# The Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need

This silky, luscious, and classic custard serves as a versatile base for any ice cream flavor, offering a decadent yet not heavy texture due to specific milk, cream, and egg yolk proportions.

- Total time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 0.67 cup granulated sugar
- 0.125 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- Your choice of flavoring

## Instructions

1. In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from heat.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks.
4. While whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream mixture into the yolks.
5. Whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the remaining cream.
6. Return the pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
7. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
8. Cool the mixture to room temperature.
9. Cover the bowl and chill the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight.
10. Churn the mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
11. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in the freezer until needed.

## Equipment

- small pot
- whisk
- fine-mesh sieve
- bowl
- ice cream machine

## Tips

- For a lighter ice cream, use more milk and less cream, ensuring the total dairy amounts to 3 cups.
- You can reduce the number of egg yolks for a thinner base, but do not use fewer than three yolks.
- Ensure the custard mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or about 170 degrees Fahrenheit, to prevent curdling.
- Cool the mixture to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before churning for best results.
- Serving directly from the ice cream machine will result in soft serve; for firmer ice cream, store in the freezer.
- Using vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract can enhance the flavor when making vanilla ice cream.

## Source

- Original video: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016605-the-only-ice-cream-recipe-youll-ever-need
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/536b9217-ca5e-4c98-b2f9-f70177f5967e
- Extracted: 2025-07-12

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt