How to make ice cream at home with a stand mixer or an ice cream maker

OK, here's where things get laughably easy.

To start with, this time you'll mix all the ingredients from our recipe above — and any other flavors you want — together into a saucepan and heat the blend just until a bit of foam begins to appear.

Then cut the heat, transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and refrigerate it until thoroughly cold or for about two hours.

Now, transfer that mixture into an ice cream maker and uh ... well, just turn it on.

Note that with many ice cream makers, you will have to freeze a removable insert for several hours prior to use. Others don't require pre-freezing, but do require lots of ice and rock salt.

For a low-cost, reliable ice cream maker that requires a bit of hands on work getting it set up as well as some ice and rock salt, I recommend the Nostalgia 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker.

For a super easy, hands-off operation, try the two-quart Cuisinart ICE-30R Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Maker, and if you think you're going to become an ice cream, fro yo, and sorbet gourmet, go with the top-of-the-line Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker.

Alternatively, to make a very small batch of ice cream in about three minutes, consider the Chef'n Sweet Spot Instant Ice Cream Maker. You can read our full guide to the best ice cream makers to learn more about all of these machines.

Ice cream is delicious and all, but the fat content and the calories are a definite drawback. If you and the family want to enjoy sweet frozen treats every night without guilt, consider using frozen fruit, and chiefly the banana, instead.

When processed through Yonanas' magical device, fruits that were good and ripe when frozen are whipped into a dessert that tastes like and has a mouthfeel similar to ice cream, but is made from fruit alone.

You can read our full guide to the best frozen dessert makers for more great options, and a full review of why we love this machine.