Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Rich, creamy custard-based ice cream churned to frozen perfection
By RecipesQueen Kitchen • June 10, 2026
Homemade vanilla ice cream made with a proper custard base is a different universe from store-bought. It's incredibly rich, silky, and scoopable.
The custard base (eggs, cream, milk, sugar) gets cooked to nappe consistency, chilled overnight, then churned.
Real vanilla bean is the star. Use a whole bean split and scraped, steeped in the warm cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 whole vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Heat cream, milk, and vanilla bean in a saucepan until steaming.
- 2
Whisk yolks and sugar until pale. Slowly temper with the hot cream.
- 3
Return to pot. Cook over medium-low, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon (170°F).
- 4
Strain through a fine sieve. Chill overnight.
- 5
Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.
- 6
Transfer to a container and freeze 4+ hours for scoopable consistency.
