Creamy Homemade Custard Ice Cream Recipe: Summer’s Sweet Joy

Creamy custard ice cream represents the ultimate indulgence for passionate dessert lovers everywhere.

Rich dairy foundations create a luxurious base that redefines simple ingredients into something extraordinary.

Traditional techniques merge with modern culinary approaches to produce this delightful frozen treat.

Smooth, velvety textures promise an incredible sensory experience that tantalizes taste buds and memories.

Delicate flavor profiles emerge from carefully balanced ingredients, ensuring each spoonful delivers maximum satisfaction.

Complex yet approachable, this dessert welcomes both novice and experienced home cooks into its delectable world.

Prepare to elevate your summer dessert game with a recipe that celebrates pure, uncompromising deliciousness.

Custard Ice Cream with Smooth, Rich Texture

• Craft Luxurious Vanilla Flavor: This custard ice cream delivers rich, authentic vanilla notes straight from real vanilla bean seeds, creating an incredibly deep and sophisticated taste experience.
• Master Silky Smooth Texture: The careful tempering technique ensures an ultra-creamy, velvety consistency that melts perfectly on your tongue without any icy or grainy sensations.
• Create Gourmet Dessert Easily: Despite seeming complex, this recipe allows home cooks to produce professional-quality ice cream with straightforward steps and minimal specialized equipment, making restaurant-style desserts accessible to everyone.
• Customize Your Culinary Treat: The base recipe offers endless possibilities for adding personal touches like chocolate chips, fruit swirls, or alternative extracts, letting you transform a classic vanilla into your unique dessert masterpiece.

Ingredients for Custard Ice Cream Bliss

• Milk: Fresh, whole milk provides a rich and creamy foundation for the custard ice cream.
• Heavy Cream: Adds extra richness and smooth texture to the ice cream base.
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness of the ice cream.

• Vanilla Bean: Authentic, pure flavor with visible seeds for a gourmet touch.
• Vanilla Extract: Provides additional depth and intensity of vanilla flavor.

• Egg Yolks: Creates a silky, smooth custard base with a luxurious mouthfeel.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the ice cream and helps create a smooth, soft texture.

Custard Ice Cream Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Ice Cream Bowl

Chill the designated ice cream bowl for 24 hours until completely solid. Verify by shaking the bowl – no water movement should be detected.

Step 2: Create Egg Base

In a medium bowl, blend egg yolks and granulated sugar until mixture turns smooth and transforms to a pale yellow color.

Step 3: Extract Vanilla Essence

Carefully split vanilla bean lengthwise and gently scrape out the inner seeds.

Step 4: Warm Milk Mixture

• Milk
• Salt
• Vanilla bean seeds
• Vanilla bean pod

Heat over medium temperature until milk reaches a gentle simmer. Remove from heat immediately to prevent boiling.

Step 5: Temper Egg Mixture

Pour hot milk into egg-sugar blend, whisking continuously. Gradually return tempered mixture back to saucepan with remaining hot milk.

Step 6: Thicken Base

Reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until mixture reaches a consistency that coats the back of a spoon, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Strain and Enhance

• Heavy cream
• Vanilla extract

Stir until thoroughly combined.

Step 8: Chill Mixture

Cover bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring direct contact with mixture surface. Refrigerate for minimum 3 hours.

Step 9: Churn Ice Cream

Remove vanilla bean pod. Transfer mixture to ice cream machine. Churn according to manufacturer instructions (approximately 25 minutes) until reaching soft-serve consistency.

Step 10: Freeze and Set

Transfer churned ice cream to shallow container or loaf pan. Cover surface with plastic wrap or wax paper. Freeze for minimum 4 hours until solid.

Step 11: Serve

Allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving for optimal scooping experience.

Tips for Creamy Custard Ice Cream

• Freeze Bowl Perfectly: Ensure your ice cream machine bowl is completely frozen solid for at least 24 hours, with zero water movement when shaken for the smoothest texture.
• Temper Eggs Carefully: Slowly add hot milk to egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling and create a silky smooth custard base.
• Control Heat Precisely: Maintain low heat when cooking the custard, stirring continuously to avoid burning and achieve the perfect spoon-coating consistency.
• Prevent Skin Formation: Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface when chilling to block air exposure and prevent unwanted skin development.
• Soften Strategically: Allow ice cream to rest at room temperature for exactly 5 minutes before serving to achieve the ideal scoopable consistency without melting completely.

How to Store Custard Ice Cream Like a Pro

• Storage Method: Transfer leftover custard ice cream to an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming and minimize freezer burn.
• Refrigeration Method: Store the container in the coldest part of your freezer, typically towards the back. Keep the temperature consistently below 0°F (-18°C) to maintain optimal texture and flavor.
• Reheating Method: Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-7 minutes before serving. Use a clean, chilled scoop to easily portion and prevent sticking. Consume within 2 weeks for the best taste and quality.

Pairing Suggestions for Custard Ice Cream

• Pair with Warm Cinnamon Crumble: Sprinkle a homemade cinnamon crumble on top of the custard ice cream for a delightful textural contrast and warm, spicy flavor that complements the creamy vanilla base.
• Match with Aged Port Wine: Serve a small glass of rich, smooth port wine alongside the ice cream to enhance the dessert's luxurious vanilla notes and create a sophisticated tasting experience.
• Combine with Caramelized Pecans: Scatter toasted, caramelized pecans over the ice cream to add a nutty crunch and deep caramel undertones that beautifully elevate the creamy custard flavor.
• Drizzle with Dark Chocolate Sauce: Pour a small amount of warm, high-quality dark chocolate sauce over the ice cream to create a decadent flavor profile that balances the sweet, creamy vanilla custard.

Try These Variations for Custard Ice Cream

• Chocolate Swirl Custard: Melt dark chocolate and drizzle it through the churned ice cream, creating rich chocolate ribbons throughout the creamy base.
• Caramel Pecan Crunch: Fold in homemade caramel sauce and toasted pecans during the last moments of churning for a sweet and nutty version.
• Espresso Infusion: Steep espresso beans in the milk mixture before straining, then add a shot of espresso during the final churn for a coffee-lover's dream.
• Lavender Honey Cream: Replace vanilla extract with lavender extract and swirl in local honey just before freezing for a floral, aromatic twist.

Custard Ice Cream Recipe

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4.7 from 35 reviews

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Rich French custard ice cream delivers pure creamy indulgence from classic ingredients. Classic vanilla bean and silky egg yolks create a luxurious dessert you cannot resist.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks

Sweeteners and Flavoring:

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Seasoning:

• ½ teaspoon salt

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Instructions

1. Prepare the ice cream maker’s freezer bowl at least 24 hours in advance, ensuring no liquid movement when gently shaken.
2. Separate egg yolks and combine with granulated sugar, whisking until the mixture transforms into a pale, creamy consistency.
3. Carefully slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and extract its aromatic seeds using the knife’s edge.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine milk (473 milliliters or ), salt, extracted vanilla seeds, and the entire vanilla pod. Warm over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges, then immediately remove from heat.
5. Gradually introduce approximately 120 milliliters (½ cup) of the heated milk into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking vigorously to prevent curdling.
6. Return the tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan, stirring continuously over low heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (approximately 3-4 minutes).
7. Position a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl and pour the custard through, catching any potential scrambled egg fragments. Reintroduce the vanilla pod to the strained mixture.
8. Incorporate heavy cream (240 milliliters or ) and pure vanilla extract, stirring until thoroughly combined.
9. Cover the custard base with plastic wrap, ensuring direct contact with the surface to prevent skin formation. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
10. Remove the vanilla pod from the chilled custard before churning in the ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 20-25 minutes).
11. Transfer the soft-serve textured ice cream into a shallow freezer-safe container, smoothing the surface. Seal with plastic wrap directly touching the ice cream.
12. Freeze for 4-6 hours until completely solidified.
13. Allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for 3-5 minutes before scooping and serving.

Notes

• Proper chilling of the ice cream bowl is crucial for smooth, creamy texture, ensuring no liquid movement inside when shaken.
• Tempering eggs slowly prevents scrambling, creating a silky custard base by gradually introducing hot milk while whisking constantly.
• Heating the mixture requires careful attention, stirring continuously until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon without boiling.
• Straining the custard removes any cooked egg bits, guaranteeing a smooth, velvety final product with pure flavor.
• Covering the base directly with plastic wrap prevents skin formation during refrigeration, maintaining a consistent texture.
• Allowing the churned ice cream to freeze completely develops deeper flavors and creates the ideal scoopable consistency.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 465 kcal
• Sugar: 35 g
• Sodium: 220 mg
• Fat: 35 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 32 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 250 mg