Today, Umamiology brings you the best homemade vanilla bean ice cream recipe! It’s a smooth & subtle flavor coupled with small speckled bits of vanilla seeds that you cannot resist. This simple and easy vanilla bean ice cream recipe will have you coming back for seconds!
Did you know that vanilla is America’s favorite ice cream flavor? There’s no surprise there. Vanilla ice cream, with its smooth & subtle flavor profile, pairs so well with other desserts, not to mention its ability to shine bright on its own!
After perfecting this homemade vanilla ice cream recipe for ice cream makers, my favorite ice cream flavor has now become vanilla too – true story! It’s so versatile that I had to create my own Affogato recipe and even poured Baileys Chocolate Liqueur to make it more festive this holiday season. The possibilities are endless!
How Do You Make Vanilla Ice Cream?
Ok, so you get that vanilla ice cream is popular.
Why not just buy it at a store? Why make it? Simple! Making vanilla ice cream is SO, incredibly simple that you won’t want to buy any more store-bought vanilla ice cream! Our easy vanilla bean ice cream only calls for 7 simple ingredients that you’ll even have the recipe memorized for the next time you want to make our best homemade vanilla ice cream recipe.
Best part is, you can adjust the different ingredients (especially the sweetness level) depending on your own taste!
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The heavy cream is crucial for the “cream” in the ice cream! Remove this, and you’ll get a less creamy, more icy version of ice cream – trust me, I’ve tried half & half and it did not work.
- Vanilla Bean: The seeds in the vanilla bean pod gives our vanilla bean ice cream the black speckles and the extra boost of vanilla flavor. If you prefer a classic vanilla ice cream instead, feel free to omit the vanilla beans altogether!
- Ice Cream Maker: The ice cream maker is going to easily (in 20 minutes!) turn your cream mixture into America’s most popular ice cream – you’ve got to bookmark this as one of your favorite Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes.
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes
I’m not going to lie. I’ve had my Cuisinart ice cream maker for a few years now. I was gifted the ice cream maker as a hand-me-down, so it did not come with an owner’s manual or a handy dandy booklet labeled “Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes” – yes, I am the type of person who reads the owner’s manual for all things! So, naturally, no Cuisinart ice cream maker instructions meant I was intimated by this silvery steel piece of machinery. And no Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipe book meant, I had no idea where to even begin!
I do admit that I did not feel the need to make my own ice cream for a while, despite my ownership of said ice cream maker. And when I first attempted making ice cream in my Cuisinart ice cream maker, I did fail miserably because I did not freeze the inner bowl beforehand – I told you I needed the instructions for the Cuisinart ice cream maker!
Fast forward a few years (yes, years!), I muster up enough courage (to use the ice cream maker) and go through enough trial and error of perfecting my homemade ice cream recipe to proudly present… the most amazing ice cream recipe for the Cuisinart ice cream maker!
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream vs Vanilla Ice Cream
How come some vanilla ice creams are called vanilla bean vs others are just vanilla ice cream?
Simple – vanilla bean ice cream actually has seeds from vanilla beans in it, whereas vanilla ice cream only has the vanilla extract. Visually, you’ll notice black speckles in a vanilla bean ice cream, the vanilla seeds. They almost “pop” in your mouth when you bite down on them. They add a wonderful texture to the creaminess of the dessert.
What if I was looking for a vanilla ice cream recipe? No problem! Substitute the vanilla bean in our recipe with an extra tablespoon of vanilla extract and you’ll still be most satisfied by our homemade vanilla ice cream!
Regardless of whether it’s speckled or not, ours is one to savor!
Homemade Ice Cream with Condensed Milk
If you’re an Umamiology fan, you probably noticed we use condensed milk in a few good recipes – our Rudy’s Creamed Corn (Copycat Recipe) and Mexican Hot Chocolate recipes included!
We use condensed milk to add sweetness AND creaminess into the dish – in this case, the ice cream bowl! We use a perfect balance of granulated sugar and condensed milk to ensure we have the best creamy and not-too-sweet vanilla bean ice cream.
The Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 pod Vanilla Bean
- 1 pinch Salt
Pro Tip: This recipe yields about 5 servings. However, depending on your scoop size, it could fluctuate to 3-7 servings.
The Equipment Needed
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
- Stainless Steel Bowl
- Whisk
- Silicone Mixing Spoon
- Stainless Steel Breading Pan or other freezer safe container for ice cream
- Cutting Board
- Knife
How to Prepare Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Before you begin, ensure you freeze the freezer bowl of the Cuisinart ice cream maker. You can freeze it for 1-2 hours, but for best results, I suggest freezing it overnight.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to freeze the inner bowl (freezer bowl) of your ice cream maker!
This super simple vanilla bean ice cream recipe is about to make you the talk of the town!
Before you start mixing the ingredients together, take the vanilla bean and extract the vanilla seeds. You can do this by splitting the vanilla bean pod in half with a knife, then scraping out the vanilla seeds.
Next, take the whole milk, condensed milk, sugar, and pinch of salt and whisk it all together in a bowl. This is so the condensed milk, sugar, and salt dissolves into the mixture.
Pro Tip: We highly encourage the use of heavy cream for the most perfect creamy texture.
Once everything is dissolved and smooth, mix in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds. I can’t emphasize this enough – half & half doesn’t yield the right creamy consistency, so please use heavy cream!
Cover the bowl of your “ice cream soup” and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight, to make sure everything gets extra cold!
How to Make Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Once your mixture has had time to chill, bring your ice cream maker out, making sure the freezer bowl is back in place. Pour the cream mixture or “ice cream soup” into the ice cream maker and turn on the machine (so simple!). Let your Cuisinart ice cream maker do its magic for 20 minutes.
You’ll notice the ice cream soup getting more and more solidified over time and slowly turn into real, delicious ice cream!
And resist (don’t resist) the urge to lick the mixing paddle once you take it out.
When the creamy mixture first comes out, it’ll be very soft – like soft serve vanilla bean ice cream. You can eat your delicious creation immediately (which I did a little), or…
…You can freeze the ice cream further in the freezer for 1-2 hours in a stainless steel breading pan or a freezer safe container overnight for a more solid ice cream texture.
Once ice cream has solidified even more, scoop ice cream into a bowl or cone and top with favorite topping. Enjoy!
Best Toppings for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Of course, you can eat your vanilla bean ice cream plain with no toppings, but here are some of my personal favorites:
- Sprinkles
- Biscuit or cookie
- Cacao powder
- Espresso shot (check out our Affogato recipe)
- Matcha tea (check out our Matcha Affogato recipe)
- Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these too:
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Breading Pan, (or other freezer safe container for ice cream)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 pod Vanilla Bean
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
How to Prepare Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Before you begin, ensure you freeze the freezer bowl of the Cuisinart ice cream maker. You can freeze it for 1-2 hours, but for best results, I suggest freezing it overnight.
- Pro Tip: Don’t forget to freeze the inner bowl (freezer bowl) of your ice cream maker!
- Before you start mixing the ingredients together, take the vanilla bean and extract the vanilla seeds. You can do this by splitting the vanilla bean pod in half with a knife, then scraping out the vanilla seeds.
- Next, take the whole milk, condensed milk, sugar, and pinch of salt and whisk it all together in a bowl. This is so the condensed milk, sugar, and salt dissolves into the mixture.
- Pro Tip: I can't emphasize this enough – half & half doesn't yield the right creamy consistency, so please use heavy cream!
- Once everything is dissolved and smooth, mix in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds.
- Cover the bowl of your “ice cream soup” and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight, to make sure everything gets extra cold!
How to Make Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Once your mixture has had time to chill, bring your ice cream maker out, making sure the freezer bowl is back in place.
- Pour the cream mixture or “ice cream soup” into the ice cream maker and turn on the machine.
- Let your Cuisinart ice cream maker do its magic for 20 minutes.
- When the creamy mixture first comes out, it’ll be very soft – like soft serve vanilla bean ice cream. Freeze the ice cream further in the freezer for 1-2 hours in a stainless steel breading pan or a freezer safe container overnight for a more solid ice cream texture.
- Once ice cream has solidified even more, scoop ice cream into a bowl or cone and top with favorite topping. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
How can I make ice cream without an ice cream maker?
This is where rock salt, Ziploc bags, and lots of shaking comes in! You can take our “ice cream soup” mixture and bag it up to make ice cream too. You’ll need to shake it for 10-15 minutes (or more, depending on how vigorously you’re shaking the bag) in a rock salt and ice mixture.
What if I don’t have vanilla beans?
Not to worry! You can make a vanilla ice cream by omitting the vanilla bean and substituting it with an extra tablespoon of vanilla extract! It’ll still be delicious!
Can I use half and half if I don’t have heavy whipping cream?
For the most perfect creamy consistency, we highly encourage the use of heavy cream. Using half and half makes your ice cream more icy when you put it in the freezer to solidify. However, half and half could be used if you plan to serve your ice cream immediately out of the ice cream machine as soft serve.
Jimmy
I need to make this again! I ended up eating all of it while it was in soft serve form, so didn’t get to taste the more solid version ha! So good!
Umamiologist
It’s irresistible!
Megan
We actually ended up eating up all the soft serve ice cream when it came out of our ice cream maker! lol! So good!!
Umamiologist
We’re so glad you love it 🙂