Set up an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Nest a medium bowl inside it and place a fine-mesh strainer on top. This helps cool the custard quickly and prevents curdling.

Warm the dairy. In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream and almond milk. Heat over medium until steaming, not boiling. Turn heat to low.

Whisk the yolks and sweetener. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sweetener, salt, and vanilla until smooth and slightly thickened.

Temper the eggs. Slowly ladle a little hot cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Repeat with 2–3 more ladles to gently warm the yolks.

Cook the custard. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat with a spatula, scraping the bottom, until the custard coats the back of the spatula and reaches about 170–175°F. Do not boil.

Strain and chill fast. Pour the custard through the strainer into the chilled bowl. Stir for a few minutes to cool, then refrigerate, covered, until very cold—at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn. Pour the cold custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions, usually 20–25 minutes, until thick and soft-serve consistency.

Add mix-ins. If using chocolate chips, nuts, or peanut butter ribbons, add them in the last 2–3 minutes of churning.

Freeze to set. Transfer to a lidded, freezer-safe container. Press parchment against the surface to minimize ice crystals. Freeze 2–4 hours to firm up.

No-churn option. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Warm almond milk with sweetener until dissolved; cool completely. Whisk in yolks and vanilla, then gently fold into the whipped cream. Freeze in a shallow container, stirring every 30–45 minutes for 3–4 hours to break up ice crystals.