The homemade ice cream experience starts with the ice cream base, and that base then turns into the frozen dessert we all know and love. Whether the ice cream is milk or water-based, the base will be made up of milk, cream, sugar, and whole eggs or egg yolks. There are different bases to experiment with, and they range from fuss-free to one requiring more attention to detail, yet they’re still incredibly simple. Keep reading to learn how to make homemade ice cream!
Types of Ice Cream
Custard-based ice cream is a French-style ice cream and is the most common. It is usually an egg custard with a good amount of heavy cream, and the technique is the same as making crème anglaise—the rich custard sauce that’s served hot or cold over a variety of desserts. This base does take a little babysitting and caution to ensure the eggs don’t scramble. Pro tip: even if there’s a slight look of curdled eggs, pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl for smooth results. One method that requires less concern over the delicate structure of eggs is Philadelphia-style ice cream, sometimes known as American-style ice cream. The base is made up of milk, cream, or a combination of both, but it does not contain eggs. It’s frozen just like custard-based ice cream, yet the texture can lean grainy because of the lack of a luscious custard. The Easy Cookies ’n’ Cream Ice Cream recipe below is a great example of this method.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
To make traditional ice cream, including either of the methods described above, you do need an ice cream maker. Churning ice cream prevents large ice crystals from forming and clumping together, therefore smaller ice crystals encourage a smoother texture in the finished product. Ice cream makers range in price and quality, but it’s easy to find fairly inexpensive options at around $20. But here is a bit of good news, you can still make ice cream without a machine! These no-churn options range from shaking up heavy cream, sugar, and mix-ins in a mason jar, to whipping up a sweetened condensed milk-and-heavy cream base with fruit, you can take your pick. The basic ice cream recipe below will become your go-to base and a blank canvas. Enjoy it as is, or experiment with flavors and mix-ins and make it your own creation. You will need an ice cream maker to make this custard-based ice cream. Most ice cream makers call to freeze the bowl at least a day in advance, so plan ahead.
1½ cups whole milk1½ cups heavy cream¾ cup sugar1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract6 large egg yolksPinch of salt
There are infinite possibilities when it comes to flavoring homemade ice cream. Just before transferring to the freezer, fold in a handful of chopped fresh fruit or chopped mix-ins like pretzels, marshmallows, nuts, chocolate chips, or candy; a generous drizzle of syrups, nut butters, melted chocolate, or a smidge (or more!) of instant espresso powder or freeze-dried fruit pulsed in a food processor into a powder. Feel free to skip the vanilla in the base and swap it for another extract depending on the flavor profile you are craving.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Now that you know what goes into making ice cream at home, feel free to experiment with the below easy ice cream recipes. RELATED: This One Trick Is the Secret to Making Delicious Ice Cream at Home
