I stole this recipe for The Best Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make from barefeetinthekitchen.com. This rich and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe only uses five ingredients. Heavy cream is warm in a saucepan with sugar and a pinch of salt. Then a vanilla bean pod is added to the mixture and warmed until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next the cream mixture is removed from the heat and more heavy cream is added with whole milk. The mixture chills in the refrigerator before adding to the ice cream maker. After churning the ice cream is frozen until ready to serve.

The ingredients for this recipe are: 1 ¾ cups heavy cream, 1 ¼ cup whole milk, ¾ cup sugar, ⅛ tsp fine sea salt and 1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise (1 tbsp vanilla extract)

Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a saucepan and add the sugar and salt.

Then scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pot and then add the vanilla pod to the pot.

Warm the mixture over medium heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the remaining cream, milk and vanilla extract (if using extract instead of vanilla pod).

Stir to combine and chill in refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk mixture again and pour into ice cream maker.

Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

Scoop and enjoy!

Don’t forget the sprinkles!

If you liked the recipe for The Best Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make you can also try Homemade Fresh Raspberry Ice Cream or other creamy desserts like Crème Brûleé Cheesecake Bars, Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling, Strawberry Shortcake Lush or Lemon Lasagna.

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The Best Ice Cream You’ll Ever Make

This rich and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe only uses five ingredients. Heavy cream is warm in a saucepan with sugar and a pinch of salt. Then a vanilla bean pod is added to the mixture and warmed until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next the cream mixture is removed from the heat and more heavy cream is added with whole milk. The mixture chills in the refrigerator before adding to the ice cream maker. After churning the ice cream is frozen until ready to serve.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Freezing Time 4 hours

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of the cream into a saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pot and then add the vanilla pod to the pot. Warm the mixture over medium heat, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the remaining cream, milk and vanilla extract (if using extract instead of vanilla pod). Stir to combine and chill in refrigerator.
2. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla pod, whisk mixture again and pour into ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The simmer step can be skipped. Whisk everything together, then pour directly into the ice cream maker.

Half and half can be substituted for whole milk.