Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Summer’s hot weather is here and cold desserts like ice cream, popsicles, and sorbets sure hit the spot after being in the sun all afternoon. Whether as a topping to picnic brownies, summer fruit cobblers, or even all by itself, homemade vanilla ice cream is a crowd-pleaser for even the pickiest palette. This homemade vanilla ice cream recipe requires no cooking and is totally egg-free.

*_{Photo by Dovile Ramoskaite on Unsplash}*

Why make homemade vanilla ice cream?

Aside from homemade ice cream being delicious, have you read the ingredients list on your average grocery store ice cream lately? Even the basic vanilla from a premium ice cream brand contains vegetable gums, artificial flavors, coloring, and high fructose corn syrup! If you value wholesome ingredients and strive to eat “real food,” making your own homemade ice recipes is the way to go.

And even if you do find a grocery store brand that has a respectable ingredient list the price is usually quite expensive compared to making your own ice cream at home. The best high-quality ice cream option at our local store is 28.4 cents per fluid ounce. I can make an even higher quality 100% organic vanilla ice cream for 16 cents per fluid ounce. Nearly half the price! If affordability is a concern, homemade vanilla ice cream with non-organic ingredients can be made for less than 9 cents per fluid ounce. Still way cheaper and better quality than anything in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Whole-food 4-Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream

Since the star flavor of this ice cream recipe is vanilla, you want to make sure you’re using the highest quality (and real!) vanilla you have access to. We order large bottles of Mexican vanilla on Amazon, but any non-artificial vanilla will do the job.

The sweetener in the recipe is interchangeable. Agave and cane sugar have the most neutral flavor, but you can substitute honey as well. Just keep in mind if you have a stronger honey the flavor will come through into your finished ice cream.

Because this vanilla ice cream recipe is egg-free, you will want to use full fat milk to get that creamy texture we all love. If you don’t have whole milk on hand, reduced fat (2% or 1%) milk options will still work, however, you should expect more ice crystals to form once you store it in the freezer.

How to make this easy no-cook vanilla ice cream?

This homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is so simple to make! You can have fresh ice cream in as little as 20 minutes depending on your churn. All the ingredients just need to be whisked together in a bowl until the sugar or other sweetener dissolves, pour it into the churn, and hit the on switch.

What makes this recipe so quick is it does not require eggs like a classic custard base would. With all the ingredients cold already, there’s no need to wait on it to chill for it to churn into a smooth soft-serve. If you like a harder ice cream, you can pop the freshly churned ice cream into the freezer for an hour or two to firm it up.

Do I need a churn to make this ice cream recipe?

One of the best kitchen appliances we bought was a small ice cream churn. We have put it through the paces over the years, and pull it out for even the smallest celebrations. What we love about this style of churn is that no rock salt or ice is required, it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice, and super easy to clean. Even if you don’t have this precise churn, you can still make this easy homemade vanilla ice cream recipe. This recipe is for a 1.5 quart churn. If you have a larger one, you can scale up the recipe as-needed.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Variations

Replace milk with yogurt for a tangier cheesecake-like flavor that pairs great with sweet desserts.
Crumble up your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies (aka oreos) into the ice cream as it churns to make your own cookies and cream ice cream.
Toss in chocolate chips as it churns or even egg-free cookie dough bites.
Swirl in a ribbon of caramel or your other favorite sauce.