Homemade Ice Cream Recipe for Ice Cream Maker

This homemade ice cream recipe for a hand crank or electric ice cream maker is so easy to make. The no-cook method is made without eggs, and it uses just six simple ingredients. You can mix up the basic vanilla ice cream recipe or use one of the customizable flavor suggestions in this tutorial to find your personal favorite!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

We make homemade dairy practical by properly processing farm fresh milk and using the raw milk to churn homemade butter, Instant Pot yogurt, whipped cream, marinated yogurt cheese and, of course, this delicious homemade ice cream recipe.

• Customizable – This recipe is perfect on its own or as a base for fresh fruit, chocolate syrup, jam, or scooped over warm homemade apple pie, quick and easy cobbler, Apple Brown Betty, or fudgy sourdough brownies. We even freeze dry ice cream to make a delicious novelty treat.
• Rich & Creamy – The fresh heavy cream skimmed off the top of the raw milk makes the most delicious, velvety, smooth vanilla ice cream. That being said, not everyone can add a milk cow to their homestead, so purchasing raw or whole milk and heavy cream at most grocery stores works just fine in this recipe.
• No Cooking/Heating – This recipe does not use a custard base, so no eggs are added. As a result, it doesn’t require the added step of being cooked on a stovetop, and it’s allergy-friendly for those with an egg allergy.
• Simple Recipe – Just six simple ingredients you probably already have on hand!
• Secret Ingredient – You can make thick, creamy ice cream by whisking softened cream cheese into the base mix. The flavor of the cream cheese does not come through, but the smooth, creamy texture does make a difference. Omitting the cream cheese won’t harm the recipe; it will still be delicious!

Can You Use Milk Instead of Heavy Cream?

Heavy cream and whole milk make the best thick, creamy textured ice cream. This recipe uses both, but whole milk can be substituted for heavy cream. The ice cream will have a thinner, icier texture vs. a silky, thickened texture. 

Tips for a Perfect Homemade Cream Recipe

Here are a few tips to make sure your final product is always perfect:

• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese makes the ice cream thicker and smoother, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can omit it and still make delicious homemade ice cream.
• Whisking – This ice cream base is whisked instead of heated to preserve the nutritional value of raw milk. If you are using pasteurized milk and cream or don’t mind heating your milk, you can heat the milk and cream in step 2 to dissolve the sugar. This will be easier to incorporate the sugar, but your ice cream base will take longer to chill.
• Chill Mix-ins – Be sure all mix-ins are cold! Adding warm or even room-temperature ingredients to your churned ice cream can cause it to melt in spots. To prevent ice crystals from forming, chill or freeze mix-ins thoroughly before adding.
• Container and Beaters – Thoroughly chill the container and beaters you will churn the ice cream in so the ice cream mixture has the coldest start possible. This will help it set up and harden faster.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe Variations

Vanilla ice cream is the perfect base recipe to have on hand. You can customize it in so many ways to fit every taste preference and occasion.

Ice Cream Mix-Ins

The options for mix-ins are endless, but here are a few favorites to try:

• Cookie Pieces – You can add any kind of cookie crumbles to homemade ice cream. Homesteading Hack: Crumble day-old cookies or homemade brownies into an airtight container and store them in the freezer to use as a quick mix-in for your next batch of ice cream. 
• Candy – All sorts of crushed candy or baking chips (peanut butter, butterscotch or chocolate chip) taste wonderful in this recipe.
• Extracts – Beyond vanilla, you can use almond, mint, rum, or maple extract in this versatile recipe. 
• Nuts – Walnuts, almonds, and pecans chopped into small pieces and added to this recipe add a nice flavorful crunch.
• Syrups – Syrups such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry, raspberry, or butterscotch all taste great, either swirled into the ice cream after it’s churned (but still soft) or topped after it’s hardened.
• Jam and Preserves – Strawberry rhubarb jam, strawberry jam, plum jelly, peach jam, or other preserves can be stirred into this recipe.
• Fresh, Frozen, or Freeze Dried Fruit – Fruit options are endless whether you add it after it’s churned or before; make sure it’s been chilled and prepared the way you like it. Pureed, sliced, in chunks or mashed, it all tastes good.

Flavor Modifications

The best part of this ice cream recipe is its easy adaptation to other flavors:

• Chocolate – You’ll have to heat this one on the stovetop. In step 2, put your cream, milk, sugar and 6 Tablespoons of cocoa powder into a saucepan. Whisk this combination over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 6 ounces of chopped unsweetened chocolate along with the vanilla and cream cheese mixture until the chocolate has completely melted. Then continue with step 4!
• Coffee – Dissolve 4 Tablespoons of instant coffee in 2 Tablespoons of boiling water. Cool and add to the milk mixture in Step 2.
• Lemon – Eliminate the vanilla and instead add 1⁄4 cup finely grated lemon zest and 1⁄2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons lemon juice with the cream cheese in step 3.
• Strawberry – After step 3, combine two-thirds of a pound of strawberries, 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a blender or food processor and blend together until smooth. Pour the pureed strawberries into your ice cream base. Then, pulse one-third of a pound of strawberries into coarse pieces and stir into the softened ice cream before hardening.

The Homestead Kitchen

This homemade ice cream recipe was featured in issue No. 9 of the Homestead Kitchen magazine. If you are looking for a homesteading resource that can provide answers, guidance, encouragement, tips and tricks, or advice, this magazine was designed just for you. 

As new homesteaders, it took us a lot of trial and error to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Now, we have made it our mission to share our journey and knowledge with others to help them bypass some of those growing pains.

With the Homestead Kitchen magazine, you will be put on the fast track to homesteading with confidence as we share how to overcome the big obstacles along with the little things that can make a huge impact on your success. 

Now, the Homestead Kitchen magazine is available in print! So subscribe today and start enjoying this magazine in the palm of your hand.

How to Make Homemade Ice Cream for an Ice Cream Maker

Supplies Needed

• Mixing Bowls – A large mixing bowl and a small mixing bowl to hold the ingredients, and yet enough room to use a whisk is helpful.
• Whisk – A whisk with a good, sturdy handle makes whisking these ingredients easy.
• Large Spoon – A large spoon is helpful when stirring mix-ins into the softened ice cream.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons – Various sizes will work well to measure all the ingredients for this recipe.
• Ice Cream Maker – You can use an electric ice cream machine or a hand-churned ice cream maker. Just make sure to churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. No two ice cream makers are alike.
• Storage Bowl with Lid – You will need to chill the mixture in a bowl with a lid or tightly covered in plastic wrap for several hours or overnight before churning.

Ingredients Needed

Owning a dairy cow, there are times that we end up with much more milk than our family can drink fresh. This is a great time to skim off the heavy cream and make homemade ice cream!

• Heavy Whipping Cream – Farm fresh skimmed off the top of whole milk or store-bought without any additives works well in this recipe.
• Whole Milk – Once again, farm-fresh or store-bought whole milk is best in this recipe. 
• Cream Cheese – Room temperature is best, so it’s easier to incorporate.
• Sugar – We use good old evaporated cane juice. Any granulated sugar will do. If you’d like to use a 1:1 granulated sugar alternative, that will work, too. 
• Salt – A good quality fine salt without any additives; Redmond’s Real Salt is what I prefer. (Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!)
• Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean, or vanilla paste gives the best vanilla flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Place the cream cheese, salt, and 1/4 cup of whole milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. In a larger bowl, stir together the cream and remaining milk. Add the sugar and whisk to dissolve (3-4 minutes). Taste the mixture to ensure there is no graininess – it should feel smooth and creamy on the tongue, and no sugar should be visible on the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk as needed until all the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Whisk in the vanilla and the cream cheese mixture to incorporate thoroughly.
4. Chill your ice cream mixture, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight for a deeper flavor.
5. Once your ice cream base is completely chilled, prepare your ice cream maker according to what the manufacturer suggests. 
6. Pour the base into the ice cream maker bowl and let it churn! Homesteading Hack: Freeze the bowl and beaters overnight in your freezer before adding the ice cream mixture for the best results.
7. When churning the ice cream, this is your chance to add any “mix-ins.” See our list above for good options. Homesteading Hack: Note that adding a mix-in while the machine is churning will incorporate it evenly throughout your ice cream. If you prefer to add something more delicate, like a swirl of caramel sauce or whole pieces of fruit, folding those in by hand at the end of churning works well.
8. Scrape your completed ice cream into a freezer-safe container with a lid or plastic wrap.
9. Freeze the ice cream for a few hours before serving. This hardening method allows the ice cream to firm up and the flavors to blend.
10. Store the tightly covered ice cream in your freezer for up to a week if it lasts that long!

Did you try this recipe for homemade ice cream? If so, please leave a star⭐rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!

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