Vanilla Soft Serve

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Ice cream frozen desserts Vanilla: Extract Medium

Soft serve is a smooth, light ice cream served softer and warmer than hard-frozen ice cream. This homemade version uses a cornstarch-thickened base that you churn only to the soft stage. Makes 6 cones in about 5 hr 38 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 18 min

Cooling 5 hr

Total 5 hr 38 min

Yield 6 cones

Ingredients

Adjust yield

cones

2 cups (480 ml)whole milk
1 cup (240 ml)heavy cream
½ cup (110 g)granulated sugar
3 ½ tbsp (30 g)nonfat dry milk powder
1 tbsp (10 g)cornstarch
2 tsp (10 ml)pure vanilla extract
1 pinchfine salt
¼ oz (6 g)wafer cones

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Instructions

Whisk the sugar, milk powder, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan, then whisk in the milk and cream.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
Boil 1 minute to cook out the starch, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours until fully cold.
Churn in an ice cream maker for only 15 to 18 minutes, until it holds soft peaks and is smooth and billowy.
Serve immediately into cones, or transfer to a piping bag and pipe a swirl.

Tips

Serve right away; soft serve hardens in the freezer.
The cornstarch gives the dispensed machine-like smoothness.
Chill your cones and bowls to slow melting.
Good with sprinkles.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla soft serve?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking, plus 5 hours to chill. The recipe makes 6 cones.

How should I store vanilla soft serve?

Best served at once; leftovers freeze hard and need 20 minutes to soften.

Can I make vanilla soft serve ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with sprinkles.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.

274 Calories / serving

17.3g Fat

26.1g Carbs

3.8g Protein

24.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (6 servings): ~1644 cal · 104g fat · 157g carbs · 23g protein · 147g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.