Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style, a delicious summertime dessert. Serve this delicious dessert with fresh fruits, fruit compote, or chocolate syrup to savor the real flavors of summer fruits.
Who’s searching for vanilla ice cream recipes this time? I guess it’s me again and the millions of people who enjoy a nice vanilla ice cream scoop on a hot summer day.
About this type of vanilla ice cream
Vanilla Ice Cream is said to be the most popular flavor of ice cream. That may be true because if you think about it, what is the most common ice cream a child is first introduced to? The answer is Vanilla Ice Cream.
I think, maybe because many people believe it is the safest ice cream for a baby or a toddler to consume. Not sure! Can’t find any study on Vanilla Ice Cream consumption. Interesting and bizarre!
My adventure, helpers, and testers
Sometimes ago, I purchased my first ice cream maker and used it a lot. I have tried many recipes; some were flaps, and others were successful. I started out making a basic vanilla ice cream found in the recipe booklet that came with the ice cream maker.
My first testers were my little cousins, niece, and nephew. I remember them being so amazed, watching the paddle churn the mixture and freezing it right in front of their little angelic eyes. So cute!

Making your homemade ice cream
I tried other recipes found in my other cookbooks but was not quite satisfied. I wanted an ice cream recipe book “alone” to master the skills of ice cream making. So I purchased my first ice cream recipe book, The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. (this is not an advertisement, just a personal opinion, and no compensation is received for this notice from the author.)
With all the recipes I have tried so far, this Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style from David Lebovitz’s book, is winning many hearts. It is creamy and rich.
Using vanilla pods or a good vanilla extract is an excellent idea when making any flavored ice cream. Vanilla pods have a creamy, sweet, smooth, and mellow flavor and, therefore the perfect ingredient to add to ice cream.

I’ve made this vanilla ice cream successfully with all heavy cream as well as with a mixture of cream and milk, and I like it both ways.” David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop, 2007. The heavy cream makes it my favorite recipe.
I am delighted to share this recipe with you. Make your ice cream today! There is nothing better than homemade ice cream.
Enjoy!
Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style
Ingredients
- 1 cup 250ml whole milk
- A pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup 150g sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
- 2 cups 500ml heavy cream
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat and infuse for one hour.
- To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
- Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.
- Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Corn Allergy:
Always choose ingredients without corn or corn derivatives.
Originally published July 5, 2014. Updated.