French Vanilla Ice Cream

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!

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This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!Vanilla ice cream is by far my favorite flavor.  Don’t get me wrong, I do love other ice cream flavors.  However, when I’m standing in the frozen aisle at the local grocery store, my eyes always wander towards the vanilla ice cream.  And that brings us to an interesting point.  Vanilla ice cream is vanilla ice cream, right?  Well, sorta.  There’s vanilla ice cream.  Then there’s French vanilla ice cream.  Then there’s vanilla bean ice cream.  And to make things even more confusing, one of our local convenience stores sells a Philly vanilla ice cream.

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!So what’s the difference in all of these ice creams?  It’s actually pretty simple.  French Vanilla Ice Cream has nothing to do with the type of vanilla.  Instead, this style refers to the French style of ice cream which uses egg yolks in the base.  In addition to adding a slightly yellow-ish color, the egg yolks produce an ice cream with a richer, creamier taste.  Plain vanilla ice cream on the other hand doesn’t use egg yolks in the base.  You’ll notice that this style is usually whiter in color.  It’s still a delicious ice cream…just slightly different than French vanilla.

What’s the deal with that Philly vanilla flavor?  Nothing.  Philadelphia-style ice cream is the official name for ice creams that don’t use egg yolks in the base.  So that ‘regular’ vanilla ice cream is Philly style – you just won’t see it on the packaging usually.  Our local convenience store probably chose the name just to sound fun.  In the end, Philly vanilla is the same as traditional vanilla.

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!

French Vanilla Ice Cream

And that brings us to the vanilla bean.  Yes, yet another option when it comes to picking out vanilla ice cream.  Both French Vanilla Ice Cream and Philly Vanilla Ice Cream can use vanilla extract or vanilla beans.  The little black flecks in vanilla bean ice cream?  Those are vanilla bean seeds.  And they add a ton of flavor!  I’m partial to both the French style of ice cream as well as vanilla beans, so that’s what we have here.  Technically, this recipe should be called French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, but I went with the shorter version.  No matter what you call it, it’s delicious!

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!Using real vanilla beans brings such a unique, strong flavor to recipes.  If the recipe has another predominant flavor – chocolate, peanut butter, coffee, etc. – then I typically use vanilla extract.  It adds a nice boost of flavor.  But if the recipe is meant to taste like vanilla?  Well that’s where the vanilla beans come into play.  Last month, I posted these Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting.  This French Vanilla Ice Cream tastes just like that frosting…just in frozen form.  It’s delicious!

SLO Food Group Vanilla Beans ReviewWhen it comes to vanilla beans, I particularly enjoy the options from SLO Food Group.  SLO Food Group is a vanilla bean importer based in Sarasota, Florida.  Shawn (one of the brain-trust behind SLO Food Group) regularly goes on vanilla bean harvesting trips to Tahiti and Madagascar.  I’ve used his vanilla beans a number of times, and they’ve always exceeded my expectations.  I love vanilla flavored desserts, so I expect my vanilla beans to produce a strong vanilla flavor.

SLO Food Group Vanilla Beans ReviewBecause SLO Group works directly with vanilla bean farmers, they’re able to offer premium products at reasonable prices.  Did you know that vanilla beans rank as the world’s second most valuable spice (behind only saffon)?  Vanilla beans are hand-pollinated, and the process is both labor and time intensive.  Vanilla bean production also plays a key economic role in a number of smaller countries – most notably, French Polynesia, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea.  SLO Food Group works directly with farmers in each of these locations.  I highly recommend their vanilla beans – oh, and did I mention that they offer free shipping within the US?  Bonus!

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!As we wrap up this discussion of ice cream and vanilla beans, I’ll leave you with one extra trivia fact.  Vanilla beans are actually seed pods from orchids.  And the flower that produces the vanilla bean?  It only lasts one day.  (The beans are hand-picked and cured/dried for 4-6 months after they’re picked.)  I hope you enjoy this French Vanilla Ice Cream as much as we do!

Did you make a batch of this French Vanilla Ice Cream at home?  Leave a comment.  Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!

French Vanilla Ice Cream

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Chilling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 445kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 vanilla beans
  • cups half-and-half
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

  • Using a sharp knife, slice each vanilla bean lengthwise.
  • Using the back of the knife, scrap the seeds out of the halved vanilla beans.
  • Using a medium saucepan, add vanilla beans and half-and-half. Heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to simmer.
  • Meanwhile, using a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until well blended.
  • Gradually pour the heated half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture; whisking vigorously the entire time.
  • Transfer this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens noticeably and coats a wooden spoon. (~4-6 minutes).
  • Once the custard mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the heavy cream; stir until well combined.
  • Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  • Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. (Note: For a softer ice cream, serve immediately. For a harder ice cream, transfer mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3-4 hours.)

This homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream is packed with vanilla beans for a deep vanilla flavor.  Grab a scoop for dessert tonight!

Looking for more vanilla bean recipes?  Check out these other favorites, too:

These Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting are a classic!  The cupcakes are soft and fluffy, and the frosting is insanely delicious.  Bake up a batch today!Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

This Apple and Pork Stuffed Acorn Squash uses a number of classic Autumn ingredients...and one unexpected ingredient, too: vanilla beans!Apple and Pork Stuffed Acorn Squash

Packed with spices and real vanilla beans, this Gingerbread Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting is the perfect holiday dessert!Gingerbread Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

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16 Comments

    1. I couldn’t agree more, Alexandra! A good vanilla ice cream is darn near impossible to beat! This one is a favorite, and I can’t wait for more batches as the weather warms up here. Thanks!

    1. I’m with ya, Sherry! Vanilla bean paste is a good substitute if you don’t have actual vanilla beans…it’s made with real beans at least! Either way, I highly recommend this ice cream recipe. It’s SO good!

  1. 5 stars
    I’m a chocolate girl, but this looks/sounds fabulous. I love the flavor of vanilla and using the beans is always the best! And yes, so many varieties of vanilla ice cream — I’d never really thought about that before. 🙂 ~Valentina

    1. Vanilla beans bring such a wonderful flavor to recipes! I use vanilla extract quite often, and I’m always so pleased at the flavor boost when I use actual beans. Now I need an ice cream cone! haha 🙂

  2. Vanilla is my favorite flavor, too, David! (Well, aside from pistachio… ) This looks fantastic. I love the simplicity and purity of the flavors, and that creamy texture. Nothing like it.

    1. Ah, if you like pistachio, then stay tuned, Frank! I have a cake recipe coming up that Laura proclaimed to be her favorite cake I’ve ever made. 🙂 In fact, I bet that cake would go well with a scoop of this vanilla ice cream. Simple, easy and so tasty! Thanks, Frank!

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for the 411 on vanilla ice-cream! All I know is that it’s delicious, lol….especially when it’s homemade! Would love to have a few scoops of this today, David…nothing like homemade. Looks creamy dreamy!

    1. There are SO many different versions of vanilla ice cream out there. I love each and every one of them, too. Haha! But a good French vanilla made with real vanilla beans is my choice any day. 🙂 Thanks, Dawn!

    1. This is hands-down my favorite vanilla ice cream ever, Dawn! So much vanilla flavor, and so creamy, too. Cheers to the warmer months that are on the way!

    1. I highly (!!) recommend this recipe, Marissa! I love vanilla ice cream, too, and this is seriously one of my all-time favorites. The real vanilla beans in there make such a difference!

  4. Hi, David. Just discovered this recipe and can’t wait to try. If using vanilla paste, is the substitution 2T (I’ve read 1T = 1 vanilla pod)? And would you add it at the same time – with the simmering half & half?

    1. Hey Jakmaw! This ice cream is really, really tasty – definitely ranks up there as one of my all-time favorites. I recommend using 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste for every 1 vanilla bean…so for this recipe, that would be 4 tsp of paste. And, yes, I would add it at the same step in the recipe as that infuses the half & half with the vanilla flavor. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

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