Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (5 Ingredients, No Eggs!)

There’s something magical about homemade ice cream that store-bought versions simply can’t replicate. That first spoonful of creamy, cold sweetness—made right in your own kitchen—hits differently. After creating over 150 ice cream recipes for this site, I keep coming back to this particular one. Why? Because it delivers restaurant-quality results with just five simple ingredients and minimal effort. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned dessert maker, this recipe will become your go-to for satisfying those ice cream cravings.

How To Make Homemade Ice Cream

Let me tell you something that might surprise you: making exceptional ice cream at home doesn’t require culinary school training or fancy techniques. This recipe proves that simplicity often wins. The beauty lies in its versatility—once you master the base, you’re opening the door to endless flavor possibilities.

I’ve tested this recipe countless times, and the results never disappoint. The texture comes out incredibly smooth and creamy every single time. What really sets this apart is how adaptable it is for mix-ins and customizations. Feeling indulgent? Fold in chunks of your favorite brownies or cookies during the last few minutes of churning. Want something more sophisticated? Swirl in some homemade salted caramel sauce or cookie dough pieces. The base is neutral enough to complement any addition without overpowering it.

Don’t stop at mix-ins, though. The toppings game is where you can really get creative. I’m particularly fond of drizzling warm chocolate sauce over a freshly scooped bowl—the temperature contrast creates an incredible eating experience. Salted caramel sauce adds that perfect sweet-salty balance that keeps you coming back for more. For something lighter and fruitier, try a simple berry sauce made from fresh strawberries or blueberries simmered with a touch of sugar.

Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

Now, if you’ve explored ice cream recipes before, you’ve probably encountered those traditional custard-style versions. You know the ones—they require tempering eggs, carefully monitoring temperatures, and stirring constantly over a double boiler to avoid scrambling. Sure, those recipes create wonderfully rich ice cream, but honestly? They’re more work than most of us want to deal with on a regular basis.

I appreciate elegance in the kitchen, but I’m a firm believer that complexity shouldn’t be a requirement for excellence. Life gets busy. Sometimes you want amazing dessert without spending your entire afternoon babysitting a pot on the stove. That’s where this streamlined approach shines. You get all the creamy satisfaction without the stress and time commitment.

The Ice Cream That Changed Everything

My ice cream-making journey took a dramatic turn when I discovered Philadelphia-style ice cream. This method was an absolute game changer for my kitchen routine. If you haven’t heard of it before, Philadelphia-style ice cream refers to ice cream made without eggs. That’s right—no custard base required, no egg tempering drama, and definitely no risk of accidentally making sweet scrambled eggs.

The ingredient list couldn’t be more straightforward: heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. That’s it. Five pantry staples that you probably already have on hand. No exotic ingredients, no special ordering required. Just pure, simple components that come together to create something genuinely spectacular.

Here’s another bonus: you don’t absolutely need an ice cream machine for this recipe. While a machine definitely makes the process easier and produces the smoothest texture, you can achieve delicious results using alternative methods if you don’t have one. The accessibility of this recipe is part of what makes it so special.

How To Make Ice Cream

The actual preparation process is refreshingly simple. Start by combining your heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Give everything a good stir to help the sugar begin dissolving. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. You’re not looking for a rolling boil here—just enough heat to fully dissolve the sugar and slightly warm the dairy.

Once it reaches that gentle simmer, remove the pan from heat. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill completely. This cooling step is important for achieving the best texture when churning. The actual hands-on time here? Less than ten minutes. The rest is just patient waiting while the mixture chills.

My favorite timing strategy is preparing the base in the morning, letting it hang out in the fridge all day, then churning it in the late afternoon. This way, you’ve got fresh, perfect ice cream ready for after-dinner dessert that same evening. The planning requires minimal effort, but the payoff feels impressive.

Want To Make It Even Easier?

Here’s a little secret that makes this recipe even more approachable: you can actually skip the simmering step entirely. I know, I know—I just walked you through heating everything up. But if you’re really pressed for time or just want to simplify even further, you can stir all the ingredients together cold and pour the mixture straight into your ice cream maker.

Does the simmer step make a difference? Slightly, yes. Warming the mixture helps the sugar dissolve more completely and can enhance the overall mouthfeel just a bit. But skipping it still produces absolutely delicious ice cream that nobody would complain about. I’ve made it both ways dozens of times, and honestly, the difference is minimal. Do what works for your schedule.

I’ve also tested this recipe across different types of ice cream makers—hand crank models, electric crank versions, freezer bowl machines, and compressor-style makers. It works beautifully in all of them. So regardless of what equipment you’re working with, you can feel confident this recipe will deliver.

Additional Ice Cream Variations

Once you’ve mastered this vanilla base, a whole world of flavors opens up. My chocolate ice cream variation uses this same foundation with cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips folded in—it’s intensely chocolatey without being overly sweet. The strawberry version features fresh berries and delivers that classic, old-fashioned ice cream parlor taste that brings back childhood memories.

For something more unique, try the fresh mint ice cream. It uses real mint leaves steeped in the cream mixture, creating a flavor that’s leagues beyond artificial mint extract. The chocolate chip cookie dough version combines two desserts into one irresistible treat. And don’t overlook the blueberry ice cream—those bursts of fruit throughout create wonderful flavor pockets.

The beauty of having a reliable base recipe like this is the confidence it gives you to experiment. Once you know the formula works, you can play around with different extracts, add-ins, and flavor combinations without fear of failure.

Final Thoughts

Making homemade ice cream doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. With just five basic ingredients and minimal active preparation time, you can create dessert that rivals anything from premium ice cream shops. This Philadelphia-style approach strips away unnecessary complexity while preserving everything that makes ice cream special—that creamy texture, rich flavor, and cold satisfaction.

Whether you’re serving it plain, loaded with mix-ins, or topped with your favorite sauces, this recipe provides the perfect foundation. It’s the ice cream recipe I return to again and again, and I’m confident it’ll become your favorite too.