MiMi's Vanilla Ice Cream

Rich, smooth creamy homemade vanilla ice cream is a perfect treat. It stands on its own as a great dessert and makes almost any pie, cake, cobbler, or crunch better. This recipe from MiMi is our favorite.

scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry sauce.

Homemade vanilla ice cream is a near perfect dessert. It is wonderful on its own, great with toppings and an enhancer to almost any other dessert. There is almost nothing it can’t make better!

MiMi has tried many recipes over the years, but this is the one she keeps going back to. It is smooth and delicious.

It scoops well and tastes great. My husband is a huge fan and is always excited with MiMi has homemade ice cream to offer up.

We originally shared the recipe back in 2015, but that was a long time ago. So most of you never knew the recipe was here, or if you did you have forgotten.

Scoop getting first serving of vanilla ice cream out of storage container.

So I thought it was well past time to dig it up, take some new pictures and add a quick video showing the process. Not that it’s really necessary, the recipe is super simple to make.

But it is a great excuse to revisit this fabulous recipe and reshare it with you all. It is worth making, that is for sure!

This recipe is the base for so many other ice cream recipes we have made and enjoyed over the years. You can easily adjust it to make so many flavors.

bowl of vanilla ice cream with homemade vanilla cajeta drizzled over the top.

Or you can start with this vanilla base and add candies, bits of cookies, brownies, nuts, chocolate chips or whatever else your heart desires. Just add the mix-ins when the churn time is basically done.

At that point the ice cream will still be soft enough that the bits will be easily incorporated, but solid enough to keep them suspended so they don’t all drop to the bottom. If you come up with the perfect combination, be sure to let me know about it so we can make it too!

Original post from July of 2015

MiMi is famous for her ice cream. One summer a few years ago, she made a different batch of ice cream every day. I mean really. EVERY DAY!

So she knows her way around an ice cream maker. She tried every different type of recipe she could get her hands on.

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grandpa and grandson eating cake and ice cream on a porch swing. — One of my favorite pics of Pops and Little Dude enjoying ice cream together on a swing.

She loves to make her ice cream in the Kitchenaid attachment. But you can use whatever ice cream maker you like best.

This is her favorite vanilla ice cream recipe. She knows it by heart. This is also the base she goes back to when she is making up something new and fun.

Why are there eggs in homemade ice cream?

The eggs do a few things to help your final ice cream’s texture. The eggs work as an emulsifier, which helps to keep the mixture homogeneous instead of the cream rising to the top.

Plus the egg yolks help to add a richness to the ice cream. They help to get that extra creamy texture.

We usually use super fresh eggs from my parents’ chickens and we have never had an issue. However using pasteurized eggs is the safest way to include the eggs.

scoops of vanilla bean ice cream in glass bowl.

You could leave the eggs out entirely, but it will change the texture of the ice cream. It will still taste amazing, it just won’t have quite the same mouthfeel.

You could also cook your base like a custard and then chill it before you add it to your ice cream maker. Do whatever you are most comfortable with.

Scoops of smooth creamy vanilla ice cream in glass bowl by storage container.

If the eggs in this recipe concern you, don’t despair, I have a great vanilla ice cream recipe without eggs as well. MiMi’s recipe is still our favorite but the egg free one is a close second.

You can also make my easy lemon ice cream recipe. Or try making homemade chocolate ice cream.

For more ice cream inspiration, check out my full collection of ice cream recipes.

When do I add mix-ins?

If you want to add bits of cookies, chocolate chips or other chunks to your ice cream, you want to wait until the churning process is most of the way done and then add them. If you add them too soon, they will sink to the bottom. The ice cream needs to be thick enough to suspend the additional ingredients.

4.93 from 14 ratings

MiMi’s Vanilla Ice Cream

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings (2 Quarts)

Prep: 10

Cook: 0

Additional Time 4

Total: 4 10

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

With an immersion blender or hand mixer, beat the eggs until they are light and foamy. This takes about a minute.
2 eggs
Slowly add in the sugar, until well incorporated. (About two minutes)
¾ cup granulated sugar
Add vanilla.
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
In a large measuring bowl, mix together the cream and milk. Gently stir in the egg mixture. (you don’t want to beat it at this point, the air is already added to the eggs)
3 cups heavy cream, 1½ cups whole milk
Pour into your ice cream maker and make according to your maker’s directions.
Scoop into storage containers and freeze for at least a couple of hours or until frozen solid.

Notes

You can substitute vanilla bean paste for the extract to get the vanilla bean specks.

This recipe is a great base for so many flavors, feel free to experiment. Or toss in bits of candy, brownies, cookies etc. at the end of the churn time.