Now we know why Walmart ice cream won't melt, but Haagen Dazs ice cream does. Does this make you throw your hands in the air and proclaim, "I'll make my own ice cream!" If so, you're in the right place.

Ice Cream, Custard, Gelato, Oh My!

With so many frozen confections to choose from, what's the difference?

• Ice cream is heavy on the cream with at least a 10 percent fat content. More fat and air is used in the churning process.
• Custard is like ice cream, but contains egg yolk, giving it a richer, creamier texture.
• Gelato is more milk than cream, and less air is churned into it, creating a denser texture than ice cream.

If cream isn't your thing, there is also sorbet, a mix of fruity syrup and water. Most sorbets are made by pureeing fruit, adding sugar, salt and water, then giving it a spin in an ice cream maker. For more on the science of sorbet (and recipes), see this Serious Eats article here.

Bring On The Homemade

Blogger Sarah Kaiser set out to make a vegan ice cream, but couldn't resist adding egg yolks. The result? A sweet and spicy frozen custard with pumpkin and ginger.

Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams shares her favorite trick to make egg-free ice cream -- thickening it by boiling down the cream and adding corn starch.

Melissa Clark offers her custard base for virtually any flavor, complete with step-by-step video.

Don't worry -- if you're vegan or otherwise dairy-free, we did not forget about you! Ashley McLaughlin from Edible Perspective shared her coconut milk vegan vanilla bean ice cream.

What about you? Share your favorite ice cream (or custard, gelato, sorbet or otherwise) recipes in the comments below!