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(5,466)
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
5,466 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!

Gabriela

Will never need another ice cream recipe is an accurate title

Jim

I’m confused. The first flavor add-on (vanilla, coffee, tea) says “add to the cold milk and cream mixture” before straining. There is no cold milk and cream mixture; the very first step is to simmer them. It’s not cold until well after it’s been strained. What am I missing?

VickiF

So I’m sorry to say, this is one of the few recipes of Melissa Clark’s that I would never ever make again. If you are looking for a refreshing cranberry sauce, don’t do this. It was into the garbage bad.

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