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Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

A rich, creamy, and intensely flavorful vanilla bean ice cream made from scratch with real vanilla beans.

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart (approx. 8 servings) 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
  • 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, for an extra boost of flavor)

Instructions

  1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pods, heavy cream, whole milk, half of the sugar (3/8 cup), and salt to the saucepan.
  2. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15-20 minutes to infuse the vanilla flavor.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining half of the sugar (3/8 cup) until light and creamy.
  4. Temper the egg yolks: Slowly pour about half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling the yolks.
  5. Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture.
  6. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (reaching about 175-180°F or 80-82°C). Do not boil.
  7. Immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids and the vanilla pods. Stir in the optional vanilla extract.
  8. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
  9. Once chilled, churn the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20-30 minutes, until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
  10. Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2-4 hours, or until firm, before serving.

Notes

For the best results, ensure your custard is completely chilled before churning. If you don’t have vanilla beans, you can use 2 tablespoons of high-quality vanilla extract, adding it after straining the custard. For a richer, denser ice cream, consider using only heavy cream instead of a cream and milk blend.

  • Author: The Sweet Spot Blog
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes