Just Start with Ice Cream Making
Making ice cream at home is simpler than most people think. The core technique involves heating a custard base (or mixing a no-cook base), chilling it, and churning it in an ice cream maker. Once you understand the ratios of cream, sugar, and eggs that create a smooth, scoopable texture, you can start building flavors in any direction: classic vanilla, fruit sorbets, rich gelato, or something entirely your own.
Start here
The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated
David Lebovitz · 272 pages · 2018 · Easy
Themes: ice cream, sorbet, gelato, granita, frozen desserts
The definitive home ice cream cookbook, written by a former Chez Panisse pastry chef who spent thirteen years perfecting desserts in one of America’s most celebrated kitchens. David Lebovitz covers ice creams, sorbets, gelatos, granitas, and all the sauces, toppings, and mix-ins you could want, with 200 recipes that range from classic vanilla to inventive combinations like Labneh Ice Cream with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle.
Why Start Here
Most ice cream cookbooks either overwhelm you with complicated techniques or offer only a handful of basic recipes. Lebovitz finds the sweet spot. He begins with clear explanations of how ice cream works: what sugar does to texture, why you chill the base overnight, how different fats affect creaminess. Then he walks you through the foundational custard and Philadelphia-style bases before branching out into sorbets, sherbets, gelatos, and granitas.
The revised 2018 edition updates the original 2007 classic with a dozen new recipes, fresh photography, and a new section on frozen cocktails. Lebovitz writes with the precision of a professional pastry chef but the warmth of someone who genuinely wants you to succeed. His headnotes are honest about what works, what can go wrong, and how to fix it. He also covers the practical details that other books skip: which ice cream machines are worth buying, how to store homemade ice cream so it stays scoopable, and how to adjust recipes when you do not have an ice cream maker at all.
What sets this book apart is its range. You get the classics (chocolate, strawberry, coffee), the sophisticated (salted butter caramel, fresh ginger, roasted banana), and the playful (s’mores ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough). The sauces and toppings chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
What to Expect
A beautifully photographed 272-page cookbook that covers every category of frozen dessert. The recipes are organized by type: custard-based ice creams, Philadelphia-style ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, granitas, frozen yogurts, and accompaniments. Most recipes require an ice cream maker, though Lebovitz includes alternatives for those without one. The difficulty level is genuinely approachable for beginners, with clear instructions and reliable results. You will need standard baking ingredients plus good-quality chocolate, fresh fruit, and heavy cream.
Alternatives
Jeni Britton Bauer · 217 pages · 2011 · Easy
A James Beard Award-winning cookbook from the founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, the Ohio-based chain that helped launch the artisan ice cream movement in America. Jeni Britton Bauer takes a different approach than most ice cream books: her base recipe uses cream cheese and a small amount of cornstarch instead of egg yolks, producing an exceptionally smooth, clean-flavored ice cream.
Why Start Here
If you want to skip the fussy custard-making step that trips up many beginners, Jeni’s method is a revelation. Her eggless base comes together quickly, churns beautifully, and produces ice cream with a lighter, more intense flavor than traditional French-style custard. The technique is simple enough that you can have a batch spinning in your machine within thirty minutes of opening the book.
The 100 recipes showcase Jeni’s gift for unexpected flavor combinations that somehow work perfectly: Salty Caramel, Goat Cheese with Roasted Cherries, Sweet Corn and Black Raspberries, Whiskey and Pecans. Each recipe is written with enough detail that a complete beginner can follow along, and Jeni is particularly good at explaining why each step matters. She also covers frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches.
What to Expect
A compact, focused 217-page cookbook that gets you making ice cream right away. The book opens with a thorough explanation of Jeni’s base method and ingredient philosophy, then moves into recipes organized by flavor family. You will need an ice cream maker, cream cheese, corn syrup, cornstarch, and standard dairy ingredients. The flavors lean creative and seasonal, so this is an excellent choice if you enjoy experimenting and have access to farmers’ markets or specialty ingredients.
Tyler Malek and JJ Goode · 240 pages · 2019 · Moderate
The cookbook from Portland’s most inventive ice cream company, founded by cousins Tyler and Kim Malek. Salt & Straw built a national following with bold, boundary-pushing flavors like Honey Lavender, Pear and Blue Cheese, and Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper. This book brings those flavors home with a surprisingly simple approach: one five-minute base recipe that serves as the foundation for dozens of creative variations.
Why Start Here
The genius of this book is its simplicity at the core. Tyler Malek developed a single base recipe that takes five minutes to prepare and requires no cooking, no tempering eggs, and no waiting for custard to cool. From that one base, you can make nearly every flavor in the book. This makes it exceptionally beginner-friendly for the base itself, even though some of the flavor additions require more advanced techniques like making caramel ribbons or roasting fruit.
The recipes are organized by season, reflecting Salt & Straw’s commitment to working with local farmers and seasonal ingredients. Spring brings Arbequina Olive Oil ice cream, summer features Roasted Strawberry and Toasted White Chocolate, autumn offers Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (yes, really), and winter delivers Double Fold Vanilla. Malek writes with enthusiasm about where each flavor came from and why certain combinations work, which teaches you to think like an ice cream maker rather than just follow instructions.
What to Expect
A 240-page cookbook with full-color photography organized around the four seasons. The no-cook base is genuinely easy, but the flavor additions vary in complexity. Some are as simple as stirring in crushed cookies, while others involve making separate components like fruit compotes, nut brittles, or savory elements. You will need an ice cream maker, and some recipes call for specialty ingredients. The book rewards adventurous eaters who enjoy creative flavor combinations and are willing to experiment.