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a sugar cone topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream, propped up in a glass.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Ice Cream From Scratch
A rich and creamy, decadent homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is easy to make at home with a few simple, fresh ingredients.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling/Freezing Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Course Ice Cream Recipes
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 394 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
  • Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean.
  • Add the milk, salt, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla bean pod to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Be sure not to boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. 
  • Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes. 
  • Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add back the vanilla bean pod to the mixture. Then, add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Discard the vanilla bean pod. Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 25 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
  • Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. 
  • Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • If you do not have vanilla beans, you can use 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste instead. 
  • If using vanilla beans, it is important to be sure to include the pod in the saucepan, and leave it in the ice cream base while it's chilling too. The time it spends in the milk will bring out all of the vanilla bean's amazing flavor.
  • Plan ahead by making sure that your ice cream maker bowl is in the freezer at least 24 hours before you're going to make ice cream.
  • Homemade ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to one month. Keep it in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper pressed to the surface of the ice cream to keep ice crystals from developing.
  • Homemade ice cream should be easy to scoop if you let it soften at room temperature for 5 minutes after removing it from the freezer. 
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