The Only Ice Cream Recipe You’ll Ever Need

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 12, 2026

  • A metal pan holds vanilla ice cream with scoop marks.
    Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
20 minutes plus several hours’ cooling, chilling and freezing
Rating
5(5,499)
Comments
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This silky, luscious and very classic custard can be used as the base for any ice cream flavor you can dream up. These particular proportions of milk and cream to egg yolk will give you a thick but not sticky ice cream that feels decadent but not heavy. For something a little lighter, use more milk and less cream, as long as the dairy adds up to 3 cups. You can also cut down on egg yolks for a thinner base, but don’t go below three.

Then flavor it any way you like. See the list here for more than 16 flavor ideas. Or invent your own.

Featured in: This ‘Master Recipe’ Unlocks Every Ice Cream Flavor You Could Ever Want

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1½ pints

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar

  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 6 large egg yolks

  • Your choice of flavoring (see note)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small pot, simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

  2. Step 2

    In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks.

  3. Step 3

    Whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.

  4. Step 4

    Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).

  5. Step 5

    Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers’ instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

Tip

  • This recipe for ice cream base may be churned on its own, but it is meant to have flavors added. See the chart here for flavor options and directions for incorporating them into the base recipe.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,499 user ratings
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Comments

essjaebee

I'm sorry to disagree, but this is the only ice cream recipe you'll ever need:

2 cups heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Add 1 tbl vanilla for vanilla, or add berries, nuts or whatever else you want. Mix well, freeze for at least 6 hours.

Judith Norman

I always add a touch of vodka to my homemade ice cream which slows the freezing process (I think) and prevents the ice cream from getting icy.

Mariah

I subbed the same measure of coconut milk for milk and coconut cream for the heavy cream. Delicious and lactose-free!!! Definitely a keeper. Thank you!

PKP in Vermont

This is fabulous! For my first foray, I followed Melissa’s directions for mint (with fresh mint from my garden); the only deviation was that I added about 3/4 cup of semisweet dark chocolate mini chips in the last two minutes of churning. Yum! Then I got more adventurous: used 2/3 cup maple syrup, reduced the milk to 1/3 cup, and added candied pecans (1 cup chopped pecans, 2 T butter, 2 T brown sugar, warmed gently in a small pan until the sugar is thinking about caramelizing); add in at end.

Nancy S

I’ve tried several other recipes, but decided this is the one that comes out perfect every time. The only things I do differently are use only 4 yolks and cook with 2 Vanilla beans that have been split and scraped. The pods are strained out, but the beans remain I add different things in the last minute of churning, like chopped mini Reese’s cups, rhubarb compote, and strawberries. When putting the churned ice cream into a container, I have layered with magic she’ll chocolate or caramel. It is always a hit!

Ray

Where is the note referred to in the recipe; and, where is the chart mentioned at the end?

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