Classic Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

In the summer months, ice cream is our go to sweet treat. We live in a warm climate so any chance to cool off is one we’ll take. It started with a scoop of store bought ice cream after dinner until I remember the Kitchen Aid ice cream maker in the back of my freezer and we thought it would be fun to make our own ice cream at home. It’s been a couple years now and we are obsessed with making ice cream at home. The girls and I have so much fun coming up with flavors and churning the ice cream for that evening’s dessert.

One thing I love about making ice cream as opposed to other treats is that it’s just so simple. It requires very little prep, takes few ingredients, my kitchen aid churns it, and a few hours later we have the best tasting homemade ice cream. We started out just making classic vanilla ice cream but now we make a ton of flavors at home. This classic homemade vanilla ice cream is a great recipe to get started in ice cream making. It’s serves up as a great treat on it’s own but it’s also a great base for many other flavored ice creams as well.

Classic Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Recipe

This is a Kitchen Aid ice cream recipe meaning, the churning is done in a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the Ice Cream Maker attachment. To make the most delicious class homemade vanilla ice cream you’ll also need just a handful ingredients: cream, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract (you could also add vanilla bean if you have one). Since it’s only a handful of ingredients and no set up, it’s very easy to be ready to make ice cream at a moment’s notice (which we often do).

Tips for homemade vanilla ice cream:

In order to be able to make ice cream anytime I keep my Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment in the freezer. The directions suggest that the attachment stays in the freezer for at least two hours for the ice cream to freeze properly. I keep mine in the freezer all the time so that we’re always ready to make ice cream. I’ve found that this also helps the ice cream get nice and hard instead of a more soft churned style.

Add in fresh vanilla beans (or not). I left the vanilla bean off of this recipe because I don’t often have it on hand but when I do have it I will include vanilla bean. To do so, I open the bean with a knife, scrape it into the cream while it’s warming, and toss in the whole bean. Just before churning I remove the bean. This gives is a great vanilla flavor but we all love the ice cream just as much without it.

Store your ice cream properly. I usually keep my ice cream in a 2 qt glass container but I’ve also stored it in loaf pans covered tightly with plastic wrap. I also think these pint containers are adorable.

Classic Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Over medium-high heat, cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove the mixture from the heat, pour it into a medium-sized bowl. Add the remaining cream and the milk to the cream mixture.

Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is well chilled, usually 1 hour or so. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. And freeze until the ice cream is the desired consistency.

Check out this other ice cream recipe here.

Classic Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Chelsea Coulston

The most satisfying summer treat - Classic Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Dessert

Servings 1 .5 quarts

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups heavy cream divided
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Over medium-high heat, cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove the mixture from the heat, pour it into a medium-sized bowl. Add the remaining cream and the milk to the cream mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is well chilled, usually 1 hour or so. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. And freeze until the ice cream is the desired consistency.