Best Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

4.92 from 23 votes

Jul 20, 2015, Updated Jul 18, 2021

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Smooth, creamy and flavorful, this seriously is the best homemade vanilla bean ice cream, I’ve ever made!

Hi everyone! It is ice cream time again, here on my blog!

Did you know that yesterday was National Ice Cream Day ? #nationalicecreamday

Ever since I got my ice cream maker, I’ve been regularly making homemade ice cream.

As much as I wanted to share a cashew based ice cream on the blog today, my recipe needs further testing…

Instead I decided to share this simple recipe for the best homemade vanilla bean ice cream (at least in my opinion)! This is a custard based ice cream – French style.

Vanilla ice cream is one of the most popular ice cream flavors.

You can use it for sundaes, floats or ice cream sandwiches.

While I do recommend using real vanilla beans in they recipe, vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract could be substitutes.

With custard based ice creams, it is crucial to temper the egg yolks, by slowly adding the hot cream/milk mixture.

(Some recipes recommend using a candy thermometer, but I never do it).

Also it is very important not to over churn your ice cream mixture.

Because the mixture contains heavy cream, if you churn it for a longer time, that it is necessary, it’ll end up with small pieces of butter in it.

Most recipes suggest that you churn mixture according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Well, it all depends on the amount of mixture and room temperature.

Keep a close eye on your ice cream maker and take the ice cream out, when its texture resembles soft served ice cream.

Then you can freeze it until it is hard.

Over whipping/churning will not to you any good.

Hope my suggestions help you and you get to make your own vanilla bean ice cream.

Shooting ice cream could be challenging! Mine is melting! At least you know it isn’t fake!

4.92 from 23 votes

Best Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Smooth, creamy and flavorful, this seriously is the best homemade vanilla bean ice cream, I’ve ever made!

Prep: 30

Cook: 20

Total: 7 30

Servings:

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Ingredients

Instructions

In a deep sauce pan, warm up milk, sugar, salt and 1 cup heavy cream. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the sauce pan. Add vanilla bean and cover. Warm it up and remove from heat just before it starts boiling. Remove from heat and steep for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean after that.
In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Very slowly pour warm milk, whisking constantly.
Transfer mixture back to the sauce pan and set heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook, until the custard thickens and coats the spatula.
Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl. Strain custard over the bowl and whisk to combine. Add vanilla extract.
Cool over an ice bath. Once it is cool to a room temperature, cover and chill overnight.
When ready to churn, freeze custard according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not over churn, because you may end up with pieces of butter in your ice cream.
Transfer to a container, cover and freeze until firm.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 231mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 99mg, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 1120IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 91mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.