Homemade Custard Ice Cream Base
This foolproof custard base makes an incredibly luxe homemade ice cream that’s perfectly rich, velvety smooth, and endlessly creamy. The best part of this recipe is that it works as a blank canvas for any flavor or mix-in you love — we’ve tested it with melted chocolate, chocolate chips, ripe bananas, fresh berries, and chunks of cookie dough, and every batch turned out absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
(Yields ~1.5 quarts of finished ice cream)
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups half-and-half
8 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated white sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Directions
Measure and prep all your ingredients before you start to keep the cooking process smooth and stress-free.
Add the heavy cream and half-and-half to a heavy-bottomed saucepan (this prevents the mixture from scorching) and warm over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the mixture just barely simmers around the edges, then reduce the heat to low to keep it warm.
While the cream mixture heats, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is fully combined and turns a pale, creamy yellow.
This next step is called tempering, and it prevents your eggs from curdling: Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk blend, whisking the eggs nonstop as you pour. Repeat this process 3 more times, adding ½ cup of hot cream at a time and whisking thoroughly between each addition. Once done, pour the entire egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon. Do not let the mixture boil — boiling will curdle your custard.
Pour the finished ice cream base into a clean heat-safe bowl and let it cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator overnight. Chilling the base thoroughly is key to achieving a smooth, creamy final texture, so don’t skip this step.
The next day, pour the fully chilled base into your ice cream maker and churn/freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once churning is complete, the ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency. Transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming, seal the container, and freeze for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to firm up before scooping and serving.
