Easiest Vanilla Ice Cream
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus several hours' chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 1 quart
- 2cups heavy cream, preferably organic and not ultra-pasteurized
- 2cups half-and-half, preferably organic, or 1 cup additional heavy cream plus 1 cup whole milk
- ½vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out with the tip of a sharp knife, or 3 tablespoons (about 8 bags) loose Earl Grey tea plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1cup granulated sugar or ¾ cup light corn syrup, more to taste
- ½teaspoon salt, more to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
227 calories; 16 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 130 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a saucepan or a microwave-safe container, combine cream, half-and-half and vanilla bean and seeds (or tea and vanilla extract). On the stove or in the microwave, bring mixture to a simmer. Immediately turn off heat.
- Step 2
Add sugar or corn syrup and salt and mix until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Taste and add more sugar and salt as needed to balance the flavors. The mixture should taste slightly too sweet when warm; the sweetness will be muted when the ice cream is frozen.
- Step 3
Strain mixture into a container and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Step 4
Churn mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and let freeze until hard.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Silverthyme
This is close to the ratio I've been using - 2 cups cream, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla - and it makes great ice cream!
I add 1 tablespoon or so of brandy or other alcohol, both for taste and to keep it from freezing too hard ...
Jeannie
1 Tbl. of Nielsen-Massey vanilla paste is equal to a whole vanilla bean. You get the same flecks and flavor, minus the waste, mess, or frustration of scraping a pod.
Or split and soak 3 pods in a cup of vodka. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks. You'll end up with a richly flavored, fully flecked extract. Shake well before using in recipes that call for scraped vanilla bean.
Paula E.
After you put the churned mixture in the container, lay a piece of plastic wrap over it. This will prevent a skin from forming on the top as it freezes.
Gina Bisaillon
So much noise! You should follow King Arthur Flour's example: first you have to say whether or not you made the recipe, and if you didn't, they send you somewhere else. Keeps folks from using their site as a place to brag about their own recipes, and it means that the comments have a better chance of being relevant.
Sandra Aguirre
If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and spoon it into the food processor with mixins for desired texture. Just another option. Make 1 day ahead to give it time to harden.
Susan
This is an amazing recipe! I used 8 Earl Grey teabags tied together (and then there is no need for straining the mixture). The teabags should be smooshed a few times to release their wonderful bergamot notes into the cream. Also, I use double-strength vanilla extract. My latest experiment was to pulverize 12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates (make sure to smash the hazelnut inside) in a mortar and pestle. This gets added in the final few minutes of processing in the ice cream maker. Wow!
Ice cream obsessed
I make a lot of ice cream and this recipe is great because it is easy and adaptable. It should be eaten fairly soon after churning because ice cream without eggs tends to develop ice crystals quickly. I sometimes counter this by adding a lot of bourbon (1/4 C.) Another option is to cover the frozen ice cream with wax paper, which another reader suggested. That definitely helps.
Stephen
Easy, yes... But if you're already heating things up, you might as well add egg yolks and make prepare a French custard style ice cream... Incomparably richer and only a tiny bit more work...
sarah
I make the best vanilla ice cream with 1 quart half and half, 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. good quality vanilla. (I use homemade Tahitian vanilla). Everyone loves it and it doesn't taste too rich. I find any whipping cream makes it greasy.
Mike
This is the same recipe that appears in a Good Housekeeping collection as a no-cook ice cream. The NYT's has added a step which is unnecessary. I add sugar to the cold creams and let sit for a few hours in the fridge to dissolve, then churn. For added richness, flavor and stability I add a small amount of instant pudding to the mix as it churns.
dudeman
Julia Moskin
I have never gotten good results without an ice cream machine, though I have made other frozen desserts like semifreddo very successfully. Here's a recipe for no-churn ice cream from The Kitchn blog that uses just whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk; it seems very promising!
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-no-churn-ice-cream-cooking-lessons-...
Amy P
In the South we never made ice cream with custard. Too hot! And the usual one we made was peach. Peel, slice, and cover them with sugar and let them sit for at least an hour. Come mash them thoroughly. How many peaches and how much sugar was judged by Grandma's eyes. Mix together and taste before you fill the churn and add more sugar if you need it. Too many peaches and it overflows the churn. Mash well - slightly overripe ones are best as they are softer. Big lumps stop the churn.
KW
Try buttermilk:
3 C buttermilk
1 C Lt (single) CR or half&half
3/4 to 1 C sugar
A pinch table salt
Whatever flavorings-- I like 1 C sliced frozen strawberries + 4 T berry jam
Pieter
WAAAAAY too much sugar. Cloyingly sweet. Absolutely foul. Try it with half that much sugar, and it might be okay.
plevee
Could you make good coffee ice cream with this mix?
VaWill
Easy and yummy
Didi
What is a good ice cream churner?
Laurie
Wow! I used sugar, not corn syrup (yuck). Added an entire vanilla bean w/seeds (not half), and even a dash of extract. Combined all ingredients in stove pan together, and then brought to a simmer. Strained and froze as instructed. Balanced, creamy and easy to scoop. Worked out marvelously! Also, I made this recipe in Test Kitchen format against another NYT recipe, that uses corn starch. This recipe was hands-down the 5 star winner.
Angela dileo
Adding a tablespoon or two good quality vodka helps keeps ice cream free of iciness.
wardo
Great recipe but used 1/2 cup sugar. Easy and delicious!
Erica
Update: 3/4 cups sugar is perfect
Erica
1 cup of sugar is too much for me. Next time I will try using 3/4 cup. Otherwise, great recipe.
Carol
For cherry szechuan pepper, use 2 1/2 T. Szechuan pepper. Add macerated (in alcohol) chopped cherries at time of freezing.
Jenny
I’ve tried making this chocolate (add 3tbsp cocoa), chocolate mint (handful of mint leaves to the warming milk, and 3tbsp cocoa, then strain), rose (tbsp rose water) and lavender (tsp dried lavender to warming milk, then strain). All fantastic. I’m going to try lemon next!
nyrkr
This was flavorless-not nearly enough vanilla. Tasted like cold whipped cream.
Martha
This is delicious. I think my family prefers this to a custard style ice cream too.
Melanie
What if you don't have an ice cream machine? I mean - not everyone does right? I want to make my own ice cream but am not going to buy an ice cream machine if I don't like it - it will sit around not being used for another waste of cash. Are there recipes for this situation?
CBB
Love this recipe. Have made many variations & they've all been good. This time I used 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups whole milk. P/O vanilla bean, used homemade vanilla sugar and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Since we were having it with apple pie added several cloves. It all went in one sitting and everyone raved about it!
CBB
Forgot, I also added a Tablespoon of vodka for texture!
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