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Sweets · Global

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Custard Base)

Rich, egg-yolk custard speckled with real vanilla seeds, cooked to a safe temperature and churned until creamy.

Hands-on
30 min
Hands-off
5 h
Total
5 h 30 min
Makes
1 litre (about 1 quart)
Serves
8

About 30 minutes at the stove. Then at least 3 hours chilling the custard, churning in your machine, and about 2 hours in the freezer to firm up. Freeze the ice-cream maker's bowl ahead as its manual says.

  • medium
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • summer
  • dessert
  • make-ahead
  • ice-cream-maker

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Custard Base)
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: ice-cream maker (bowl frozen per its manual) · large heavy saucepan · medium bowl and whisk · wooden spoon or heatproof spatula · instant-read thermometer · fine-mesh sieve · large bowl set in a bigger bowl of ice water · airtight freezer container

Contains: milk · egg

Method

  1. Get the machine ready

    Freeze the ice-cream maker's bowl as its instructions say, before you start cooking.

  2. Heat the cream

    Put 720 ml (3 cups) cream, 240 ml (1 cup) milk and the vanilla seeds and pod into a large heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-high until it just starts to simmer, then take it off the heat.

    Ready when: Small bubbles appear around the edge and steam rises; it is not boiling.

  3. Whisk the yolks

    In a medium bowl, whisk the 10 egg yolks with 198 g (1 cup) sugar and a pinch of salt. While whisking, slowly pour in about half of the warm cream, then pour it all back into the saucepan.

    Otto tried this firstOtto dumps the yolks straight into the hot cream and gets sweet scrambled eggs. Add the hot cream to the yolks slowly while whisking, then return it to the pan.

  4. Cook the custard

    Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly in a figure-8 so nothing sticks, for about 10 minutes. Don't let it boil.

    Ready when: Ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (a finger drawn across leaves a clear line) AND a thermometer reads 77-80°C (170-176°F). Take it off before 82°C (180°F). It must reach at least 71°C (160°F) to be safe.

  5. Strain and cool fast

    Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl sitting in ice water, and lift out the vanilla pod. Stir now and then until it reaches room temperature, so no skin forms.

  6. Chill

    Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

  7. Churn

    Churn the cold custard in the ice-cream maker following its instructions.

    Ready when: It looks like thick soft-serve and holds soft swirls.

  8. Firm up

    Scrape the ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for about 2 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Swaps

  • Instead of 1 vanilla bean: 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract Stir it into the hot cream when you take it off the heat. Paste keeps the black specks.

Don’t swap

  • Skipping the thermometer: the custard has to reach at least 71°C (160°F) because of the egg yolks.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
The custard can chill in the fridge overnight before churning.
Storage
Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer.

If something goes wrong

  • A skin forms on the cooling custard Why: It sat without stirring.
    Stir it occasionally while it cools; strain it again if needed.
  • Too soft to scoop after churning Why: Churned ice cream is soft-serve texture.
    Freeze it in an airtight container for about 2 hours until firm.

Good to know

  • Stir in a figure-8 so the custard doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
  • For soft-serve texture, eat it straight from the machine.

Safety

  • Egg yolks must be cooked: the custard has to reach at least 71°C (160°F). Don't taste it before then.
  • Cool the custard fast in an ice bath and get it into the fridge: egg-and-milk mixtures shouldn't sit warm for more than 2 hours.
  • Hot custard and the hot pan can burn. Kids can help with the churning, not the stove.