Frozen Vanilla Custard

Frozen Vanilla Custard: The Creamiest Scoop of Summer

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Ice cream may get all the glory, but if you’ve ever had a spoonful of frozen vanilla custard, you know it’s in a league of its own. Richer, creamier, and silkier than traditional ice cream, frozen custard is the kind of dessert that makes you stop mid-bite and think: where has this been all my life?

A Scoop of History

Frozen custard was first served in Coney Island, New York, in 1919, when brothers Archie and Elton Kohr added egg yolks to their ice cream recipe. The result? A dessert so smooth and velvety it drew crowds—and sold nearly 18,000 cones in just one weekend.

By the 1930s, frozen custard had spread through the Midwest, especially Wisconsin, which proudly claims itself as the Frozen Custard Capital of the World. Unlike traditional ice cream, which only requires cream and sugar, frozen custard must contain at least 1.4% egg yolk solids. That’s what gives it that trademark richness and slower melt.

Why You’ll Love Frozen Custard

• Ultra-creamy texture thanks to egg yolks.
• Less air churned in, meaning it’s denser than ice cream (more flavor, less fluff).
• Classic nostalgia—one bite tastes like a summer carnival.

And while frozen custard shops are legendary, you can absolutely make it at home.

Frozen Vanilla Custard

Richer, creamier, and silkier than traditional ice cream, frozen custard is the kind of dessert that makes you stop mid-bite and think: where has this been all my life?

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Prep Time 25 mins

Rest Time and Freezing Time 1 d 12 hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 1 or 6, depends on how much you're eating!

Equipment

• Medium Pot or Saucier
• Blender
• Silicone Coated Whisk
• Fine-Mesh Strainer
• Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients

  

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• 2 1/4 Cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Vanilla Bean
• 7 Egg Yolks

Instructions

 

• In a medium pot or saucier, add heavy cream (2 1/4 Cups), milk (1 Cup), salt (1/2 tsp). Slice vanilla bean down the middle with sharp paring knife, then carefully scrape out the caviar and place in pot.
• Place the saucepan on low heat as you crack eggs.

  Trick for Egg Yolks:

  You want to be sure to use room-temperature eggs. A trick for separating egg yolks from whites is to crack all the eggs into a bowl and simply use your hand (I promise, just grab it) to remove the egg yolks.

  (Use egg whites to make Angel Food Cake.)
• Place egg yolks in blender and set aside.
• Continually whisk cream mixture and monitor temperature. Once it reaches 175º, you can use it to temper the eggs. (Tempering the eggs prevents them from curdling and ruining your custard's texture.)

  If temp starts to rise above 175º, lower temperature or remove from heat for a few moments. DO NOT let it boil or simmer.
• To temper egg yolks, turn on blender (with egg yolks inside) on lowest setting. While blender is mixing on low, slowly drizzle 3 ladels full of 175º cream mixture.
• Once you have tempered eggs, slowly drizzle blender mixture into pot and continue whisking. Adjust heat as necessary to keep around 175º while stirring constantly until mixture thickens. The thickness should be enough that if you stick a metal spoon in the pot and coat the spoon, you could swipe your finger across the spoon and the eges of the mixture where you swiped won't run. This should take about 15 minutes.
• Take your thickened custard mixture and strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
• If you want a soft-serve style frozen custard, then place your bowl in an ice bath and stir until it's completely cold. Then add to ice cream maker and follow directions for your particular ice cream maker.
• If you want a hard frozen custard, allow custard to come to room temperature, then cover and place in fridge overnight. Then add to ice cream maker and follow directions for your particular ice cream maker.
• Scoop out of ice cream maker and into ice cream container with good sealing lid and store upside down in the freezer. (I make the ice cream in the morning and let it freeze until it's time for dessert after dinner.)

Keyword cream, dessert, frozen custard, gelato, homemade vanilla extract, ice cream, summer, vanilla bean