Recipe Collection: Custard-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

Written by Kate Tietje

Most of the time, when we make ice cream, we just use raw milk and a tiny bit of sugar (1/4 c. sucanat or maple syrup) per batch.  It’s fast, easy, and about as healthy as ice cream can get.

The thing is, though, it’s not a true ice cream.  There’s not enough cream, and the “bite” is wrong.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it.  But every now and then, I want to splurge on a real ice cream.

I made this one for my boys’ birthday celebration recently.  It is so rich and creamy and perfect.  I served it with a gluten-free white cake (which was filled with dark chocolate mousse and frosted with real buttercream), and it was the perfect dessert.  I can’t call it healthy because, well, it’s dessert.  But it’s a lot better than the store-bought stuff since it’s made from real, whole ingredients!

Custard-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 4 cups heavy cream (preferably grass-fed)
• 1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar, divided
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 vanilla beans

Directions:

Step 1: Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, and add 1 cup of sugar to the pan.

Step 2: Turn this mixture on low heat — very low.  Add the vanilla beans, split open and caviar scraped out if you want.  Let it cook for 5 minutes or so.

Step 3: In the measuring cup you used for the cream (to save on dishes!), put 6 egg yolks.  Use the whites for a different project (I used 2 for marshmallow cream and 4 for my gluten-free white cake).  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to this.  Whip this mixture until frothy and lightened in color.

Step 4: The cream mixture should be very warm now, and the sugar should be dissolved.  Pour a small amount of the cream into the eggs while whisking to “temper” the mixture (raise the temperature slowly so you don’t cook the eggs).

Step 5: Whip the mixture until it’s warmed up, then pour the warm cream-egg mixture back into the pot of cream.

Step 6: Allow this mixture to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, cool it, and place it in the fridge overnight or until it reaches 40ºF.  I kept my vanilla beans in it the whole time, removing them before churning.

Step 7: Once the mixture is cool, remove the vanilla beans (or add 2 tsp. vanilla extract at this point if you prefer to use that).  Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze for about 30 minutes.  If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can use a mixer to whip the cream at this point.

Step 8: Once the ice cream is churned or whipped, transfer it to a glass dish and freeze it for a few hours to harden.  Remove from the freezer for 10 – 15 minutes before serving it.

Print Recipe

Custard-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

A creamy, delicious custard-style vanilla ice cream recipe made with real food ingredients.

Prep Time5 mins

Freeze Time30 mins

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 4 cups heavy cream preferably grass-fed
• 1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar divided
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 vanilla beans

Instructions

• Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, and add 1 cup of sugar to the pan.
• Turn this mixture on low heat -- very low.  Add the vanilla beans, split open and caviar scraped out if you want.  Let it cook for 5 minutes or so.
• In the measuring cup you used for the cream (to save on dishes!), put 6 egg yolks.  Use the whites for a different project (I used 2 for marshmallow cream and 4 for my gluten-free white cake).  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to this.  Whip this mixture until frothy and lightened in color.
• The cream mixture should be very warm now, and the sugar should be dissolved.  Pour a small amount of the cream into the eggs while whisking to "temper" the mixture (raise the temperature slowly so you don't cook the eggs).
• Whip the mixture until it's warmed up, then pour the warm cream-egg mixture back into the pot of cream.
• Allow this mixture to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it's thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, cool it, and place it in the fridge overnight or until it reaches 40ºF.  I kept my vanilla beans in it the whole time, removing them before churning.
• Once the mixture is cool, remove the vanilla beans (or add 2 tsp. vanilla extract at this point if you prefer to use that).  Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze for about 30 minutes.  If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can use a mixer to whip the cream at this point.
• Once the ice cream is churned or whipped, transfer it to a glass dish and freeze it for a few hours to harden.  Remove from the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes before serving it.

How do you serve your ice cream?  What’s your favorite flavor?