How to Make Ice Cream With Snow-Add Fun in This Cold Winter

Fresh snow creating a beautiful winter wonderland in our yard is magical. Consequently, when we learned that snow could be used to make ice cream, our Test Kitchen had to investigate to see if it was true. The safety risk is the one thing we couldn’t ignore. Even snow that falls through the air to your unaffected yard may contain pollutants from the atmosphere (coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, and wood-burning stoves, to name a few sources). There is no way to avoid all of these environmental factors, but if you don’t mind taking a slight risk (we did it and didn’t get sick), you can have homemade snow ice cream after the next significant snowfall. The recipe for snow cream that our experts developed only calls for four ingredients (snow is included).

What is Snow Ice Cream?

Snow ice cream is simply a frozen ice cream treat made from (you guessed it!) fluffy snow! Using the ingredients (like snow and cream!) to make snow cream, snowing ice cream becomes a frozen, creamy treat for a winter day.

One of those enjoyable winter day activities for kids is making snow ice cream, also known as snow cream, ice milk/milk snow, snowflake ice cream, condensed milk ice cream, southern snow cream milk, or snowman ice cream. All you need are three simple ingredients. This is the best snow ice cream recipe because it’s such a quick and easy recipe for kids – about 5 minutes after you gather the snow! Definitely add it to your snow activities for kids or snow day recipe ideas!

Snow Ice Cream Ingredients:

Snow from a recent snowfall (you will need twice as much snow as you think, so use a large mixing bowl!) OR shaved ice (with a shave ice machine)

• You can make this recipe for snow ice cream with or without milk. Whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, half and half, evaporated milk, or a milk substitute.)
• Sugar or powdered sugar
• We have made our recipe for snow ice cream both ways—without and with vanilla extract—and both ways are delicious! (A teaspoon of vanilla extract adds a surprising amount of flavor, but it also tastes delicious with no vanilla!)
• Chocolate syrup (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)
• Pinch salt (optional)
• Toppings (optional, but makes for a fun recipe for ice cream from snow)

How to Make Snow Ice Cream:

Milk, sugar, and vanilla should all be thoroughly combined in a small bowl. Add approximately 8 to 10 cups of snow to a large bowl. Stir thoroughly to combine before adding the milk mixture on top. The texture will be close to that of homemade ice cream (thinner than store-bought ice cream but still have some structure when scooped). Serve immediately and, if desired, garnish with sprinkles.

However, we don’t make this as an egg-based snow ice cream recipe; some people do. In addition, some individuals use shaved ice in the absence of recent snowfall. If you want to see the complete list of ingredients for snow ice cream as well as detailed instructions for making it, keep reading. You’ll also find the answers to other frequently asked questions about recipes, like whether it’s safe to eat snow from the outside.).

Making this homemade ice cream recipe with my mom and brother brings back wonderful memories for me. We would get a big bowl and fill it with milk and cups of snow to create a delicious frozen treat. (It’s a southern homemade ice cream recipe from my mom — a really simple snow cream recipe!)

Try this winter recipe with kids whether you have a few inches or a few feet of snow! (It’s a family tradition that we look forward to every year and one of our favorite wintertime activities.)

So, if you’ve seen snow cream Pinterest pins and heard people talking about homemade snow cream and are wondering if can you make ice cream out of snow, the answer is YES! So, add making this homemade ice cream from snow to your list of winter activities for kids!

What Do You Need to Make Snow Ice Cream?

Directions

Step 1: Prep Your Pan

Freeze a shallow bowl or pan that can be used in the freezer that is empty. The 13×9-inch Pyrex pan is the choice of Our Test Kitchen, but any stainless steel pan will do in this situation.

Step 2: Mix It Up

Stir all the ingredients together in a big bowl until the sugar dissolves.

Step 3: Freeze

Transfer your mixture into the cold pan and stick it back in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Check on the ice cream around that time. Once the edges start to freeze, take out the mixture and beat it using a hand mixer. You’ll contribute to the ice cream’s smoothness and creaminess by breaking it up. The mixture cannot be overbeaten.

Step 4: Back to the Freezer

Return the pan to the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, take it back out and beat the ice cream again. Repeat until it is firmly frozen, usually around four or five mixing sessions. The mixture ought to be creamy and smooth after it has been frozen. The process can be continued if the ice cream ever gets too hard; just put it in the fridge until it’s soft enough to beat.

A covered freezer container should be used to store the ice cream until it is time to serve. That’s it! Consider using it as the basis for one of our top ice cream sundae recipes.

Tools You’ll Need

• Small and large bowls, like this sturdy set from KitchenAid
• A large plastic or wooden mixing spoon
• Serving dishes, like this pretty set of ceramic bowls

Snow Cream How to Make Alternative Ways:

If you want a healthier version of snow ice cream, omit the heavy cream and eggs that some people use in their recipes. (We prepare this as a three-ingredient milk snow or sweet treat.) Both plain milk and sweetened condensed milk worked well when we made our homemade snow ice cream, so we tried both. (Next time, give the snow recipe a try both ways and let us know what you think!)

If you can’t have any ingredients in ice cream, play around with the snow cream (like substitute oat milk or almond milk if you need dairy-free ice cream). Adding vanilla will create vanilla snow ice cream, which is better if you prefer a richer flavor. Add it to your easy kitchen snowed-in recipes or homemade ice cream recipes for winter as it’s a surprisingly simple recipe that uses ingredients you probably already have around the house to make snow milk. Here are some frequently asked questions before we get to the complete recipe card for making snow ice cream.

Snow Ice Cream Toppings Ideas:

• Sprinkles
• a variety of berries (ice cream made with strawberries and snow is delicious!)
• Bananas
• If you want to make chocolate snow ice cream, use chocolate syrup or a chocolate ice cream drizzle!)
• M&M candies
• Chocolate chips
• Crushed candy canes
• Maple syrup
• Lemon zest
• Marshmallow cream
• Crushed cookies
• Nutella
• Whipped cream
• Crushed graham crackers
• Nerds candies
• syrups for snow cones and ice cream (yep, the same kind you use for snow cones! Snow syrup is an attainable goal.)

Snow creams with toppings are enjoyable! Choose well-liked ice cream toppings or invent your own creative recipe or flavor combinations. Divide the ice cream snow into a small bowl for each person and let everyone add their own toppings. A great ice cream recipe for kids, this one! You might want to make this as a sugar-free snow ice cream recipe if you plan to top your snow cream with chocolate syrup. If not, it might be too sweet (particularly if you’re making snow ice cream with sweetened condensed milk).

What is the Difference Between Snow Ice Cream and Real Ice Cream?

Snow ice cream is lighter and fluffier than regular ice cream, which is a heavier and more dense frozen dessert treat, and is made with snow and a few other basic ingredients (such as condensed milk and sugar). Snow ice cream and vanilla ice cream, however, have flavors that are similar.

Because it resembles an ice cream cone, some people like to call it “snow-cream ice cream”; however, I think “snowflakes ice cream” is a more endearing name!).

With ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, this recipe for snow cream is simple to make.

How to Make Snow Ice Cream Without Milk

Yes, it is possible to make snow ice cream without using milk! You can make dairy-free homemade snow ice cream by using milk alternatives like oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk or any other milk substitutes you use to make snow cream recipes with milk free. (Additionally, you can adapt it to make vegan ice cream with coconut milk or vegetarian snow cream with almond milk.)

The flavors may differ slightly if you make the snow ice cream without condensed milk, with whole milk, or with half and half. This recipe is more akin to a snow ice cream custard due to the creaminess of milk products.

Can You Freeze Snow Ice Cream?

If you have any leftover snow ice cream, you can freeze it by placing it in a freezer-safe container. However, while the flavor will be good, it will not retain that light, fluffy texture of the snow cream (which is one of the best parts!). As a result, while you can freeze snow cream, it’s best to eat it right away. The next day, it really isn’t as good, so it’s not a great idea.

You can whip up this snow ice cream easy recipe in no time! You can make ice cream without an ice cream maker by using this basic ice cream recipe!

Conclusion

Your kids will cherish the memory of their favorite childhood activity: making ice cream out of snow! (For this reason, I wrote about it!)

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