Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
This recipe was designed for its original yield. Quantities adjust automatically for scaling, but cooking times and steps stay consistent. Note that some recipes may not scale perfectly.
Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings
- 4 cups half-and-half or light cream
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine half-and-half, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
Step 2: Pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer .
Step 3: Freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions until firm and creamy.
Recipe Tip: Refrigerator-Freezer Method
If you dont have an ice cream maker, you can make this without half-and-half:
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk with vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 2: Gently fold in 2 cups of whipping cream until fully combined.
Step 3: Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a 2-quart . Cover with plastic wrap.
Step 4: Freeze until firm, about 6 hours, then scoop and serve.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 263
- Total Fat: 13g (16% DV)
- Saturated Fat: 8g (41% DV)
- Cholesterol: 42mg (14% DV)
- Sodium: 80mg (3% DV)
- Total Carbohydrate: 14g (5% DV)
- Total Sugars: 11g
- Protein: 4g (8% DV)
- Vitamin C: 1mg (1% DV)
- Calcium: 85mg (7% DV)
- Iron: 0mg (1% DV)
- Potassium: 108mg (2% DV)
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may vary depending on your caloric needs.
**Some nutrient data may be unavailable or approximate. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, consult your healthcare provider before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Comments
MARYRUTHRAMIREZ
10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM
Superb!! is all that I can say about this. I added about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to this basic recipe and WOW! The cinnamon is not overpowering but makes you think, HMMM! What is that? Again, SUPER, SUPERB!!! I will definetly keep this recipe on hand!
Brittany Anne
08/25/2020 04:51:08 AM
We started to make the non ice cream maker one only to realize that we were suppose to whip the whipping cream before folding it into the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla mixture. So then we added it it our ice cream maker. What we ended up with was a delicious and creamy vanilla ice cream that pleased all 6 of us! My oldest said it had a “marshmallow vibe. We also made a mint chocolate cookie frozen custard(we dyed it purple instead of green, because why not) and made mixed cones. Super happy tummies in this house
Michael McWilliams
07/06/2014 03:24:09 PM
Me and my girlfriend used the basic recipe but like others, changed the half and half to whole milk. Also, we gave it a mocha flavor by adding 1/4 cup of cocao powder along with 1 rounded tsp of instant coffee and 1 tsp of cinnamon. We used a Kitchen Aid ice cream freezer attachment and ran it for 25 minutes. Delicioso!
Heather Small Turner
06/19/2021 04:36:54 PM
This has delicious flavor- love condensed milk! Yep tire was a bit off though; In the second time making it, I’m using half whole milk and half heavy cream (it’s what I have). I also combined the milk, condensed milk and 2 eggs on the stove top, cooked while continuously stirring until 165 degrees. Cooling completely, adding the vanilla and will use my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker later!
RubySeed3526
02/26/2025 08:01:01 AM
If using heavy cream instead of half & half and you whip it until stiff peaks form (whipped cream) before folding in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, then it will be SO creamy. Great recipe.
geoffbear2003
05/04/2024 03:49:28 PM
But how much is a 'serving'? But I use 16oz heavy whipping cream, can of eagle brand and 3 TBLS vanilla. And I will smash up a bag of Heath bars or Butterfingers and add to this. YUM. I will beat the whipping cream till thick, then add eagle brand and vanilla, mix well, then any candy pieces I desire. Then freeze.
Regina Gregory
07/25/2015 02:01:56 PM
This recipe was good to get me on the right track and turned out GREAT after I altered it. I mixed 2 cans of Eagle Brand, 1 qt of Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 qt of Half & Half, 2 Tbs of vanilla and after pouring into a 4 Qt ice cream mixer I filled to the line with whole milk! This was the absolute best ice cream EVER!! I have made it several times and it turns out AMAZING every time. There will be no left overs I PROMISE!! I am sure you could add fruit, chocolate, or any flavor or half this recipe and it would turn out just as good.
KerryElizabeth
02/03/2015 07:29:07 AM
We just got a new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for Christmas and having never made home-made ice cream before I an trying out many recipes. This tasted good, but after I made it I froze it overnight. The resulting ice cream was very hard, and tasted more like diet ice cream. I think it needs more fat, maybe 2 cups half and half and 2 cups heavy cream. I also think that if it had been frozen for 3-4 hours, then eaten, the texture would have been much better. I might experiment with this recipe as others have. I would like it to work since it is so easy!
Grannykk
10/18/2018 12:34:54 AM
I wanted ice cream. But didn’t want to cook. Found this recipe but no half and half and no can of condensed milk. But I did have in my refrigerator was whole milk and heavy whipping cream plus Caramelized condensed milk. Mixed 2cups milk and 2cups cream, caramel, vanilla plus pink salt. And YUMMY SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM. I used oven method to make condensed milk caramel.
Adam Hernandez
09/16/2015 03:38:58 PM
Lowkey tastes like victory on a plate.
Thomas Parish
06/17/2024 08:17:22 PM
My son just asked for my recipe and this was the one I have been using. The only thing I do different is I add a pack of vanilla pudding mix in with the rest of the ingredients. If you notice from reviews, the best results are from using an ice cream machine and letting it churn.
Sandy
08/24/2025 04:34:51 PM
I've made this recipe for years. I've also made it using 2 cans of orange soda and the Eagle Brand Milk. Nothing else. Makes a great orange sherbet. Any flavor of soda pop can be used.
WHIRLEDPEAS
07/14/2024 04:06:41 PM
This recipe was really easy, which is a huge perk. We made the recipe as written and ran our ice cream maker for 20 min. The final result was a little sweet for my taste. After it went in the freezer, it also ended up more solid and icy than I would have liked. It was still overall pretty good, and it's worth making if you want a very easy recipe with only 3 ingredients.
A Mt Gal
07/03/2024 04:03:29 PM
1-2-3 easy as can be!
FunkyZiti4766
10/17/2023 06:36:33 PM
The directions you provided needed more steps and needed some clarification. I followed what was there and what I got wasn't so much ice CREAM, but rather a near-solid block of cream-flavored ICE. I couldn't really scoop any of it, rather I had to scrape the equivalent of three scoops off the top. To be fair, it was still tasty but it just wasn't ice cream. Maybe be more clear on things like how long we're supposed to stir the mixture and how long it should be frozen; the directions led me to think 5 minutes to stir & 20 minutes to freeze, neither of which proved accurate.
Cheryl Christian
08/14/2022 06:58:24 PM
Quick and easy. Plus great taste!
Tina R McIntyre
05/29/2022 10:43:14 PM
Pretty easy
Duke Wellington
04/19/2021 07:25:48 PM
I made this yesterday and froze it overnight. Tried some today and it's very grainy. Not a good recipe for me.
Peanut Summers
07/09/2020 02:17:34 PM
I loved this recipe!!! I tweaked it a bit. I used only 1 Tbs of vanilla and I used 1 1/2 c heavy cream and 2 1/2 c half and half. It is AMAZING!!!
Jeannie Brown
06/02/2020 11:39:21 PM
I love this creamy delicious ice cream . I added a pinch of cinnamon. Wow... Plan on making it again