Here Is What Separates French Vanilla Ice Cream From Vanilla French vanilla ice cream tends to have a slightly yellow coloring, while plain vanilla ice cream is more white. That’s because the base of French vanilla ice cream has egg yolks added to it. Eggs give French vanilla ice cream both a smoother consistency and the subtle yellow color. The taste itself is a little richer and a little more complex than a regular vanilla. French vanilla ice cream may date back to at least colonial times when Thomas Jefferson used ice cream recipes that included egg yolks. Jefferson is said to have acquired his taste for ice cream during the time he spent in France.