Pint Recipe

Warm the dairy and infuse

Combine 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and the scraped seeds plus pod of 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract later) in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot and just steaming — about 5–7 minutes. Do not boil.

Temper the egg and make custard

In a mixing bowl, whisk 1 whole egg lightly. Slowly pour about 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg while whisking constantly to temper it. Then pour the tempered egg back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture, stirring constantly.

Thicken custard

Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula or whisk, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not let it boil or scramble the egg—this should take 3–6 minutes.

Strain and cool

Remove from heat. If you used a vanilla pod, discard the pod. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract (if not using a bean) and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. Let the custard cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.

Chill

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Chill the bowl of your ice cream maker if applicable.

Churn (ice cream maker)

Once chilled, pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 20–30 minutes).

No-churn alternative

If you don't have an ice cream maker: whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks (reserve 1 cup from the original recipe by reducing the heavy cream to 1/2 cup at start if using no-churn — note: the ingredient list above assumes churn method). Fold the chilled, thickened custard into the whipped cream until homogeneous, taking care not to deflate too much. This yields a lighter, no-churn pint.

Add mix-ins

When the churned ice cream is nearly done (or immediately before freezing in no-churn), fold in your chosen mix-ins: up to 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or chips, 1/2 cup crushed cookies or brownie pieces, 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce (ripple), or 1/4 cup toasted nuts. For ripples, spoon alternating layers of ice cream and caramel into the pint container and gently ripple with a spatula — do not overmix.

Pack and freeze

Spoon the finished ice cream into a 1-pint freezer-safe container, pressing gently to remove large air pockets. Smooth the surface, press a piece of parchment or a disk of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to minimize ice crystals, and seal with the lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.

Serve

Remove the pint from the freezer about 5–10 minutes before serving to soften slightly for easier scooping. Scoop with an ice cream scoop and enjoy.

Use the small saucepan, whisk, mixing bowls, and fine mesh sieve as directed above. If using an ice cream maker, ensure its bowl was pre-frozen according to manufacturer instructions. Label the pint container with date and flavor, and consume within 2–3 weeks for best quality.