Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

An old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that everyone loves! This creamy custard base homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is made from five ingredients and is even better than an ice cream parlor favorite!

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (1)

Vanilla ice creams come in more varieties than you might think! It’s made with five simple ingredients and turns into such a rich, creamy, delicious and decadent ice cream. Just look at those real vanilla bean specks!

It’s an old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that was passed down from my aunt many years ago. It’s a custard base that tastes even better than the best ice cream parlor ice cream you’ve ever had.

I enjoy my other types of ice cream recipes too. But when I want the most creamy, most vanilla, best vanilla ice cream, this one is it!

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

My family has always loved making ice cream in the summer. It gets really hot here in the south and enjoying homemade ice cream with family and friends is so much fun! I make many different ice cream flavors and recipes, but as far as vanilla goes it’s this velvety, old fashioned custard type ice cream or my two ingredient No Churn Vanilla.

How to Make this Vanilla Ice Cream

To make this ice cream, you will need these ingredients:

  • Egg yolks
  • Sugar
  • Whole Milk
  • Heavy Cream
  • Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

Make the Ice Cream Custard

Start by adding the egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan. Whisk the until it’s a light yellow color and is well combined.

In another small sauce pan, heat the whole milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not stir the milk.

Then gradually add the heated milk to the pan with the egg and sugar mixture and stir constantly. Return the combined mixture to heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat.

Pour custard base into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it chills to 65º F. The longer the custard base chills, the creamier your ice cream will be.

Finish With Ice Cream Maker

Once the custard base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract). Then, pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Scoop and Enjoy!

This is perfect for ice cream cones! Although I happily enjoy it in a bowl if cones aren’t around. The scoops hold up well and don’t immediately begin melting the moment they are scooped onto the cone.

How Much Ice Cream Does this Make?

This recipe makes 1 quart as written.

Can this Recipe be Multiplied?

Yes! You can easily double this recipe for a 2 quart ice cream maker. It can easily be multiplied for a gallon container too!

The Two Types of Vanilla Ice Cream

Both this old fashioned ice cream and my no churn ice cream have their places in my ice cream making life. They are both incredibly delicious, easy to make and I make them both often.

More Ice Cream Recipes

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream and Chocolate Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

And so many more ice creams to love!

Here’s my Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2)

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Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Robyn Stone

4.98 from 146 votes

An old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that everyone loves! This creamy custard base homemade vanilla ice cream recipe tastes like an ice cream parlor favorite.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  • Add egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk until a light yellow color and well combined. In another small sauce pan, heat milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not stir. Gradually add milk to egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Return to heat until it reaches 165º F, but do not allow it to come to a boil. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat. Pour custard base into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until it chills to 65º F. The longer the custard base chills, the creamier your ice cream will be.

  • Once the custard base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract and pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Notes

Yield for recipe as written: 1 quart

This recipe can easily be doubled for a 2-quart ice cream maker or multiplied for a gallon container.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally published in 2013.

Categorized as:All Recipes, By Cooking Style, By Special Diets, Cooking, Dessert Recipes, Essentials, Father’s Day Recipes, Game Day Recipes, Gluten-Free Recipes, Grain-Free Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, Ice Cream and Frozen Treats, July 4th Recipes, Recipes, Simple Recipes, Southern Favorites

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make ice cream in the old days? ›

Vanilla Ice Cream:

Mix ½ cup sugar or 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons corn syrup 1 teaspoon flour and a few grains salt. Add to milk and stir until thickened. Cover and cook ten minutes. Beat 1 egg yolk slightly, add a portion of the hot milk, return to double boiler and stir and cook one minute.

How to make homemade ice cream smooth and creamy? ›

More fat means a smoother texture. Cook the base - Heating the ice cream base deactivates enzymes that can make ice cream icy. Bring the base to 170-180°F. Chill thoroughly - Let the base chill in the fridge 4-12 hours before churning.

Why is my homemade ice cream not creamy enough? ›

So you can up the fat in your ice cream by substituting cream for milk or half-and-half in recipes. Even more effective, is that you can also add more egg yolks if making a custard-based ice cream, which will increase the creaminess due to their emulsifying properties.

What is the secret ingredient to ice cream? ›

The cream cheese helps create an ice cream with a denser, smoother texture. As explained by TASTE, cream cheese acts as a stabilizer in ice cream, preventing water from seeping out of the milk and cream as well as preventing the formation of ice crystals that detract from ice cream's creaminess.

How did they make ice cream in 1800s? ›

From the introduction of ice cream to Britain in the 17th century to the 1930s, most people made ice cream with a simple sorbetière (a lidded pewter jar) in a wooden bucket. This would have been spun round by hand and occasionally opened and scraped down and mixed.

How to make ice cream 1700s? ›

A device called a sorbetière took the place of the modern ice and salt ice cream machine, but it worked much in the same way. Ice was placed in a container, then the liquid was placed in the sorbetière, the sorbetière was put in the ice bucket, and someone stirred it until it froze.

What thickens homemade ice cream? ›

Egg Yolks: The most traditional thickening agent, egg yolks contain natural proteins and fats that contribute to a rich and luxurious texture in custard-based ice creams. Cornstarch: Often used in non-custard ice creams, cornstarch mixed with milk helps thicken the base and create a smooth mouthfeel.

Why put eggs in homemade ice cream? ›

Eggs add rich flavor and color, prevent ice crystallization and help create smooth and creamy ice cream. But adding raw or undercooked eggs can cause a Salmonella infection and it's usually the ingredient responsible for a foodborne illness outbreak associated with homemade ice cream.

Why does my homemade ice cream freeze so hard? ›

the amount and/or type of sugar used in the recipe. From what I've experienced and also understand from others involved in ice cream making, concentrated sugar depresses the freezing point of ice cream, so too little an amount of sugar in the recipe makes it too hard and too much makes it too soft.

How to make homemade ice cream soft and fluffy? ›

Sugar, corn syrup or honey, as well as gelatin and commercial stabilizers, can all keep your ice cream at a softer consistency. Ice cream also stays softer when you store it in a shallow container, rather than a deep tub, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.

Does churning ice cream longer make it creamier? ›

Ice cream containing lots of tiny ice crystals feels smoother and creamier than ice cream that is equally thick but with fewer, larger crystals. Constant churning helps keep the crystals moving as they chill, so they have less time to attach to one another and form clusters that would interrupt a creamy mouth-feel.

What are the 3 most important ingredients of ice cream? ›

If you have ever made ice cream, you already know what goes into it, ingredients such as milk, cream, and sugar. But there is one main ingredient that you may not have thought about, probably because you can't see it—air.

What are the strange ingredients in vanilla ice cream? ›

Sweet castoreum has been used in vanilla flavourings for 200 years – but it has a horrifying source. The substance mostly comes from a beaver's castor sacs, which are located between the pelvis and the base of the tail, The Sun reports.

How was ice cream made in the 1900s? ›

The cream mixture was placed in the interior compartment of the ice cream maker which contained a paddle connected to the hand-crank. The more the cream mixture is cranked the smoother the ice cream. Ice and rock salt were then placed between the interior compartment and the exterior bucket.

How is traditional ice cream made? ›

Ice cream is a colloidal emulsion made with water, ice, milk fat, milk protein, sugar and air. Water and fat have the highest proportions by weight creating an emulsion that has dispersed phase as fat globules. The emulsion is turned into foam by incorporating air cells which are frozen to form dispersed ice cells.

How did they freeze ice cream in the 1700s? ›

By mixing ice with saltpeter (or indeed common salt) and placing a container of water or wine in the ice, one could freeze the contents of the container. By rotating the container, one could stir the liquid and keep its texture even without freezing it solid.

How did they make ice cream in medieval times? ›

During the Middle Ages, sorbets and ice creams were introduced in Europe, and were typically made from fruit juices, honey, and snow or ice. In the 16th century, Italian chefs began experimenting with new flavors and ingredients, such as eggs, cream, and sugar, to create more luxurious and creamy ice creams.

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