Our old fashioned homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is a summer staple to remember. Mix the ice cream base with this family favorite recipe; then freeze it, using an old fashioned ice cream maker. Best homemade ice cream for family gatherings and summer holidays!
My family's favorite old fashioned ice cream recipe, besides old fashioned banana ice cream, has been a part of every summer for a long time, as far back as I can remember. While it's morphed from person to person, it's pretty much the same homemade old fashioned ice cream recipe I remember enjoying with family on special summer occasions gone by.
this recipe
When we recently visited Boquillas, one of the main souvenirs we made a beeline for was a huge bottle of Mexican vanilla. So far, we've made a batch of chocolate chip cookies with it, and then we made a big freezer of old fashioned homemade ice cream. It has amazing flavor and makes the best old fashioned vanilla ice cream ever.
When You'll Want to Make Old Fashioned Ice Cream
You can make a batch of homemade ice cream for an ordinary everyday treat, but there are a few special occasions when you'll definitely want to grab the ice cream maker and get freezing.
- Family Gatherings – Whether it's a holiday or just Sunday family dinner, family gatherings are the best time to make a freezer full of this delicious ice cream.
- Holidays – Make a refreshing batch of old fashion ice cream for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day… Even holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving, to go with all those delectable desserts on the dessert table.
- Potlucks and Backyard BBQ's – Church potlucks are one of the best times to serve this old fashioned ice cream maker recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:
Gather a few simple ingredients to make this old-fashioned vanilla ice cream base…
- Large Eggs – You'll need the whole egg, yolks and all, to make this custard base. If you choose to make an old fashioned homemade ice cream recipe with raw eggs, do keep in mind that consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, oreggsmay increase your risk of food borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. But we have personally always made homemade ice cream with eggs and have never had any problem. That said, some people prefer to temper and heat the eggs up to at least 160ºF in order to prevent any possible food poisoning. This is a great guide onhow and why to temper eggs for custard-based ice creams. You can temper the eggs with the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in this recipe, following the instructions in the post that I linked to above. Then just whisk everything else in as I explain in the recipe card below. If you'd rather make an egg-free version, my raw milk ice cream without eggs, using whole milk from our milk cow, is the best. Don't worry, you can use store bought milk and cream if you don't have access to raw milk.
- Cane Sugar – You can use granulated sugar, as well.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a really good dark vanilla extract, real vanilla if possible.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – My dad always loved using Eagle Brand; sometimes I use that, and sometimes I use Aldi's brand to make this homemade ice cream with sweetened condensed milk and whole milk.
- Evaporated Milk – If you prefer, you can use regular milk, but I do prefer to use evaporated milk. My mom and grandma always preferred to use Milnot evaporated milk; but I've always used what I can easily get, which is sometimes Milnot and sometimes generic or Aldi's brand when making evaporated milk ice cream.
- Salt – If possible, use a good sea salt.
- Whole Milk – Although you can use2% milkor1% milkin a pinch, I highly recommend that you usewhole milk, because it will make your ice cream much more creamy. You can even use Half-and-Half or part heavy cream to get a creamier texture.
- Ice and Rock Salt – You'll need crushed ice and rock salt to freeze the ice cream. While you can find rock salt online and smaller bags or boxes at the grocery store, sometimes you can get a bigger and less expensive bag at a hardware store or feed store. So just keep that in mind.
Before you get started, you may want to check out our complete guide to ice cream accessories and tools for making ice cream at home. It's the ultimate list for every ice cream lover's kitchen and especially helpful if you're planning an ice cream social.
Mixeror Blender – A mixer or blender will ensure you mix everything together really well. I will say, a blender is less messy when mixing the ingredients for old fashioned homemade ice cream.
Ice Cream Freezer– This is an ice cream maker recipe that makes 4 quarts of ice cream, so you’ll need an ice cream maker or electric freezer that will churn ice cream.
Food Storage Containers– We use dishes similar to these to store our old fashioned ice cream in the freezer, especially when we have a big batch.
Ice Cream Scoop– Can’t have ice cream without a scooper.
How to Make Old Fashioned Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Use amixerto mix up homemade vanilla ice cream with eggs; this will ensure that the ingredients are mixed really well, especially the eggs*. This recipe fills a 4-quart ice cream maker.
- Start by creaming (or mixing) the eggs and the sugar together.
- Then add in the vanilla extract to the egg mixture. Did you know you can even make your own vanilla?
- Next, mix in the sweetened condensed milk, scraping all the ooey gooey liquid out of the can with a spatula.
- Then add both cans of evaporated milk.
- Add in a good-sized dash of salt, which equals out to about a teaspoon.
- Mix everything together well.
- Pour the mixture into the metal canister of your ice cream maker.
- Finish topping off the canister with whole milk, making sure to fill it about 3/4 of the way full, leaving room for expansion as it freezes. Your metal canister should have a fill line.
Make sure yourice cream freezer, especially the freezer bowl or canister, is washed out good. We store ours in the garage, so we always have to wash it before we use it.
How to Freeze Homemade Ice Cream with an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker
Freezing the mixture to make old fashioned ice cream is fairly easy, especially once you get it going. You will need to stay with it so you can monitor if it needs more ice, rock salt, or needs unplugged when done.
While I always advise you to follow manufacturer's directions for your specific ice cream maker, here are a few tips.
- Put the lid on, place the metal canister down into the bucket of your ice cream maker, set the motor in place, and plug it in to turn it on and get the motor running, which will start to turn the canister.
- Crush a big bag of ice, gradually pouring ice around the canister. Tip: You can add up to a gallon of water if needed, as well. We sometimes do this because our motor will seize up. Adding a bit of water will help it keep turning.
- Add 2-3 cups of rock salt as you add the ice, making sure to top it off with rock salt.
- Let the electric motor run until it stops. Once the ice cream freezes, the motor on your ice cream maker will stop churning. Unplug it immediately. This should signal that the ice cream is completely frozen. Wipe any excess ice or rock salt off the lid and out from around the top of the canister. Then remove the lid to reveal the best vanilla ice cream ever.
- Carefully remove the churning paddle, and let your kids battle it out over who gets it. Oh, the memories!
- Serve the ice cream immediately. If you’re not ready to serve it up just yet, you can always leave the lid on, remove the motor, top the canister off with ice, and place a towel or two over it to insulate it and keep it cold for an hour or two.
Homemade vanilla ice cream pairs really well with peach cobbler, blueberry cobbler, and apple crumb pie.I LOVE a scoop of vanilla ice cream on this Dutch oven cherry cobbler! You can use frozen leftovers to make delicious homemade ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cones.
What Not to Do When Making Ice Cream
I've shared how to make the ice cream, but here are a few tips for things to avoid when making and freezing homemade ice cream.
- Avoid low-fat ingredients, for example, skim milk. You'll get the best ice cream with a creamy texture when you use full fat ingredients, like whole milk.
- If possible, try not to mix by hand. Blend the ingredients really well, using either a blender or a mixer. Either one works just fine. This will ensure you have a smooth, creamy mixture going into the ice cream maker.
- Try not to overfill the ice cream canister in your ice cream maker. Overfilling will lead to one big mess if it overflows while freezing. Remember… Freezing means expansion. Always leave room for expansion, and don't go over the fill line on your ice cream maker.
- When freezing the ice cream in an ice cream maker, place the maker down in a sink, or freeze it outside on a porch. You'll flood your countertop with a mess from all the ice, water, and rock salt if you don't.
- When the ice cream is done, don't open the lid 'til you've wiped all the rock salt and ice off the top. That way you avoid getting any of the gunk in your ice cream.
As long as you follow specific old-fashioned ice cream maker instructions for your ice cream maker, you'll be fine.
Favorite Toppings and Mix-Ins for Old-Fashioned Ice Cream
There are so many things you can mix into your ice cream to make it even more fun, especially with kids.
- Fruit or Fruit Jam – We especially love mixing strawberry jam or old fashioned blackberry jam into our ice cream or on top of our ice cream to make ice cream sundaes.
- Chocolate Syrup, Butterscotch Topping, Caramel Sauce, etc. – With whipped cream and a cherry on top, classic.
- Oreo Cookies – I especially love crushing up Oreo Minis. It's my favorite way to add mix-ins, especially when enjoying a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
- Chocolate candies – Like M&M's, Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and more treats.
- Chocolate Chips and Sliced Strawberries
- Brownies or Cookies
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
How should you store leftover homemade ice cream?
We always have a lot of leftover ice cream when we make it homemade, so we purchased some of thesefreezer containersto hold all the leftovers. Each storage container is big enough to hold 2-3+ servings of ice cream. Then we just stick each airtight container down in the freezer. If you have an upright, I'd place it on the shelves, rather than the door, so it doesn't melt or have a higher risk of freezer burn. Homemade ice cream usually keeps for up to about a month in the freezer.
How can I get a more firm consistency to this ice cream?
If you prefer a more firm ice cream than soft-serve that you can actually scoop, just place your ice cream in ice cream containers and stick it in the freezer, 'til it reaches the preferred consistency. It'll usually firm up enough to scoop onto an ice cream cone within 3-4 hours.
Why do you put raw eggs in homemade ice cream?
Eggs give rich flavor to homemade ice cream, and they give that characteristic yellow color, as well. They act as a stabilizer and provide a custard base that turns to smooth, creamy ice cream when finished.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes for Ice Cream Makers
If you love this ice cream recipe as much as we do (isn't it a great recipe?!), you'll love these flavors too…
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Old-fashioned homemade chocolate ice cream
- Homemade Peach Ice Cream
- Butterfinger ice cream recipe
- Mint Oreo ice cream
- Fruity Pebbles ice cream recipe
- And if you want a no-churn recipe, my friend Kelly from Eat Picks makes a delicious no-churn cherry chocolate chunk ice cream.
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a reviewin the comment sectionfurther down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Old Fashioned Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Our homemade vanilla ice cream recipe has been a summer staple for as long as I can remember. How to make it the old fashioned way using an ice cream maker.
4.50 from 212 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 quarts
Calories: 253kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff
Ingredients
Ice Cream:
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups cane sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 24 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 cups whole milk
Freezing Supplies:
- 16 pounds ice
- 3 cups rock salt
Instructions
Start by creaming (or mixing) the eggs and the sugar together using a mixer.
Then add in the vanilla extract.
Next, mix in the sweetened condensed milk, scraping all the ooey gooey liquid out of the can with a spatula.
Add both cans of evaporated milk.
Add in a good-sized dash of salt, which equals out to about a teaspoon, and mix everything together well.
Pour the mixture into the metal canister of your ice cream maker.
Finish topping off the canister with whole milk, making sure to fill it about 3/4 of the way full, leaving room for expansion as it freezes. Your metal canister should have a fill line.
Put the lid on, and place the metal canister down into the bucket of your ice cream maker.
Crush a big bag of ice, gradually pouring ice around the canister. Tip: You can add up to a gallon of water if needed, as well. We sometimes do this because our motor will seize up. Adding a bit of water will help it keep turning.
Add 2-3 cups of rock salt as you add the ice, making sure to top it off with rock salt.
Let the motor run until it stops. Once the ice cream is frozen, the motor on your ice cream maker will stop churning.
Unplug it immediately. This should signal that the ice cream is completely frozen.
Wipe any excess ice or rock salt off the lid and out from around the top of the canister. Then remove the lid.
Carefully remove the churning paddle.
Serve the ice cream immediately. If you’re not ready to serve it up just yet, you can always leave the lid on, remove the motor, top the canister off with ice, and place a towel or two over it to insulate it and keep it cold.
Notes
*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Some people prefer to temper and heat the eggs up to at least 160ºF in order to prevent any possible food poisoning. This is a great guide on how and why to temper eggs for custard-based ice creams. You can temper the eggs with the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in this recipe, following the instructions at the link above. Then just whisk everything else in as I explain in the recipe card instructions above.
*You can use Half & Half in place of the whole milk if you want an even creamier texture to your ice cream.
Favorite Mix-Ins for Ice Cream
There are so many things you can mix into your ice cream to make it even more fun, especially with kids.
- Fruit or Fruit Jam – We especially love mixingstrawberry jamorblackberry jaminto our ice cream.
- Chocolate Syrup, Butterscotch Topping, Caramel Topping, etc. – Withwhipped creamand a cherry on top.
- Oreo Cookies– I especially love crushing upOreo Minis.
- Chocolate candies – LikeM&M's, Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and more.
- Brownies or Cookies
How to Store Leftover Vanilla Ice Cream
We always have a lot of leftover ice cream when we make it homemade, so we purchased some of thesefreezer containers to hold all the leftovers. They're big enough to hold 2-3+ servings of ice cream. Then we just stick it down in the freezer. If you have an upright, I'd place it on the shelves, rather than the door, so it doesn't melt or have a higher risk of freezer burn. Homemade ice cream usually keeps for up to about a month in the freezer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 17212mg | Sugar: 35g
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