Best Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

Creamy, homemade old fashioned ice cream, with gorgeous flecks of vanilla beans and no sweetened condensed milk! This churn ice cream has simple ingredients that will be ready in no time for your ice cream maker.

We ALWAYS have ice cream in our freezer, often it’s store bought, but there is something about making your own churned ice cream that takes us into a deep freeze on the sultry, scorching days of summer.

Some of our favorite cool treats to make at home are Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream, Rose Pistacho No Churn Ice Cream, Fried Ice Cream (Air Fryer) and the hit at every party; Mile High Mud Pie.

Why you will love this churn ice cream

• No Cook | Yes, this churn ice cream is a no cook ice cream; using pasteurized (safe) eggs which give it an amazing thick, rich, creamy texture that is every bit like a gourmet ice cream.
• Simple Ingredients | As you can see below, the ingredients are super simple, this old fashioned vanilla ice cream comes together quickly for ice cream machines, old crank style as well as electric machines.
• Vanilla | The vanilla shines in this recipe, there is nothing “plain” about it!

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Easy, pure ingredients, many organic make this churn ice cream the best!

• EGGS | makes it ultra creamy!
• HALF AND HALF | no fat free here, pretty please, this isn’t diet food, this will deliver the creamiest ice cream!
• WHIPPING CREAM | the good, rich stuff, I used organic ingredients
• SUGAR | I use all natural cane sugar, in all of my recipes, you can replace with white sugar
• BROWN SUGAR | I used light brown, but dark brown may be used too, lending aslightly more molasses flavor.
• SALT |(yes, salt! Salt really does bring out amazing flavors
• VANILLA EXTRACT | pure vanilla extract <== easiest extract to make at home and so much better!
• VANILLA BEAN PASTE | or scrape a vanilla bean and use seeds, this is so worth it!

Recommended Equipment

• ICE CREAM MAKER/MACHINE | We have this Cuisinart and it has served us well. You might check second hand shops, too! Or maybe you love a good Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker.
• MIXER | Stand Mixer or good hand mixer, or willingness to get a good arm workout.
• STORAGE CONTAINER| I use loaf pans, plastic and even my glass lidded storage containers for ice cream. I’m kind of giddy about this one. Slim enough it fits in the freezer door!
• ICE CREAM SCOOP or SPADE | I love a scoop, my hubby loves a spade, but the bottom line is you need a good strapping ice cream scoop in your kitchen tool box!

How to Make Vanilla Churn Ice Cream

It’s so simple if you have never made a churned ice cream, you have GOT to try this recipe!

• Beat the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the sugars, half and half.
• Mix in heavy cream, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and beat on medium-high 2-3 minutes.
• If using all natural cane sugar, beat towards the 3 minute mark until crystals have dissolved.

• Allow the batter to sit in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes while you set up the ice cream maker, this allows time for the flavors to get to know one another, you don’t just throw strangers into an ice cream maker!
• Once ready, depending on the size of your ice cream machine (see above about how much this makes) pour into the freezer and follow your manufacturer’s directions. Mine takes about 20-30 minutes for a good thick soft serve consistency.

SOFT SERVE vs. SCOOPABLE ICE CREAM

• For firmer, scoopable ice cream, scoop into a freezer friendly loaf pan or storage container, cover and freeze for at least 6-8 hours for soft scoops, overnight for firmer scoops.
• But nobody ever said you can’t just plop some of that delicious soft serve ice cream into a bowl and enjoy, maybe with fresh peaches or strawberries?! Be sure to let someone lick the beater!

Is it safe to eat uncooked eggs?

If you are squirming because the eggs are not cooked, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers itsafe to useraw eggs if they are pasteurized. (Source)

If you still have the heebie jeebies, you may do one of two things:

1. Omit the eggs (but don’t do it!), we’ve eaten recipes with raw eggs for years, and never once had a brush with salmonella. If you are feeling it, try these amazing Mini French Silk Chocolate Pies!
2. Or make a Custard Ice Cream recipe; which means taking the time to cook the egg and cream mixture into a custard, which takes longer.
   • I’m not saying it’s not delicious, but I’m not a fan of standing over a hot stove in the summertime, then waiting hours for the custard to cool, and finally making the ice cream.
   • If you feel more comfortable cooking the base, try my friend Michaela’s Grape Nut Vanilla Custard Ice Cream (leave out the Grape Nuts or leave them in cause this sounds amazing) or this simple Cooked Vanilla Ice Cream by Debra, another blogging friend!

Frequently Asked Questions

When I need a really fast ice cream, I turn to my no churn vanilla ice cream, but when I want a creamy, vanilla ice cream, this is the one!

Mix-In Ideas

• Fudge Ripple Ice Cream | On our second batch of vanilla ice cream, I swirled a ribbon of fudge sauce into the soft ice cream before freezing hard (see picture above).
• Caramel Ribbon Ice Cream | Do the same as above, swirl into soft ice cream a few ribbons of caramel or maybe even make this amazing salted vanilla caramel!
• Cookie Dough Ice Cream | Make a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough (bake some, freeze some dough), or this edible no egg cookie dough and pinch off small chunks and stir into soft ice cream before freezing.
• Fudge Brownie Ice Cream | Bake or buy a batch of brownies and cool, pull or roll into small balls and stir into ice cream, extra decadent, add a ribbon or two of fudge!
• Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream | Mix into soft vanilla ice cream a cup or so of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups or even the Reese’s Peanut Butter chips.
• Chocolate Chip Ice Cream | Mix in 1 cup of chopped chocolate chips (or use mini chocolate chips), or even better, finely chop a good quality milk or semi-sweet chocolate bar and stir into soft ice cream.
• Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream | Mix into batter before freezing 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons pure mint extract, then after freezing, stir in 4-6 ounces finely chopped semi sweet chocolate.

Ways to Use Vanilla Ice Cream

I am sure you can find your own amazing ways to use this churn ice cream, but here are a few of our favorites!

• A healthy scoop atop warm Texas Sheet Cake
• Or these gooey, amazing, warm lava cakes
• In this surprising sweet-tart frozen lemonade
• Rhubarb Crumb Bars
• Scoop onto these Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcakes or this Easy Chocolate Shortcake!
• Apple Crisp | dreamy when dripping with old fashioned vanilla ice cream.
• Chocolate Pumpkin Skillet Crisp | DROOL worthy!
• Decadent on top of these Half Baked Chocolate Chip Mini Skillet Cookies!
• Sandwiched between these fun Ice Cream Sandwiches!

I sure hope you enjoy this homemade old fashioned ice cream recipe, it might take a little longer, but in the end, it’s sooo worth it!

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More dessert recipes you will love:

• Chocolate Brownie Fudge Ice Cream
• Magnolia Bakery Copycat Banana Pudding
• Easy Lemon Cream Pie
• Award Winning Key Lime Pie
• Fried Ice Cream Cake
• Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream (no churn)
• Dirt Cake (this is decorated for Easter, but the cake is divine!)