This four ingredient Vanilla Ice cream is the absolute easiest and creamiest. Once you taste it you will be hooked too. With no artificial ingredients and total simplicity there is absolutely no reason not to make your own ice cream.
You know I really don’t like to toot my own horn but this ice cream is just scrumptious. Just ask my family because they are some ice cream eating fools. This recipe is one of my favorites as it really takes less than five minutes to prep and get it into the ice cream maker.
Do you like ice cream? Have you tried any of my other ice cream flavors?  Chocolate Ice Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream and Raspberry Ice Cream (No Churn) are some of our favorites. After all summer is here and what better way is there to cool down?
How to make this Vanilla Ice Cream
First grab a big bowl and whisk together the sugar and half and half. Keep whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Now whisk in the vanilla and the whipping cream. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers recommendations. I always check the ice cream after 25 minutes as it is possible to over churn the ice cream. It should be thick enough to scoop and not melt instantly. I usually take mine out of the ice cream maker, spoon it into a loaf pan and place it in the freezer while I clean up the mess.
Recipe additions and variations
- Vanilla Chocolate Chip – add 3 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chopped very fine or shaved.
- Cookies and Cream – reduce sugar to 3/4 cup. When ice cream has finished churning stir in about 20 quartered chocolate sandwich cookies. I like to use Oreos because they are consistently delicious.
- Cookie Dough – add 1 1/2 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chopped very fine and about 1 1/4 cups Edible Cookie Dough.
- Strawberry Vanilla – add 1 cup pureed strawberries to the mixture before churning and stir in 1 cup finely chopped strawberries after churning.
Helpful tips for this Vanilla Ice Cream
- Spend the money and use pure vanilla extract. It is the naturally occurring vanillin that gives vanilla its rich flavor.
- Check on the ice cream after 25 minutes to see if it is churned enough as it is possible to over churn ice cream.
- If adding chocolate use a good quality brand and chop it real fine or better yet shave it.
- Cover ice cream with plastic wrap because it prevents ice crystals from forming or place in an airtight container. Always store ice cream in the back of the freezer so it stays consistently cold.
Vanilla Ice Cream
This smooth and creamy rich vanilla ice cream takes less than five minutes to prepare for the ice cream maker. It has no artificial ingredients and is made with only wholesome natural ingredients. Be sure to read the section on recipe variations.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes plus chill time
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: ice cream churner
- Cuisine: Americen
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In large bowl whisk together sugar and half and half; until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in vanilla and whipping cream. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers recommendations.
- Check on ice cream after 25 minutes to see if it has churned enough. Do not over churn.
Keywords: best vanilla ice cream, homemade vanilla ice cream, how to make vanilla ice cream
Nothing beats homemade ice cream! Thank you for this yummy recipe!
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Homemade makes ALL the difference with ice cream!
Vanilla Ice Cream is a classic and goes well with a lot of toppings! Love it!
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Such a delicious and creamy ice cream! It was so easy to put together and tasty too!
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My favorite ice cream flavor! Looks SO delicious!!
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My kids would love this ice cream!! Can’t wait to try it!
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This was really amazing!! So good and delicious! Planning to make it again!
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You’re right…it was absolutely the easiest and delicious to make and eat!
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Such a delicious way o cool down on another hot summer day! Excited to enjoy this again this afternoon!
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This ice cream turned out perfect! Such a fun summer treat!
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This is such a great, classic ice cream recipe! It is so easy an totally delicious!
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I can’t believe how easy this recipe is to make! Thanks for sharing!
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Everyone at my house loved it!! Such a delicious summer treat!
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Homemade ice cream is the best! It’s so creamy & my kids love that they can add all their favorite toppings!
This is so creamy!! We loved it and it was so easy to make!
First homemade ice cream I loved! This recipe is clean and delicious with the perfect texture. My kids enjoyed the ice cream so much.
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This vanilla ice cream recipe is so easy! Love the short list of ingredients. Yum!
Wow – amazing recipe! I used it over the weekend and it turned out so good!
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