This Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is a family favorite and oh so good. My whole family loves a good bowl of ice cream, especially when it is hot outside. And, I love easy – this ice cream recipe is both!
I’m telling you, there is no one in our family who doesn’t like ice cream! Our family tradition for years has been ice cream every Sunday night.
But, now, we are having ice cream more frequently – it is not just for Sunday nights anymore!
You might ask, “why?”
Well, with our lifestyle and working in the vineyard all day, we have our large meal at noon. This allows a rest period and an opportunity to be out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.
In west Texas during the summer – the sun can be brutal! Don’t worry though, we all use homemade sunscreen!
Now, we tend to snack at night.
It is just too hot after a full day’s work to have a big appetite in the evening – the sun just takes it away.
Sometimes we eat cheese (homemade mozzarella) and crackers, granola with fresh raw milk or smoothies accompanied by chips and homemade salsa.
I know, you might be saying, “ICE CREAM for DINNER?” But it is healthy ice cream that is made from our family milk cow’s raw, fresh milk.
That means that it is filled with nutrition that is easy for our body’s to absorb.
And, as you will see from the following recipe, it has a nice amount of cream which is full of healthy fats that growing children need!
Plus, to keep the beneficial enzymes found in raw milk, it is important to have a recipe in which the milk is not heated.
Soft Serve Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or Firmer – Your Choice!
The following recipe yields an ice cream with the consistency of soft serve.
If you desire a firmer consistency, as shown in the photos, simply remove the ice cream from the ice cream maker (old fashioned using salt or an automatic one like I have from my affiliate partner, Cuisinart) and place it in the freezer for 20 – 30 minutes.
Benefits of an Automatic Ice Cream Maker
When we had ice cream on Sunday nights, we used a traditional ice cream maker – the kind requiring ice and salt.
Not having an ice maker in the freezer, we had to remember to make ice the old fashioned way – with ice trays. While it was not hard, it was difficult to remember to make it.
Now, though, I have purchased from my affiliate partner, two Ice Cream Makers. I bought them a couple of years ago after grape harvest and they are absolutely wonderful!
No more remembering to make ice. No more melted ice dripping.
I keep the freezer bowls in the freezer so they are ready anytime.
When I am ready to make ice cream or frozen yogurt, I take the bowl out of the freezer, place it in the machine, add the mixing paddle, turn it on and pour in the mix.
It only takes about 20 minutes and our frozen treat is ready to serve, eat and enjoy!
The following recipe works in my Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers but it also works great in the old fashioned ice cream makers too!
Ways To Serve Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- Serve with chopped fresh fruit
- Serve with grated of dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- Serve with homemade brownies – try The Best Brownies or Coconut Flour Brownies
- Serve with pie
- Serve with a chocolate cookie
- Serve in an ice cream Sunday form with whipped cream, flavored syrups…
Why is Vanilla Better?
If you’re making homemade vanilla ice cream, you may be wondering why vanilla is better. Vanilla is better for many reasons. Vanilla is just one of those flavors that is delicious and everyone loves.
Everyone knows that vanilla itself is yummy, but when it’s added in a cold cream form, it’s even better.
According to Business Insider, vanilla is the best selling flavor – so that settles it!
Ok, to be completely honest, vanilla is the best selling flavor but polls show other flavors (chocolate or mint) may actually be more favored.
How To Make This Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
The steps to make Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream are super easy – it takes a couple of minutes to mix it and then using an automatic ice cream maker, about 20 mins until it is ready to eat.
- Mix all ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- If using honey, you will need to warm it so it dissolves completely.
- Using an immersion blender works well to mix completely.
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.
For the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Makers, be sure not to fill any higher than 1/2 inch from the top since the volume expands as it mixes and freezes.
Suggested Additions to Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
One of the advantages to vanilla flavor ice cream is that you can add other things as it is churning to make it fit your taste. Here are some suggestions to add to the following recipe:
- 1 c. chocolate syrup instead of the sugar
- 2 c. roughly cut cookies – think Oreos or other cream filled cookies – add just before the ice cream is thick so they don’t get soggy.
- 1 c. peanut butter – we prefer smooth
What Gives Vanilla Ice Cream Its Flavor?
Most vanilla is flavored by natural vanilla flavoring. When flavored with artificial flavoring it is called vanillin.
You can also use real vanilla that you make yourself – see How to Make Vanilla Extract – or you can use artificial vanilla in your recipes. Vanilla is a simple flavor, but it’s also very delicious.
What is Vanilla Flavoring Made From?
After reading this, you may never look at imitations vanilla the same again.
According to Fox New,
A chemical compound used in vanilla flavored foods and scents comes from the butt of a beaver. Castoreum comes from a beaver’s castor sacs, located between the pelvis and base of the tail. … The musky, vanilla scent is attributed to a beaver’s diet of bark and leaves.
If you have always wondered where vanilla flavoring comes from, now you have your answer.
I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna make my own!
If you’ve tried this Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or any other recipe on Cultured Palate please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YouTube and TWITTER.
Homemade ice cream is best eaten immediately.
- Mix all ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- If using honey, you will need to warm it so it dissolves completely.
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.
- For the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Makers, be sure not to fill any higher than 1/2 inch from the top since the volume expands as it mixes and freezes.
- This recipe yields ice cream which is the consistency of soft serve ice cream - for a firmer consistency, put the ice cream in the freezer for 20 - 30 minutes.
Ways To Serve Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream;
- Serve with chopped fresh fruit
- Serve with grated of dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- Serve with homemade brownies or desserts
Do You Eat Vanilla Ice Cream Alone or Do You Add Something to It?
Leave a comment, I would love to know!
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Haidi Telles says
The kids still talk about that ice cream… Can’t believe how yellow it is! Yum! Thinking I need to buy one of those ice cream makers. 🙂
Susan says
I think ice cream is the perfect dinner! It’s got all the good stuff in it and if you look at the ratio between how much sugar is used and the amount of milk and cream, its really not that bad. I would rather my kid have ice cream at your house made from raw milk than most of the stuff I see people buying at the grocery store for their dinners!!
Sarah says
If we lived where it was hot, had access to lots of fresh raw milk and cream, we too would have ice cream for dinner! We are only averaging 65 degrees during the day so ice cream sounds too cold to have very often.
Sarah says
Is there a reason that you don’t use egg yolk or is it just personal preference?
Dina-Marie says
Sarah, I guess it is just personal preference – I never know what to do with the whites once the eggs are separated so I put them in the fridge to use the next morning in waffles but always forget they are there 😉 The egg yolks would probably give a bit firmer consistency but we like the soft serve texture – but it does get firmer without getting icy if you just put the ice cream directly from the maker into the freezer for about 20 – 30 min. We are rarely patient enough to wait and just eat it as soon as it is done!
Barb @ Frugal Local Kitchen says
Vanilla is a favorite at our house, too. I promised my 9 year old we would make ice cream. The only problem is our favorite produce stand doesn’t carry half gallons of cream anymore. I should just grab the pints and make it.
Evelyn says
I use coconut cream, and coconut milk instead. It is really good
Dina-Marie says
Thanks, Evelyn, I always love to hear about substitutions that work – I will try it!
Emily Kemp says
I love my ice cream machine, it so easy and works great every time. Love the sound of your recipe, you can never go wrong with vanilla!