Julie Clark
Updated:
Vanilla Frozen Custard (Creamy and Rich)
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Frozen custard is a rich, ultra-smooth frozen dessert made from cream, whole milk, sugar, and egg yolks. Those yolks are the whole difference between custard and regular ice cream: they cook into the base to create a dense, velvety scoop with almost no iciness.
Creamy Frozen Custard in an Ice Cream Maker
This homemade version uses six yolks (no whole eggs) for the creamiest possible texture. Keep it plain vanilla or load it up with your favorite mix-ins.
I grew up on custard stands here in the Midwest, so I tested this base until it churned up as thick and creamy as the old fashioned ice cream stands you know and love.
You’ll need an ice cream maker, but a countertop model keeps it simple and quick. It’s incredible on its own, and even better over our famous brownies or a slice of coconut custard pie.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Meg says, “This was AMAZING!! My ice cream making doesn’t get it really stiff right out of the maker… but I put it in the freezer over night and tonight it was perfect… I made my amazing hot fudge sauce to go on it!! All I can say is WOW!! It’s going to be hard for me to buy ice cream any more!!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Gina says, “This was excellent! We made it with just ½ cup sugar, and I think the flavor was perfect.”
What is the difference between frozen custard and ice cream?
Egg yolks. Frozen custard must contain egg yolks, which make it denser, smoother, and richer than standard ice cream. Ice cream can be made with no eggs at all. Both start from cream, milk, and sugar, but the yolks are what give custard its signature velvety texture.
What do you need to make frozen custard?
Fresh ingredients are best for homemade frozen custard:
- Heavy cream. Use half and half for a lighter custard, but I recommend trying it with heavy cream first. You won’t regret it. 😋
- Whole milk.
- White sugar.
- Salt.
- Egg yolks.
- Vanilla extract. Use homemade vanilla extract for amazing sweet treats.
How to Make Vanilla Frozen Custard
There are a few important things to remember when making homemade custard ice cream.
Plan ahead. Because custard has eggs, you cook the ice cream base together on the stovetop. Then you have to refrigerate it until it has cooled down. Only at that time is it ready for the ice cream freezer. You’ll need to refrigerate the base for at least 4 hours.
Use heavy cream and whole milk for the creamiest custard. Yes, these are higher in fat. Yes, you can use lower fat milk, but your ice cream won’t be as rich and creamy. I suggest first trying the recipe as written, the if you’d like you can lower the milk fat content as you continue to test.
Temper the eggs. When you temper eggs, you slowly raise the temperature of cold or room temperature eggs by adding a small amount of hot food or liquid and whisk it in quickly.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, then slowly drizzle ½ cup hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking the entire time you are drizzling.
It’s only after this that you add the egg mixture back into the entire hot milk mix.
Tempering eggs prevents the egg from cooking. No one wants scrambled eggs in their ice cream!
How do you know when the custard base is done?
Cook it over low heat just until it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you run your finger through it. It will still look a little runny, and that’s exactly right. Pull it off the heat before it ever looks pudding-thick, because that’s when the yolks curdle.
If you do spot tiny bits of cooked eggs, pour the base through a fine mesh strainer and it goes right back to perfectly smooth. This is the step that separates a creamy custard from a grainy one.
If you have an electric ice cream maker, be sure the drum that holds the ice cream is frozen. You’ll want this in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning ice cream. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning the custard.
Straight from the ice cream maker, the frozen custard will be soft. If you’d like it harder, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze it until it has reached the texture you’d like.
How long should homemade ice cream churn?
Plan between 20-30 minutes for the ice cream to churn in the maker. The exact time will depend on the temperature of the milk mixture and the exact texture of vanilla frozen custard that you desire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you just freeze custard to make frozen custard?
No. Freezing a custard base solid gives you a hard, icy block, not scoopable frozen custard. The smooth texture comes from churning, which whips in a little air and keeps the ice crystals tiny as the base freezes. An ice cream maker is what actually turns cooked custard into frozen custard.
Can I make frozen custard without heavy cream?
You can, but it will be less rich. Swap the heavy cream for half and half for a lighter scoop, or use whole milk in a pinch. The more butterfat you remove, the icier and less creamy it gets, so I recommend making it with heavy cream the first time, then adjusting to taste on your next batch.
Flavors and Variations
Whether you choose plain vanilla, vanilla bean or a fun overloaded custard, it’s delicious to scoop into a cake cone or waffle cone on a warm spring or summer day. Your taste buds will thank you.
- For a simple chocolate custard, add chocolate syrup to the custard while it is churning.
- This is amazing served over caramel brownies or warm chocolate chip cookies.
- Add the custard to a blender, then add a little more milk and some fruit for fun shakes.
And here’s a few unique options for a flavor of the day. Yes, we’ve actually made these flavors!
- Make pumpkin dump cake, freeze it, then cut it into pieces. Churn this into the custard.
- Make a cheesecake, freeze it, then cut it into cubes and add to the custard during churning. To add a fruit flavor, try strawberry jam.
- Throw chopped Nutter Butter Cookies and a large scoop of creamy peanut butter into the custard while it is churning.
Creamy Vanilla Frozen Custard Recipe
Tested egg-yolk base that churns thick and creamy, never icy. Learn the exact doneness cue so it never curdles. Just six yolks and real vanilla.
Servings 6
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill & Churn Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add cream, milk, sugar and salt to a small saucepan over medium low heat. 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt
- Simmer about 3-5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks. Drizzle about ½ cup of the warm milk liquid into the egg yolks whisking constantly as you drizzle it in. 6 large egg yolks
- Whisk the egg mixture back into the pot. Return the pot to a medium low heat and cook until mixture starts to thicken. Take off the heat, mix in the vanilla and pour into a mesh strainer. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Cool the milk to room temperature, then cover and put into fridge to cool completely. This will take at least 3-4 hours to overnight.
- Churn ice cream according to manufacturer directions. Serve soft serve from ice cream maker or firm it up in the freezer.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 3 cups, with one serving being ½ cup custard. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 297mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 131mg | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1475IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Where it says “pour into mesh strainer”…do you pour it into a separate bowl, leave overnight, and then put into ice cream drum when ready to churn? Or do you pour it directly into the frozen ice cream drum and leave overnight?
This was excellent! We made it with just 1/2 cup sugar, and I think the flavor was perfect.
Thank you, tried it and very good recipe. Was only afraid to add salt :D. But otherwise followed faithfully and it has very nice creamy texture.
The only question I have: any way to add different flavors? I know, you can pour fruit sauce over ready made ice cream but any ways to add fruit flavor to ice cream itself – like adding fruit puree before freezing in ice machine? And would this puree require different proportions (in sugar, yolks, etc.). Thank you in advance.
HELP-I don’t have an ice cream maker. What else can I u?
Curious as to how much this recipe is supposed to make…..when comparing this recipe to others, is uses very little sugar and liquids. We only got 3 cups of ice cream. It’s good but seems something is missing.
I made it twice. It curdled twice very sad
Your kitchenaid ice cream bow, if that is what you are using, need to be in the freezer for 24 hours before using to churn your ice cream.
Left mixture refrigerated overnight as well as freezer bowl in freezer well over 14 hours. My mixture will not freeze. Any tips???
How could you change the flavor of the Custard
Outstanding flavor and texture. I steeped vanilla bean and cinnamon stick for this. Great results.
Would this work with stevia instead of sugar?
About how long should the final cooking step take? Don’t want to over thicken it.
Please tell me the pourpose of tempering the eggs, we have always made this recipe and never cooked / tempered the eggs?!
This was AMAZING!! My ice cream making doesn’t get it really stiff right out of the maker… but I put it in the freezer over night and tonight it was perfect… I made my amazing hot fudge sauce to go on it!! All I can say is WOW!! It’s going to be hard for me to buy ice cream any more!!
Meg
Easy recipe to follow. The only thing I did differently, was put the custard mixture in an ice water bath to immediately stop cooking it. between steps 7 & 8 on your cooking directions. Tastes delicious.