Our family’s favorite food would have to be old-fashioned, homemade vanilla ice cream. This rich and delicious homemade vanilla ice cream recipe is the best ice cream treat to eat on a hot day.
Old Fashioned Farmhouse Ice Cream Recipe
My father-in-law makes this in his 6-quart ice cream maker for all of the big family gatherings in the summer like Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, birthdays, cookouts and any other reason to celebrate like a birthday party.
This ice cream alone is so delicious it is worth the two-hour drive! Of course, we love seeing the family too!
Having a go-to vintage recipe for ice cream makes a perfect complement to the Texas White Sheet Cake that is often on the dessert table anytime of the year!
This is a rich, creamy, delicious vanilla ice cream recipe! The eggs and whipping cream give the ice cream the full flavor that we crave in a serving of homemade ice cream. Homemade ice cream with eggs must be cooked and the cooked mixture must be cooled in the refrigerator for two hours, but the work is totally worth it! Follow the recipe closely, allow plenty of time for each step and enjoy!
How to Make Old-Fashioned Ice Cream
Using a stock pot mix together flour, sugar and salt. Gradually stir in milk.
Taking time to add a little milk and stir until all of the milk is mixed in and mixed well. Cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
While mixture is cooking crack eggs and beat well in a smaller bowl. Take 1 cup of the cooked mixture and stir into the eggs to help slowly increase the temperature of the eggs.
Add egg mixture to remaining hot mixture stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
Pour into a self-sealing container, preferably with a pour spout and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
This is what the mixture will look like after being chilled. At this point it is ready to pour into the ice cream freezer.
Pour mixture into canister. The mixture does not look very filling at this point, but leave all of that extra space as the mix will fluff up as it freezes.
Place the canister and then pack the edges with ice. Place lid on canister and then add salt to help the ice melt.
Plug in an electric motor or start cranking by hand. The mixture will take about 20 minutes to freeze while being continually mixed in a hot environment. A cool environment will take much longer to melt ice and freeze ice cream.
Add ice and a bit of salt every 5 to 10 minutes.
As the mixture freezes and fluffs up it will create more resistance than the liquid mixture. Keep turning until the ice cream is very fluffy and almost at the top of the canister.
Serve immediately with a long handled spoon and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- The ice cream mixture fills up a little over half of the canister initially, but will become fluffier and expand during the freezing process – so do not overfill the canister initially.
- We got a 6 quart hand crank ice cream freezer that was a perfect family Christmas gift and we love using it!
- After cooking the base ice cream mixture chill it in a container that is easy to tightly cover in the refrigerator and pour into the ice cream canister.
- Carefully add 1 cup of hot mixture to the eggs to prevent changing the temperature too quickly. This helps to slowly warm the eggs before boiling them for 1 minute.
- My mother-in-law shared an important note, they have a 6 quart ice cream maker, but they prepare a recipe that makes 4 quarts of ice cream. This allows it to get fluffier. Here is the ice cream maker they use.
- We get best results using Ice Cream Rock salt as opposed to table or Kosher salt.
- Be cautious as the ice melts and salt is added to the ice that no salt gets inside the container with the ice cream. Salt would definitely change the flavor of the homemade ice cream!
- Homemade ice cream is best eaten fresh. Leftovers can be frozen, but the texture and eating experience will change a bit with a harder freeze.
My father-in-law has made this recipe for years. He shared a typewritten copy that doesn’t have a source on it.
How to Get Ice Cream to Freeze in the Winter
Ice cream freezes as the ice melts. So ice cream will not set up or freeze while being made in a cool place.
In the winter make ice cream in a very warm place like next to a wood burning stove. The heat will help facilitate the ice melting which is the reaction that causes the cream mixture to freeze.
Since it’s hot outside in the summer this is the most popular time of year to make and enjoy ice cream.
We have made ice cream in a cool garage in the winter and could not get it to freeze very easily. Heat is needed to melt ice and help ice cream set up.
Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
There’s a variation on his recipe that I haven’t gotten to try yet, but it sounds delicious, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. Crumble 25 chocolate sandwich cookies into the mixture before freezing.
My family really enjoys homemade ice cream or these Miniature Cheesecakes to make for a special meal. We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!
Summer doesn’t get much better than enjoying some Marinated & Grilled Meat, Grilled Vegetables, Cheesy Texas Toast and this ice cream!
Other Delicious Summer Desserts:
- Strawberry Banana Split Cake
- Cherry Delight and Orange Delight
- Smores Pie
- No-Bake Oreo Peanut Butter Pie
- Old-Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie
Printable Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups milk
- 4 eggs beaten
- 4 cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
- Gradually stir about 1 cup or hot mixture into the beaten eggs. Add egg mixture to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat. Refrigerate 2 hours
- Combine whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl; add chilled mixture, stirring with wire whisk to combine. Freeze as directed on ice cream maker instructions.
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Nutrition
Originally published on June 16, 2018, updated on June 29, 2021.
This looks so fresh!
I LOVE their ice cream maker! I bet it makes the ice cream even more delicious knowing it was churned with love!
Perfect for summer!
This is so cute and looks so good!!
You state this is made in a 6 qt ice cream maker, however, the mixture does not come close to reaching the fill line on my 6 qt ice cream maker. Am I supposed to add additional milk or cream to reach the fill line?
Nope, don’t add anything as it will fluff up quite a bit as it freezes. Hope you enjoy!
This brings back so many great memories of making ice cream at my grandparent’s in the summertime!
Do I separate the yolks from the egg. I have never asked this question before please reply. Could I use the yolk in stead of the whole egg ?
We use the whole egg. I’ve never tried separating them.
Thanks! This is the recipe I’ve made for years from my ice cream freezer manual. We moved last year and I’m not sure where it is. ☹️
Everyone always loves it! Rich and creamy!
Great tasting soft ice cream!
Is this recipe for a 4 qt. canister?
Hey There! This recipe is for a 6 quart canister. Hope you enjoy!
Mmmm! I can almost taste it from here. There is something about waiting for the ice cream as it churns that makes it extra good!
Do I need to add extra milk to fill up the freezer when pouring it into the freezer?
Hey There! Good question, do not add any extra milk as the ice cream will expand as it freezes, so you will want all of the extra space for it to get fluffier!
I made this recipe in my 6 qt and it only made about 4 qts. Especially when you take the hopper out. I have a fill line on my 6qt and it was 5 inches lower.
Hey There! So sorry to hear about this. I’ve had the experience where I thought it looked done, but my husband who has made this recipe many more times than I told me we have to keep mixing. Sure enough we’ve always had the ice cream fluff up and fill up the rest of the canister when we keep stirring. Not sure if this is the case for you all or not, but hope you enjoy the recipe!
Okay, thank you! I made this for an ice cream social and I won first place! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Jennifer, Can the cooking steps be done a day before the freezing step?
Hey There! Great question! My family typically mixes it up the day we plan to freeze it, but once in a while it can be mixed up the day before. Always refrigerate for food safety. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Made this recipe and absolutely loved it!!! Every other time I have had homemade ice cream it always seems icy. This recipe was smooth and creamy. So good!!! Thank you for sharing.
Thx so much for the recipe. I just got a new old fashioned ice cream maker. Can I use whole milk and half and half if I don’t have whipping cream? Also have you made green tea ice cream ? If so how much matcha would you use so it’s not to bitter ? Thx so much.
Hey There! You can use half and half and whole milk in place of heaving whipping cream! I haven’t tested any other versions yet, but please let me know if you do. Hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Hi, I have used your recipe to make this ice cream many times now and everyone loves it. I have been ask to make a peach ice cream and after searching around and getting a lot of different best ever preach recipes I thought about just using yours for the base. Have you ever tried doing this, and if you have did you adjust the recipe?
Hey There! Thanks so much for sharing! We haven’t tested peach ice cream, but I love this idea!