We love ice cream! It’s cold, creamy, and just plain delicious. But who wants to go out and buy it when you can make it at home? Luckily, today we’re going to learn how to make ice cream at home with three simple ingredients: vanilla, sugar, and heavy cream. Follow along with this step-by-step recipe and before you know it you’ll be serving up your very own homemade ice cream!
7 easy ingredients
You don’t need a lot of special ingredients to make homemade ice cream. Simple flavors are great for newbies because you can focus on making delicious pure vanilla or chocolate—simple is better in your first few batches. The basic ingredients you need are: Milk : Full-fat milk makes more flavorful ice cream and results in a denser texture than low-fat. Half-and-half is another option if you want something richer but not quite as heavy as whole milk. If you prefer an even lighter texture, use nonfat milk. And while it may seem like a no-brainer, be sure to shake your carton before opening it; sometimes separation occurs that causes some liquid to separate from the solids. A good shake will reincorporate them into one cohesive mass so that when you pour it into your machine, everything gets mixed together properly (and evenly). Also, keep track of how much you add so that you know how much total mixture you have. Sugar : For many recipes, sugar plays two roles: It adds sweetness and also acts as a preservative by inhibiting bacterial growth. Sugar syrups work well for most people since they dissolve easily without affecting flavor too much. Some recipes call for granulated sugar, which doesn’t dissolve quite as easily but offers more control over sweetness levels than syrups do.
Choose your favorite flavors
There are so many different kinds of ice cream flavors and brands out there, you’re bound to find something to suit your taste. But if you have a specific favorite flavor in mind, you may want to take some time trying it at local shops before buying a large quantity and committing yourself—chances are it won’t be quite as good when made at home. Have fun tasting new flavors at local parlors before deciding on which one(s) you like best. Then, stock up! You can buy ice cream in bulk online or at any store that sells frozen foods. If you don’t live near an ice-cream shop or grocery store that sells bulk quantities of your favorite flavor, try ordering online. Many websites sell ice cream by weight, allowing you to get exactly what you need without paying for extra packaging. When shopping online, look for free shipping offers and discounts, as well as coupons. Keep track of all your purchases and their costs; doing so will help you determine how much profit you make from each sale (or how much loss). With these numbers in hand, you can decide whether to continue selling that particular flavor or not.
Leave it in the freezer overnight
Once you’ve mixed your ingredients together, set it in your freezer overnight to harden. The next day (or a few hours later), pull it out and enjoy. It might not be creamy enough to use as a scoop, but can certainly be used as a topping or an ice-cream sandwich filling. You can also leave it sitting at room temperature for about 30 minutes if you want soft serve right away—just don’t forget to put it back in that bowl so you don’t lose any precious strawberry juice while eating! If you do have extra time on your hands, feel free to play around with different flavors of pudding mix until you find one that works best with your fruit of choice. There are plenty of healthy options available at most grocery stores, making it easy to indulge without feeling guilty. In fact, many people opt for sugar-free versions to avoid consuming unnecessary calories. With that said, if you’re trying to shed pounds, consider cutting down on added sugars when possible. And remember: there’s no shame in sticking with vanilla; just make sure it doesn't come from a tub marked frozen dessert.
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Put it in bowls with toppings
Making your own ice cream is simple. All you need are a few basic ingredients and you can turn them into countless delicious homemade flavors of ice cream. Here’s how to make vanilla: add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk to a saucepan. Warm until it bubbles up, then simmer on low heat until it thickens into a sweet syrup. Pour over 3 cups of heavy whipping cream in a separate bowl and stir constantly while it cools down in another bowl placed on top of some ice. Stir in your favorite flavorings such as chocolate chips or strawberries—or both! Pour into an airtight container and freeze overnight. When ready to serve, scoop out portions using an ice cream scoop and enjoy with your choice of toppings like whipped cream or fresh fruit. The best part about making your own ice cream at home? You can control what goes into it so that every spoonful tastes exactly how you want it to. It’s healthier, too. Instead of having loads of preservatives and added sugars that many store-bought options have, homemade ice cream is full of wholesome ingredients you can feel good about eating. It’s also cheaper than buying a pint from your local grocery store. In fact, if you make one batch per week (at around $10), it will only cost you $520 per year! That adds up to more than $1 million by age 65!
Are there any healthy ingredients? While there aren't any proven health benefits to eating ice cream itself (unlike foods rich in vitamins or minerals), there are plenty of reasons why homemade versions may be better for us than ones found at our local shops.
Serve and enjoy
It’s always tempting to put your ice cream in a plastic container and stick it back in your freezer. However, if you want to get the most out of that homemade goodness, serve it fresh. It should melt a little before you dig in (we like small portions). How you serve it is up to you – just make sure to scoop quickly so that large chunks don’t end up on one person’s cone and none on another’s. Even if there are losers in that scenario, everyone can enjoy an unexpected cherry or wafer with their sundae. What’s more summery than that? Nothing, that’s what. So go ahead and top off those cones because you know what they say: All good things must come to an end...but not today! And never when it comes to ice cream. Not ever.
2 cups whole milk 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Directions In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, sugar and vanilla extract to a simmer until sugar dissolves; cool completely. Stir in heavy whipping cream; refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or overnight. Pour into an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions until firm but still soft enough to be stirred by hand. Mix in pecans and chocolate chips during last minute of freezing time.