This homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is delicious, creamy, and rich without the hassle of making a custard! Make a batch and cool off today.
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You will love this Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade ice cream is one of my favorite treats! This homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is one of my favorites because the texture is out of this world and you don't have to go through the hassle of making a custard base! Don't get me wrong, I'm all about eggs over here but sometimes I just need homemade ice cream ASAP, and ain't nobody got time to cook up a custard base when that happens.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe with machine
My other favorite thing about this recipe is that it is so easy. Mix everything together and toss it in the ice cream maker! You can even customize it by adding berries or sprinkles or even cookie dough! Get crazy.
How long does it take to make this Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream?
Mixing up the ingredients doesn’t take long at all, 5 minutes at most. The total time for your ice cream will depend on a few things. The instructions for your ice cream maker will tell you how long it needs to mix to turn into ice cream. Usually, this is about 20-30 minutes. If you want your ice cream to be more firm, you’ll want to stick it in the freezer for a few hours.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Half and Half
- Vanilla Extract
No Egg Ice Cream Recipe with Half and Half
This recipe calls for half-and-half as well as cream. The cream should not be substituted, that is what gives the ice cream the majority of its structure.
The half-and-half can be substituted for milk, but the ice cream will be looser when it comes out of the ice cream maker. I always put batches made with milk into the freezer for a few hours before serving.
Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with No Eggs
There are a few ways to make vanilla ice cream. Some are made with condensed milk. This method is great if you don't have an ice cream maker but doesn't have the same flavor and texture as ice cream made in a mixer.
Vanilla ice cream with eggs is made by cooking a custard base first and then mixing in the rest of the ice cream ingredients. This creates an ultra creamy ice cream that won't get too icy over time in the freezer.
For this recipe, we use no eggs but opt to make it in the ice cream maker for a nice balance of ease, texture, and creaminess.
Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (No Egg) variations
If you want to change the flavor of your vanilla ice cream, add in any of these items during the mixing process.
- Chocolate syrup
- Caramel syrup
- Fresh berries
- Lemon zest
- Lime zest
- Orange zest
- Cookie chunks
- Brownie chunks
- Cookie dough (safe to eat recipes only!)
How to serve this Recipe for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- Combine sugar, vanilla, cream and half and half, mixing until sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Use in ice cream maker according to manufacture’s instructions.
- The ice cream will be soft when it is finished in the ice cream maker. For more firm ice cream, place in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
I love pairing this ice cream with summer desserts like cobbler, pie, or a fun ice cream toppings bar. The possibilities are endless!
How to store Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade ice cream can stay good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream FAQs
This recipe gives a remarkably smooth textured ice cream for not utilizing a custard base, and using milk will alter that. The ice cream will be slightly icier – you’ll notice small ice fragments throughout the ice cream.
But it's still delicious! I made a batch with milk just last week for some ice cream cookie sandwiches I'm posting soon {get ready for those!!} and it worked no problem.
It's all in the cream! The cream in my homemade ice cream acts like a stabilizer. It keeps the ice cream soft and creamy and prevents it from becoming icy. To make the best homemade ice cream, always use full-fat heavy cream and half-and-half. The fat content of these two ingredients will help keep it soft!
Yes, you can switch out the half-and-half for regular milk. However, the ice cream won't be as creamy or have the same texture – it'll be a bit softer and not hold its shape as well. You'll want to put your ice cream made with regular milk into the freezer for a few hours before serving.
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Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (No Eggs)
Ingredients
- 1 cups sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups half and half (see note)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (OR the caviar from a vanilla bean +1 tablespoon vanilla extract (see note))
Instructions
- Combine sugar, vanilla, cream and half and half, mixing until sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Use in ice cream maker according to manufacture's instructions.
- The ice cream will be soft when it is finished in the ice cream maker. For more firm ice cream, place in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
Jerry Medellin
Go with US measurements, not metric. 400 grams sugar is more than the 1 cup on US measurement
Anonymous
Delicious!
Katie
Easy to make and has a great taste I would definitely recommend putting it in the freezer for an hour or so after making. But over all very good ice cream
Alli
So glad you liked it, Katie!!
Juli Trysna
Here nothing "Half and Half" just full cream milk, s wht i can do?
Alli
Hi Juli! You can just use milk instead OR you can use 1 cup milk + 1 cup cream in place of the 2 cups of half and half. Does that help?
Alli
Delicious and fast!