Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

This custard-based French vanilla ice cream recipe is unbelievably smooth and creamy! An unbeatable vanilla ice cream recipe.

You can serve this vanilla ice cream as it is, but it is even better topped with hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, or peanut butter sauce. 

When I make homemade ice cream, I typically make fancy shmancy ice cream loaded with mix-ins. But sometimes you just want something simple.

This ice cream is simple, but it definitely isn’t boring. It is silky smooth, and so rich and creamy thanks to the egg yolks.

Vanilla is actually my daughter’s favorite flavor, so she was pretty thrilled about this ice cream. However, even the over the top ice cream flavor fans in my family loved it. It really is the perfect vanilla ice cream!

Making custard ice cream does take more time than making regular ice cream, but it’s worth it! It yields ice cream that is always creamy, never icy. The process isn’t hard, you just have to cook the eggs with milk and sugar to kill any potential salmonella. 

For extra flavor in this ice cream, you let a vanilla bean steep in the hot custard mixture so it releases even more of that warm, rich vanilla flavor. After the mixture has cooled, you scrape out the seeds giving you those pretty vanilla flecks.

In addition to the vanilla bean, you also add some vanilla extract. Not only does it add flavor, it helps keep the ice cream from freezing into a brick. Since the alcohol in the extract doesn’t freeze, it makes for easier to scoop ice cream.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRENCH VANILLA AND VANILLA ICE CREAM?

It refers to the method in which the ice cream is made. French vanilla ice cream is made with eggs or egg yolks. It has a slightly yellow color, due to the egg yolks.

In addition, it is more rich and creamy than other types of ice cream. It can be made with vanilla beans or vanilla extract.

How to Make French Vanilla Ice Cream

1. CUSTARD – You will start by cooking the egg yolks, sugar, salt, cream, and milk in a saucepan till thick and creamy. Add the vanilla bean to the hot mixture and let it cool to room temperature, then add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds.
2. CHILL – Pour the ice cream base into an airtight container and chill for several hours, or overnight.
3. CHURN – Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
4. RIPEN – You can serve it straight from the ice cream machine if you want soft serve ice cream. We like to let it ripen for a few hours in the freezer until it’s scoopable. 
5. SERVE – When it’s done, you can eat it as is, add some sprinkles, serve it on top of pie or cobbler, or drizzle it with your favorite ice cream topping. We tried some drizzled with my homemade hot fudge sauce, and it was simply divine!

PRO TIPS:

• Make sure you whisk the egg/sugar/milk mixture thoroughly before you cook it. You don’t want to see any flecks of yellow. Don’t worry, you can’t overmix it at this stage.
• You may be tempted to turn up the heat to speed up the cooking of the milk mixture. Resist the impulse. You want the mixture to cook slowly. If it gets too hot too fast, the egg yolks can curdle. Alternately, the mixture can scorch if the bottom of the pan is too hot.

WHAT DOES FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM TASTE LIKE?

French vanilla ice cream has a more rich flavor than regular vanilla ice cream. Some recipes call for enough egg yolks that the ice cream can even have a custard like flavor. Egg yolks also give the ice cream a creamier texture.

VARIATIONS FOR THIS ICE CREAM:

• For vanilla fans, this ice cream is perfect as is. But of course you can add any mix-ins that you like. Add crushed Oreos for the most amazing cookies and cream ice cream you’ve ever tried. You can also stir in any fruit, nuts, or candy that you love. Get creative!
• If you don’t have real vanilla beans, you can use vanilla bean paste, or add an additional tablespoon of vanilla extract.

RECIPES THAT SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

• Double Crumb Apple Crisp
• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Pumpkin Cobbler
• Blueberry Dump Cake
• Homemade Chocolate Cake

If you are in search of the ultimate rich and creamy vanilla ice cream, this French vanilla bean ice cream recipe is the answer! I promise you will love it!