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A white bowl filled with French vanilla ice cream with a blue spoon resting beside.
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4.67 / 6 votes

French Vanilla Ice Cream

This French vanilla ice cream is made the old-fashioned way with a rich egg yolk custard, heavy cream, and flecks of vanilla seeds. Pure, simple, and knee-wobbling delicious.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 252

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 (4-inch) piece vanilla bean* (see Variations below), slit lengthwise, seeds removed, pod reserved
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla seeds and pod, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 175°F (80°C) on a candy or deep-fry thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, using a stand mixer or a whisk, beat the remaining sugar with the yolks until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens so that it falls away in ribbons, about 2 minutes with an electric mixer or 4 minutes with a whisk.
  • Slowly whisk 1/2 cup hot milk from pan into the beaten yolks. Then gradually whisk the yolk mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan.
  • Stirring constantly, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it registers 180°F (82°C), 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the custard into a plastic or nonreactive metal bowl. Stir in the cream. Retrieve the vanilla pod from the strainer and add it to the custard. Place the bowl of custard in a larger bowl of ice water to quickly bring the custard to room temperature.
  • Cover and refrigerate the custard until it is no more than 40°F, 4 to 8 hours.
  • Remove the vanilla pod and pour the custard into an ice cream machine. Churn according to the manufacturer's directions until frozen, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to a resealable container and freeze for up to several weeks. Originally published April 27, 2000.

Notes

What You Need To Know About Substituting Vanilla Extract For The Vanilla Bean

You can swap 2 tablespoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Simply stir it into the chilled custard just before churning.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 38mg | Sugar: 23g