try it. Thank You.
Elizabeth, scroll on down to the end of the post for the Recipe Card with full recipe including the ingredients and amounts and step by step instructions.
I love this recipe!! It’s my “go to” for old fashioned vanilla, but instead of an ice maker, I use it with my Ninja Creami, you just let it cool and add the cream and vanilla and then put it in the pint size tubs for 24 hours to freeze and then spin em up and there ya go …. if you want to add things like chocolate chips or nuts or strawberry preserves, just use the add-in option after the initial spin and make it your own delight.
Thanks for the tip on making this ice cream with your Ninja, Harley.