Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

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5 from 19 votes

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream is a simple four-ingredient dessert that is incredibly delicious!

Prep Time45

Freeze Time4

Total Time4 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Equipment

Ice Cream Churn
rock salt
ice

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.
Pour into an ice cream maker, filling no more than two-thirds full. (If you have extra mixture, just store it in a container in the refrigerator until you can churn it.)
Freeze cream mixture according to the manufacturer’s directions. For those whose ice cream makers use ice, adding rock salt to the ice in your ice cream maker can lower the temperature and speed up the freezing process. Serve immediately or store in covered containers in the freezer.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

To help prevent the formation of ice crystals, make sure your ingredients are very cold before you start mixing and use high-fat ingredients.
You can use other extracts to change up the flavor, like 1-2 teaspoons of mint, rum, maple, or cherry extract.
If you’re adding things like chopped cookies, brownie bits, or chocolate chunks, be sure to add them in during the last few minutes of churning.
Try pairing this sweet treat with a cobbler, cake, or brownies, or top each scoop with Whipped Cream, Hot Fudge, Strawberry Sauce, sprinkles, sliced banana, and a cherry on top.

No ice cream maker? No Problem! To make this without an ice cream maker, place a shallow container (glass or metal works best) in the freezer to pre-chill. Prepare cream mixture as described above and pour it into the chilled container. Store in the coldest part of your freezer until almost firm but still soft enough to be stirred, about 1 hour. Stir mixture with a spoon or hand mixer, then return to the freezer. Over the next 3 hours, mix the ice cream with a spoon or hand mixer every 30 minutes to help it stay aerated and creamy. After 3 hours, serve or store in covered containers in the freezer.

Prep ahead. You can make the ice cream mixture a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to churn it.

Storage. For best results, only store homemade ice cream in the freezer for 3-4 weeks. Be cautious about how long the ice cream sits out when scooping. Homemade ice cream tends to melt a lot faster than store-bought, and once it melts, it doesn't refreeze well.

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