This fun snow ice cream recipe is super fun and easy to make in just 5 minutes!
When life gives you snow, make snow ice cream! ♡
If you’ve never whipped up a batch of this fun snow day treat, it couldn’t be easier. All you need are 4 simple ingredients, a bowl and spoon, and a few scoops of fresh snow (or shaved ice). And in less than 5 minutes, a cute and legit-delicious bowl of snow cream can be yours to enjoy!
It’s the perfect quick and easy activity for kiddos of all ages (or, hey, any of us kids at heart). And it’s of course completely customizable with whatever different flavors, nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or any other ice cream add-ins that you love best.
So the next time you wake up to a winter wonderland, go scoop up some fresh snow and let’s make some snow ice cream together!
Snow Ice Cream Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Snow Ice Cream Ingredients
Here are the 5 simple ingredients that you will need to make this snow ice cream recipe:
- Milk: You can use just about any kind of milk that you prefer for this recipe — dairy or plant-based, plain or vanilla or chocolate, sweetened or unsweetened, up to you!
- Sugar: We typically make snow cream with basic white granulated sugar, but feel free to use whatever type and amount of sweetener you prefer.
- Vanilla extract: We’ll add a little splash of vanilla extract as our main flavor.
- Fine sea salt: I also highly recommend adding a pinch of fine sea salt to bring out the vanilla flavor.
- Fresh snow (or shaved ice): Finally, you’ll need about 8 cups of fresh clean snow. Or if you prefer not to use snow, you’re welcome to use shaved ice instead. I recommend placing the snow in a metal mixing bowl or a chilled glass bowl to prevent it from melting if you bring the snow inside.
Snow Cream Tips
Detailed instructions are included in the recipe below for how to make snow ice cream. But here are a few extra tips to keep in mind too!
- Freeze snow while prepping: I’m sure this goes without saying, but fresh snow melts quickly! So I recommend either popping your bowl of fresh snow in the freezer while you prep the other ingredients. Or wait to go scoop up the fresh snow (or make the shaved ice) until you have already whisked the other four ingredients together.
- Adjust the sweetener to your liking: Please feel totally free to add however much (or little) sweetener that you prefer. If you are using a sweetened/flavored milk, you will likely also need to use less sweetener.
- Add sprinkles just before serving: Most sprinkles will start to bleed their coloring into the ice cream after a minute or two, which is no big deal — they’ll still be delicious. :) However if you would like the sprinkles to look nice when serving the ice cream, I recommend waiting to add them until the very last moment.
- Enjoy immediately: In our experience, fresh snow ice cream doesn’t hold up all that well in the freezer. So it’s best to enjoy immediately. :)
Fun Variations
Here are a few ideas for fun add-ins you can mix into or sprinkle on top of your snow ice cream:
- Cocoa powder: To make chocolate snow cream, mix 1 heaping tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder into the milk mixture before adding in the snow.
- Chocolate chips: Semisweet, white, butterscotch, vegan, etc.
- Cookies/candies: Crumbled Oreos or gingersnaps, chopped candy bars, M&Ms, etc.
- Fruit: Chopped berries, cherries, peaches, pineapple, etc.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, etc.
Snow Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (any kind)
- 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less, depending on the density of the snow)
- optional topping: sprinkles!
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk milk, sugar, vanilla and salt together until combined. Go scoop up some fresh (clean!) snow, and immediately stir it into the milk mixture until you reach your desired consistency. (The ice cream should be fluffy, not runny. But it melts quickly, so dive in quickly.)
- Top with sprinkles or other ice cream toppings if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Hi so I used the recipe but I changed it a bit. instead of mixing the snow with the ingredients we put the ingredients in a plastic bag and the snow in a larger plastic bag with the salt( and we used a lot of salt). Then we played with the big baggie for 5-10 minutes. Shaking the bags till the milk was frozen. It was very sweet but delish. This way you don’t eat the snow and it still freezes the ice cream. Also it is science!
I love it! I’ve made this recipe so many times, and it great every time, my little brother and sister love it! Definitely somthing id eat often
Been eating and making ‘Snow Cream’ all my life. Never heard of adding salt and I’d never do that. Just no need for it. Also never put anything in freezer. Just bring in the snow add the ingredients, evaporated
Milk, sugar and vanilla to taste the key to it no being runny? Make sure you keep adding snow. It’s supposed to be a little runny. Should look and taste almost exactly like homemade vanilla ice cream.
This was really good snow cream. Will definitely make again in the future. Thanks!
Mine always ends up runny no matter what I do and I follow what was written. However, what I do is I put it in the freezer for a few hours after I make it. Then it comes out fluffy and looking like store bought ice cream.
Thanks! Mine just turned runny, going yo put it in the freezer for a bit now. I was disappointed but now I feel hopeful. I think it depends on the texture of the snow. ours was slushy to begin with
Great recipe. I looked high and low for one that didn’t require sweetened condensed milk. I can’t compare those that include it and don’t, but this was great. Perfect recipe to make with the kids. If it helps anyone, I just set my bowl outside
So easy and delicious!! Save this recipe for sure. I may have accidentally added double vanilla… And it was amazing.
Can I just grab some snow and mix it into my ice cream I already have I bought and just skip the other stuff?
Try yogurt instead of milk mmm mmm oh so good!
And if the yogurt is Vanilla you can skip the Vanilla Extract as well.
Very good snow cream! First time I’ve made it with evaporated milk instead of whipping cream. Thanks to the Blizzard of 2018 on the East coast USA, VA to be exact, 12″ of snow whooopeyyy!