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 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 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

Printable Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

Originally published on June 16, 2018, updated on June 29, 2021.