This true French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe transforms simple ingredients into a rich custard base that celebrates what homemade, ultra-creamy vanilla ice cream should be.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get weekly updates from me!
Many people think of vanilla ice cream as plain or even boring…just a neutral starting point. But if you’ve ever had real homemade French-style vanilla ice cream, you know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Real French vanilla is what you reach for when you want an indulgent scoop, one that captures everything good ice cream should be. The egg yolk-rich custard base transforms simple vanilla into something luxe and almost buttery, with deep, complex flavor.
This French Vanilla Ice Cream is quite different from my Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, with the latter using a much lighter base to let the vanilla bean shine through cleanly. In contrast, this is the only recipe on my site that uses more than a few egg yolks. This French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe calls for 12…which is a lot, but it’s intentional.
Typically, I don’t find it necessary to enrich ice cream with that many yolks. In most recipes, too many yolks can dull delicate flavors or just add too much richness. But for French Vanilla, those yolks are what we are after, and they are doing the heavy lifting. They add body, richness, and that signature golden hue that signals this isn’t your everyday vanilla. And don’t get me started on store-bought French Vanilla, which is so often dyed an orange hue to make you think you are getting something you are not. So if we’re going to make French Vanilla, we might as well do it right, right?
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below details all the information you need to know to make these successfully, concluding with the recipe at the end. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
Jump to:
Ingredients Needed
Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. It's simple and short, as an ice cream recipe should be!
- egg yolks (this recipe calls for 12, and it's a lot, but it's worth it if you want to make real-deal French Vanilla...leftover egg whites can be frozen if you don't have a use for them right away)
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract (use a real good-quality vanilla extract here...the recipe doesn't call for a vanilla bean because the flavor is going to get quite muddled in this egg-yolk heavy base, but it's okay to use vanilla bean paste if you want)
- coarse kosher salt
- heavy cream
- whole milk
How to Make It
Here is a quick visual overview of how to make the French vanilla custard base. There is no need to temper the egg yolks because they'll be heated up slowly together with all of the custard ingredients. This is not the actual recipe, which is located at the end of this article and has much greater details to ensure success.
1. Whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and salt until lightened.
2. Add in the milk, cream and vanilla extract.
3. Transfer the mixture to a medium heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickend and it reaches 175°F.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and chill!
Tips for Successful Custard Making
Making a custard isn't difficult, but here are a few tips to help you have success every time:
- Use a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan which helps distribute heat evenly and reduces the risk of scorching or burning the custard. Using too large of a pot can increase the speed at which the eggs cook due to increased surface area and in turn highlight the "eggy" taste, which is best to avoid.
- Use medium to medium-low heat. Controlling the temperature is important to avoid curdling, or cooking the eggs too quickly.
- Stir constantly, taking care to get in the edges of the pan. A rubber spatula is best.
- Don’t walk away. This process takes about 10 minutes at most. But the custard can go from perfectly done to boiled (i.e., curdled) in a few seconds.
- Use a thermometer, if possible. The recipe calls for cooking the custard to 175Fº initially. Make sure that the thermometer is accurately taking the temperature from the middle of the liquid. Once it reaches 175Fº, pull it off the heat and stir for about a minute to let the custard slowly come up to 180Fº, before straining into an ice bath. 180Fº is an ideal temperature of the custard, but going over it is getting dangerously close to boiling it.
- Strain the cooked custard. Often the chalazae (or stringy egg white) tends to get cooked, and it’s best to strain that out.
Churning the Ice Cream Base
Churning the ice cream is very important. It's what makes "ice cream" what is is. Before freezing, keep two things in mind: the ice cream base must be very cold (below 40ºF is a must, but the lower the better) and if your ice cream machine needs to be frozen, it should be in the freezer for at least 24 hours before use.
Each ice cream maker (see here my favorite ice cream tool recommendations) is going to work different, so follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. But generally speaking, churn the custard until it reaches the soft serve stage. In my machine, I notice a change in the noise it makes when the ice cream is ready, and it usually takes about 30 minutes.
Storing the Ice Cream
The final step in making homemade ice cream is proper storage. Once the ice cream has been churned and frozen, it needs time to firm up in the freezer. This process is called "ripening" and allows the ice cream to reach its ideal consistency. The faster it hardens, the smaller the ice crystals and the smoother the texture.
Here are some things to consider in terms of storage:
- It should be a container with a tight-fitting lid to help prevent air from entering and ice crystals from forming.
- It should be a container that is safe to freeze, of course! As in, some plastic or glass containers might not be freezer-safe.
- A shallow, or small container is best because it allows the ice cream to freeze and harden more evenly and quickly.
For best results, place a piece of parchment paper on the surface of the ice cream to minimize air exposure from the ice cream and freeze promptly and thoroughly. See my Ice Cream Tool Kit for my recommendations.
More Ice Cream Recipes
I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, and tag me on Instagram!
Full Recipe
Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream
This true French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe transforms simple ingredients into a rich custard base that celebrates what homemade, ultra-creamy vanilla ice cream should be. Be sure to read the instructions through to make sure you've left yourself enough time for chilling and freezing.
- Prep Time: 00:05
- Churning Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 00:08
- Total Time: 00:42 plus chilling / freezing time
- Yield: about 3 pints
- Category: Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 12 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- 1-½ cups (340 grams) whole milk
- 1-½ cups (340 grams) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Set up an ice bath with two nesting metal bowls.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and salt until lightened, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the milk and cream.
- Transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed medium pot.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping constantly with a rubber spatula, especially along the edges and the bottom of the pot, until the mixture reaches 175°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thickened. To check if the custard is set without an instant-read thermometer, coat a wooden spoon with the custard. Draw a horizontal line on the back of the spoon with your finger. If the line “holds,” then your custard is set. If the line collapses immediately, the custard needs another minute or so. Be careful not to bring the mixture to a boil; this will curdle the custard.
- Immediately shut off and remove the pot from the heat. Add in the vanilla extract and continue to stir the custard for 1 minute. This helps bring it all the way up to 180ºF.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into the inner bowl of the prepared ice bath.
- Cool the custard in the ice bath to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Chill the custard thoroughly in the refrigerator until at least 40ºF, preferably overnight.
- Freeze the custard, following the recommended manufacturer’s instructions of your ice cream maker, until the ice cream has reached a soft-serve consistency.
- Transfer the ice cream to one or more airtight containers. Place a piece of parchment on the surface to prevent any freezer burn. Freeze until firm, at least a few hours.
Notes
French Vanilla Ice Cream is best consumed within a week, but will last for several in the freezer.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Everyday Pie is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Leave a Reply