How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

Julie Clark

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The most delicious homemade ice cream? Cooked vanilla custard makes a great base for this Vanilla Frozen Custard recipe. Add your favorite fruits or candies for an easy summer dessert.

Summer means ice cream! Have you ever tried making homemade ice cream? I fell in love with a creamy frozen custard rather than traditional ice cream. We’re from the Midwest
what can I say. đŸ€·â€â™€ïž

You’ll need an ice cream machine for this recipe, but with updated countertop electric ice cream machines, this recipe is easier than dragging the family to the store when the ice cream craving hits. And it’s delicious served over our famous brownies.

How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2)

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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 Âœ cup sugar, and I think the flavor was perfect.”

Where did frozen custard originate?

Frozen custard originated in Coney Island, New York, in the early 1900’s. The World Fair in Chicago in the 1930’s helped to seal it as a midwestern favorite.

Now we have restaurants dedicated to selling their version of frozen custard. Culver’s, Freddy’s, Shake Shack and of course a slew of small local custard shops. It’s a favorite summer frozen dessert.

How is frozen custard different than ice cream?

Eggs are the main difference.

Frozen custard is a rich, smooth textured ice cream. Both ice cream and custard have cream, sugar and milk, but custard has one not-so-secret ingredient that ice cream traditionally does not have. Eggs.When eggs are added to dairy, you now have custard.

Some recipes call for using whole eggs, but this recipe only uses the yolks which makes a rich, smooth dessert.

Is frozen custard better for you than ice cream?

Of course it depends on your recipe and what you are adding, but in general, custard has less calories and fat than homemade ice cream.

Can we call it “good for you”? Maybe not
but homemade frozen custard often doesn’t have the additives that store bought ice cream has.

Ingredients

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 Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (3)

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.
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (4)
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (5)
  • Temper the eggs. Be sure to follow the recipe step by step and don’t be tempted to just start dumping ingredients in. (More on tempering eggs below.)
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (6)
  • Cook over low heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Don’t think it will be pudding thick. You are just looking for the mixture to start to thicken. It will still seem a little runny, but should coat the back of the spoon. Don’t overcook the mixture or it may curdle. If you do end up with little pieces in your mixture, run it though a fine mesh strainer so it ends up perfectly smooth.
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (7)
  • 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.
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (8)
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (9)
  • 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 to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (10)

What does it mean to temper 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 œ 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 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.

How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (11)

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 brownies or warm 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.

How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (12)

How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (13)

Vanilla Frozen Custard

4.78 from 103 votes

The most delicious homemade ice cream? Cooked vanilla custard makes a great base for this Vanilla Frozen Custard recipe. Add your favorite fruits or candies for an easy summer dessert.

Servings 6

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill & Churn Time 4 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

  • 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.

  • Simmer about 3-5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

  • Remove from heat.

  • In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks.

  • Drizzle about Âœ cup of the warm milk liquid into the egg yolks whisking constantly as you drizzle it in.

  • Whisk the egg mixture back into the pot. Add the vanilla. Return the pot to a medium low heat and cook until mixture starts to thicken.

  • Take off the heat and pour into a mesh strainer .

  • 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 œ 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

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 443

Keyword frozen custard, homemade ice cream, how to make ice cream, summer dessert

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Other Ice Cream Recipes

  • Dulce de Leche Caramel Ice Cream
  • Funfetti Ice Cream Sandwiches
  • Bubblegum Ice Cream
  • Ultimate Ice Cream Pie
  • Reese’s Stuffed Ice Cream Sandwiches
How to Make Frozen Vanilla Custard at Home - Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between vanilla ice cream and vanilla custard? â€ș

Because ice cream is made in a machine that churns air into the base as it freezes, it has a lighter mouthfeel. Frozen custard is produced in a machine that incorporates as little air as possible, so it has a denser, thicker, more velvety texture than ice cream.

What makes frozen custard creamy? â€ș

By churning frozen custard for less time and at a lower speed less air is forced into the mixture. This allows it to keep the thicker, denser, and more creamy texture it is known for. Churning frozen custard is a slower but more deliberate process. It is worth the extra care taken for the flavor and texture benefits.

Can home made custard be frozen? â€ș

Can custard be frozen? Yes.

How is custard made from scratch? â€ș

đŸ”Ș How to make Custard

In a jug, mix the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla extract. Pour the hot cream/ milk over the egg mixture, slowly, whilst stirring constantly, then pour back into the pan and heat gently while stirring with the whist, until thick and creamy.

Which is healthier, ice cream or frozen custard? â€ș

Deciding what to serve with your pudding? Brands vary, but vanilla ice-cream typically has about 10 per cent more calories than custard, as well as twice the saturated fat, less protein and half the calcium and potassium. However, ice-cream usually has less sugar and salt, too.

What is Culver's custard made of? â€ș

Vanilla Frozen Custard [Milk, Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Egg Yolk, Guar Gum, Mono & Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Vanilla Flavor], Pecan Pieces [Vegetable Oil (Peanut, Cottonseed, Soybean and/or Sunflower Seed), Sea Salt], Salted Caramel [Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed ...

What makes Culver's custard different from ice cream? â€ș

In fact, the distinction is even written into law. Custard is made from a combination of milk, cream and pasteurized egg yolks, and in order to be true custard, it has to be at least 1.4 percent egg. Anything less than that, and it's just ice cream. Discover why we craft in small batches.

How do you thicken custard for ice cream? â€ș

If your custard base is not thickening, let the mixture cool down, then reheat it. Sometimes, the act of reheating helps the base thicken. If one method doesn't work for you, try another! You can try to flavor a batch of New England style ice cream by infusing the custard base.

What ingredient makes the custard thicker? â€ș

Custard is a decadent dessert made with eggs, milk, and sugar. Eggs are responsible for custard's thick and velvety texture, but some recipes (such as this one) call for thickeners such as cornstarch or arrowroot for extra richess.

What are the ingredients in Shake Shack frozen custard? â€ș

Shack-made frozen custard is packed with milk, cream, real cane sugar and egg yolk for an extra creamy texture. Think of it as ice cream's cooler, fresher sibling.

How long does homemade custard last? â€ș

Recipe Tips

You can freeze the leftover egg whites for another time, or use them to make pavlovas, amaretti or macaroons. Homemade custard will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Is the egg in frozen custard raw? â€ș

Is the egg raw? No, all ingredients are pasteurized/cooked. Are there other reasons for frozen custards creaminess? Yes.

What are the mistakes when making custard? â€ș

Experts Reveal 12 Big Custard Mistakes You're Probably Making
  1. Not Knowing The Difference Between Starch-Thickened And Egg-Thickened Custards. ...
  2. Not Knowing The Difference Between Stovetop And Baked Custards. ...
  3. Adding The Eggs To Your Custard Too Quickly. ...
  4. Overcooking Custard. ...
  5. Cooking Custard At Too High A Temperature.
May 5, 2024

What are the 4 components of custard? â€ș

Combine milk, eggs, sugar and gentle heat and one of our most treasured comfort food appears.

What are the 3 types of custard and their ingredients? â€ș

There are three main varieties of custard: baked custard, stirred custard, and steamed custard. The first two are both popular in Western cuisine. Baked custard is typically firmer and made with whole eggs, while stirred custards can be much runnier and often only contain the yolks.

Does custard taste like ice cream? â€ș

Frozen custard is known for its creamy, rich, and velvety texture, while ice cream has a lighter mouthfeel and a wider range of flavors. Ultimately, it depends on what you're looking for in a frozen dessert - whether you prefer a creamy and intense flavor or a lighter and more diverse flavor range.

Is Vanilla custard good for you? â€ș

With milk as the main ingredient, custard is a good source of protein and contains calcium, which is good for bone health. But custard is a treat food because it can also give us extra energy, fat and sugar that we maybe don't want, or need.

Is custard more creamy than ice cream? â€ș

The two sweet treats are often mistaken for each other, but there are distinct characteristics to each. While ice cream is light, airy, and creamy, frozen custard is way denser and creamier.

What are the three types of vanilla ice cream? â€ș

Each of our vanilla ice creams, our Old-Fashioned Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, and French Vanilla, has their own unique vanilla flavor we use that gives each its own distinct taste.

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