One of the world’s favorite dessert foods, ice cream is a delicious treat that’s satisfying and fun to eat. In the United States alone nearly 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream are eaten each year, although usually, it’s the store-bought stuff because most people have no idea how to make ice cream at home or think it’s too difficult.
Not only is that not true but, in fact, it’s relatively easy to make creamy, delectable ice cream at home in a wide variety of flavors sure to tempt anyone’s taste buds. According to the experts at Dream Scoops, making ice cream at home is the best and only way to enjoy this tasty treat. The author of the website is a homemade ice cream aficionado who offers ice cream tips, tricks, and hacks that you can use to get excellent results every time, including the best machines, books and insight into the science of ice cream. Once you’ve tried making ice cream at home and seen how simple, fun and delicious it can be, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
All You Need are 4 Basic Ingredients
To make ice cream at home the quick, easy way, all you need are 4 basic ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.
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2 cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
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2 Cups of Half-and-Half
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1 Cup of Sugar
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2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
Here Are All the Kitchen Tools You Need
Although you do not need an ice cream maker there are a few basic kitchen tools you’ll need to make homemade ice cream. including;
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A hand-held mixer
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Measuring cups
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Measuring spoons
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A large glass or stainless-steel bowl
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1 13X9 Pyrex pan (although stainless-steel works fine also)
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A spatula
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An ice cream scoop
You can make your homemade ice cream by yourself but it’s a lot more fun to make it with someone else, especially your children if you have any. It’s a great way to bond and also show the kids just how easy and enjoyable it can be.
4 Easy Steps To Make Vanilla Ice Cream at Home
That’s right, there are only 4 steps to making ice cream at home and the process is practically foolproof.
Step 1- Freeze the 13X9 pan
About an hour before you start, place your 13X9 Pyrex or stainless-steel pan into the freezer and let it freeze completely. This is very important to get the best results. You can also do this the night before if you desire so that the pan is ready when you are.
Step 2- Combine all your ingredients and mix well
In your mixing bowl place the heavy whipping cream, half-and-half, sugar and vanilla extract. You’ll want to mix/stir all of these ingredients with your spatula for a couple of minutes at least so that all of the sugar completely dissolves. This will ensure that your vanilla ice cream has a smooth texture when it’s finished.
Step 3- Pour ingredient mixture into frozen 13X9 pan
Remove your 13X9 pan from the freezer and pour the ingredient mixture into it, then place it back in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes. (Use a timer so you don’t forget.)
After about 20 minutes check your ice cream to see if the edges are starting to freeze (they should be) and remove the pan from the freezer. Then, use your hand mixer to mix the ingredients for about 10 to 15 seconds, breaking it up and mixing it around. Don’t do this for too long. Mixing it this way will make your finished ice cream creamier and smoother.
Step 4- Repeat Step 3, 4 or 5 times
After Step 3 place the pan back in the freezer and, about every 30 minutes or so, remove it again and mix it again with your hand mixer. You should do this until the ice cream is firmly frozen. You should repeat this process at least 4 or 5 times to get the best results.
If your ice cream freezes too quickly and you haven’t mixed it enough times, put the pan in your fridge instead for a few minutes to let the ice cream get soft and then mix it again. The more you mix the creamier and smoother your vanilla ice cream will be.
Once you’ve been able to mix 4 or 5 times your ice cream is ready! You can eat it right away or cover the pan and keep it until you’re ready to enjoy or until guests arrive.
Bonus Step!
If you’ve been successful with basic vanilla ice cream you can then start adding extra ingredients to make it even more delicious and tempting. Fruit, chocolate chips and chunks of your fave candy bar are great ideas. It’s a lot of fun to experiment so go crazy! Remember, this recipe is for vanilla which, while delicious, might be a little plain. Adding chocolate powder, honey, broken bits of cookie, cookie dough and other yummy stuff will turn your vanilla ice cream into something with a little more pizzazz!
Congratulations! You’ve made your first batch of homemade ice cream!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article and are also enjoying your first batch of homemade ice cream! Hopefully, you now realize how easy and fun it is to make at home and to experiment with creating different flavors. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the space provided.
