Homemade ice cream is nearly always denser and harder than store-bought ice cream when it comes straight out of the freezer. This is because our homemade recipe doesn’t use any emulsifiers, stabilizers, or artificial ingredients. However, you can still achieve a perfectly soft and dreamy texture — you’ll just need to let the ice cream rest at room temp for about 5-10 minutes to make scooping easier. In addition, make sure you’re using the proper ratio of sugar and not swapping for a cup-for-cup sugar-free substitute.  When sugar is added to ice cream, it helps lower the freezing point of the mixture, which prevents the ice cream from freezing solid and becoming icy. This is because sugar molecules attract water molecules, and the more sugar there is in the mixture, the less water is available to freeze.  Sugar also interferes with the formation of ice crystals by binding to water molecules and preventing them from joining together to form large ice crystals. As a result, the ice cream stays soft and creamy, with a smooth texture. Sugar-free substitutes don’t have the same chemical properties, so I don’t recommend swapping them in.