The BEST Homestyle Vanilla Ice Cream

This rich, creamy vanilla ice cream is pure perfection made completely by hand. You don't need a machine or sweetened condensed milk to get a luxurious, smooth texture—just four simple ingredients and a little kitchen logic!

 

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Freeze time: 4–6 hours
• Yields: 2–4 servings

 

Ingredients

• 1 large pasteurized egg, separated into yolk and white
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar), divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or flavor of your choice)

 

Instructions

1. Whisk the Egg White

In a chilled glass or stainless steel bowl, add the single egg white. Whisk vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer until you have soft medium peaks. Add one tablespoon of the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the egg white comes to medium soft peaks again.

 

2. Whisk the Heavy Cream

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Then add the remaining caster sugar, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until it forms soft peaks.

 

3. Combine the Bases

Gently fold the whisked egg whites into your bowl of whipped heavy cream. Use a spatula to gently fold them together just until combined, being careful not to deflate the cream.

 

4. Freeze

Pour your smooth ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container or bowl with a cover. If desired, after 2–3 hours remove and gently fold in any add-ins, or top with your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chunks or berries once completely frozen. Cover and place in the freezer for 6 hours up to overnight until it is perfectly firm and scoopable.

 

Chef's Tip:

Because we are not using an ice cream machine to churn out ice crystals, separating the egg and whipping the whites into a meringue is the secret to keeping this ice cream incredibly light, smooth, and velvety by hand!

 

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