Vanilla Custard Ice Cream made from Raw Milk & Eggs

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Want to get more egg yolks in your diet? Do you have backyard chickens and therefore an overabundance of eggs as spring transitions into summer? Let’s make some delicious vanilla custard ice cream with as many egg yolks as possible.

I’m always trying to incorporate more eggs into our diet, especially raw. Adding them to a raw yogurt smoothie is a great option but custard? Custard ice cream makes everyone smile.

Eggs are incredibly nutrient dense foods. These little fat bombs contain major antioxidant nutrients, amino acids, and cholesterol that’s essential for brain health.

If you want to consume raw eggs – or make vanilla custard ice cream for goodness sake – use eggs that are fresh and from a trusted source. Eggs from unhealthy chickens increase the risk of harmful bacteria (like salmonella), so know where your food is coming from!

What about Raw Milk?

We switched to raw milk when my first son was born and will never go back to pasteurized milk (or pasteurized milk products). Pasteurization heats milk to a point that kills any bad bacteria… but it also kills the good bacteria. When you drink pasteurized milk, your body doesn’t know what to do with it, because the good bacteria has been killed off.

Pasteurization was originally adapted for milk because dairies didn’t have proper procedures to produce a clean product (thus increasing the changes of harmful bacteria). Instead of changing their practices to keep milk clean, they simply covered up that it could possibly be contaminated. Pasteurization and ultra-pasteurization) also keeps the milk shelf stable longer, but what exactly does that do to us when we drink it?

Milk in its raw state, straight from the cow as it was intended, is a beautiful health food. Read this article on the Weston A Price website for a better understanding of raw milk. The main thing to consider is the source. Just like with eggs, or with anything you decide to put in your body or feed your family, make sure it comes from a good source that has good practices including: how they milk the cows, what their living conditions are, and what they feed them.

If you need help sourcing raw milk. Contact your local Weston A Price chapter leader or go to RealMilk.com for more resources.

Do I need an ice cream maker to make ice cream?

Yes… and no. Making ice cream is much easier and yields better results with an ice cream maker. Thanks to modern ingenuity, you don’t have to get one that requires rock salt. The one I have has a bowl that you freeze and a paddle that churns the ice cream while the bowl spins on a base. It’s straightforward, inexpensive, and you can find it here. I do think it’s a great gadget for the price but I’d probably opt for its bigger brother (the 2 qt model) or even better, one without plastic parts.

How to make custard without an ice cream maker:

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, simply put the blended custard mixture into your freezer for about an hour. After an hour, pull it out and use a handheld mixer (or scoop everything into a blender) and beat it until smooth. Put it in an ice cream storage container and place it back in the freezer. This method won’t be as creamy as the slower churn, but it works in a pinch.

Time to Make the Best Vanilla Custard Ice Cream of Your Life

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream, salt, scraped vanilla bean AND the pod, and ½ cup of the honey granules. All ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe below.

Stir while it warms and almost simmers, but don’t bring it to a boil.

If you’ve never scraped a vanilla bean, it’s quite simple. Slice it long ways on one side to butterfly it open. Use the back of your knife to scrape out the seeds. For this recipe, you’ll place the seeds along with the pod into your pot.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and the remaining ¾ cup of honey granules. (Don’t discard the egg whites! They’re great for omelets, quiche, or cocktails…) Using an electric mixer, beat the yolks with the granules until the mixture thickens. (If you don’t have honey granules, cane sugar works just fine.)

Next, temper the yolks and honey granules by slowly pouring in some of the warm milk mixture (roughly ¼ cup at a time), whisking well or beating as you pour. Do this slowly until about 1 cup of the warmed milk is blended with the yolks, then return the combined mixture to the saucepan.

Allow all the ingredients to warm over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (about 3-4 minutes). Do NOT allow the mixture to simmer or boil, as this will cook the yolks too severely.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a new bowl. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.

Using plastic wrap, cover the custard mixture by pressing down so the plastic touches the liquid. This will prevent a “skin” from forming on top while the liquid cools. Place the mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Once the mixture is chilled, turn your ice cream maker on and pour the liquid in slowly. Allow it to churn for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s thick and creamy. If you want to add any fillings (chocolate chips, crushed cookies, berries, etc.), add them after about 10 minutes of churning, just before the mixture is completely thick.

Store it in an airtight container and place it in the freezer until firm, before serving. How long does homemade custard ice cream store? I’ll never know…

Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought! What are your favorite custard ice cream toppings or fillings?

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