homemade ice cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (custard base)
Chill Time: 4 hours (minimum)
Churn Time: 25–30 minutes (ice cream maker)
Hardening Time: 2–4 hours
Total Time: ~7 hours (mostly inactive)

Recipe Intensity: Moderate
Why moderate? You’ll need to temper egg yolks to create a custard without scrambling them. This requires steady attention for about 10 minutes. The rest of the process is waiting.

Yield: About 1.5 quarts (1.4 liters) | Servings: 12 (½-cup servings)

Why This Recipe Works
Skip the store-bought tubs filled with stabilizers and air. This homemade vanilla bean ice cream delivers a rich, dense, silk-textured scoop with real vanilla specks in every bite. The classic custard base (French-style) uses egg yolks for creaminess and depth that Philadelphia-style (no-egg) ice cream simply cannot match.

Ingredients