Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: Rich and creamy Vanilla Ice Cream. My Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is the most smooth and simple dessert to make this summer. This recipe tastes even better than store-bought ice cream, but it only takes 10 minutes with no machine using just 4 ingredients and 4 tools.

Now that summer is in the air, it’s finally time to start busting out my favorite Frozen Dessert Recipes. If you’re anything like me, your favorite way to cool down is to indulge in a big ole scoop of ice cream. I’ve created every ice cream flavor under the sun from Mint Chocolate Chip to Butter Pecan. While I love to get creative in the kitchen and come up with all kinds of bold flavors, at the end of the day, I truly live for a classic Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

If you’ve never made this ice cream before, it’s going to change the way you think about homemade ice cream. Most ice cream recipes require tedious steps like making custard and churning the mixture in an ice cream machine to achieve the right texture. However, this Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream recipe gets straight to the point. It’s nothing short of ice cream heaven!

2-Ingredient Ice Cream Base

As always, the base for my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is the master recipe for my 2-Ingredient No Machine Ice Cream. For those of you who aren’t familiar, my recipe is simply heavy whipping cream and Sweetened Condensed Milk whipped up to yield a creamy, customizable canvas. This is your ice cream base. 

Although this recipe is only for vanilla, you can add any toppings and mix-ins to your ice cream base, so go crazy with your favorite flavors! That being said, this Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is a fan favorite on its own, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’ve got to put it on the top of your list!

Tools You Need To Make Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Stand mixer with whisk attachment (alternatively, hand mixer with medium-sized bowl)
• Paring knife
• Silicone spatula

What Is Heavy Whipping Cream?

Heavy whipping cream (all-purpose cream or heavy cream) is a finished cream made from milk. This kind of cream is great for whipping and creating those beautiful peaks we need for our ice cream base.

For this recipe, your cream needs to have at least be 38% fat content. Unfortunately, you have to buy this in stores, as you can’t make it at home.

How Do You Make Condensed Milk?

Sweetened condensed milk is super important for this recipe and cannot be substituted. Luckily, Homemade Condensed Milk is simple to make if you aren’t able to buy some locally or you would prefer to make it from scratch. Note: You can’t make condensed milk with Truvia or Stevia sugar.

How Long Does Homemade Ice Cream Last?

Just like regular ice cream, my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream can be kept in the freezer for quite a while. If stored in an airtight container, your ice cream will last for up to 6 weeks.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making The Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:

• Prefer less sweet ice cream? You can reduce the condensed milk by around a quarter of what the recipe requires. Note that it might change the texture of your ice cream since the condensed milk keeps the ice cream mixture from crystallizing when frozen. It’s also what makes this ice cream scoopable even when frozen.
• Prevent ice cream from not setting properly by popping your condensed milk in the refrigerator before using it.
• If vanilla pods are not readily available for you, you can substitute them with vanilla extract or vanilla paste. If substituting with vanilla extract, add 3 teaspoons.
• Be careful not to overwhip your whipping cream, otherwise, it will turn into butter and make your ice cream split with curds.
• Make sure your freezer operates at -18C to properly set and freeze your ice cream.

Make More No-Machine Ice Cream!

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• Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream

Want To Go Deeper?

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Make More Ice Cream Flavors!

Get 100+ Ice Cream recipes at my Gemma’s Freezer Section Ice Cream Destination page!

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