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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.
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!
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!
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
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.
Heather May —
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
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.
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 can’t belive how well this turned out even though I had to add 3 cups extra snow it turned out really great and my brother loves it! By the way to make a Sunday you can put Nesquik chocolate sauce on it and it’s unbelievabley good
I’m shocked, stunned, and delighted. Schools closed snow day… and this recipe had regular milk. I thought it would be gross… the whole thought of snow-cream was gross. It was great and 10 kids LOVED it and want to do it again tomorrow. I wasn’t even sure if it was mixed well… but it really was yummy and delightful. Winner!
Sarah —
Really, I do LOVE IT btw! I’ll make this over, and over, and OVER AGAIN just to keep my belly satisfied! Rjday, the moral for this story is try new things, and MAYBE you will like them! ( some 10 kids might too!)
Gonna try it out for my very first time ever and I’m so super excited. And yes we will be using clean snow!!!!! I mean why not!!!!! Lol. Thanks for posting your quick and easy snow ice cream recipe. Can’t wait to dive right in, lol.
We were out of vanilla, so we used almond extract. Yummy!
Tammy —
Karly, and Ashlyn, it says 1 cup. Getting ready to try this.
1 cup milk (any kind)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less, depending on the density of the snow)
optional topping: sprinkles!
This is AMAZING! I sometimes eat snow FRESH from the ground, but it’s usually clean. And to mix that with ice cream, is just, …… well, what’s the word…….. phenomenal!!! Thank you guys for making this snow ice cream!!! =)
I made snow cream when I was a little kid. It was a tradition we had every year. Now that Im older I don’t make it. Me and my fiancé live in Virginia and the weather was saying we might be getting snow and I thought about Snow Cream. I asked her has she ever had Snow Cream before and she said she has not had it before or even heard of it. IM SO EXCITED!! I GET TO MAKE HER SOME. I love Snow Cream and I know that she will. When she gets to try it, I will come back and leave a comment on how she liked it. I can not wait. She is going to LOVE it.
OK hi im a kid and from a kids point of view this is amazinggggg!!!!!!! literally the best i added 1 drop of foodcoloring that i liked and it made it really pretty!!! :D10/10 recomend
This was one of my favorites growing up with my grandmother. I haven’t had it in so long I was looking how to make it again as I’ve never made it on my own. Thanks for putting the recipe up I knew I was forgetting a ingredient and sure enough I was. Thanks again.
Angie R. —
Easy and delicious! A must try if you have a lot of snow!
This is a great recipe! Tastes a lot like ice cream! But… it melts fast, and you have to be careful with the Vanilla Extract because if you put just a little extra thats all you can taste.
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!
Try yogurt instead of milk mmm mmm oh so good!
And if the yogurt is Vanilla you can skip the Vanilla Extract as well.
Can I just grab some snow and mix it into my ice cream I already have I bought and just skip the other stuff?
So easy and delicious!! Save this recipe for sure. I may have accidentally added double vanilla… And it was amazing.
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
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
This was really good snow cream. Will definitely make again in the future. Thanks!
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.
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
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!
This is adorable! My niece and nephew will love it. Can’t wait to make it with them!
The Ice Cream was great! I will be using this recipe more often!
My 4-year daughter was SO excited. Was delicious, easy, and fun.
Easy and delicious!!
If we have snow on March 21 might as well enjoy a sweet treat.
First big snow in KC and this capped off our day. We added strawberries for added yummy flavor!!
Super easy! I used half and half instead of milk for rich flavor. Yum!
Needed more milk but pretty good!
My 4 year old and I had a ball making this. Of course we had to have the sprinkles. Great easy recipe for kids to follow.
This was GREAT!!! We did it during the Seattle Snowpocalypse today and it was the best thing ever. Thank you!!!!
I can’t belive how well this turned out even though I had to add 3 cups extra snow it turned out really great and my brother loves it! By the way to make a Sunday you can put Nesquik chocolate sauce on it and it’s unbelievabley good
Really yummy my mom had never made it and she loved it so so much.
Now I can’t wait for it to snow at my house, I’ll make me some yummy ice cream.
Me: Extremely concerned about pollution.
Also me: WE’RE HAVING SNOW ICE CREAM KIDS!
This recipe is awesome for vanilla extract, though it doesn’t work well for peppermint. I do not recommend using peppermint extract.
I’m shocked, stunned, and delighted. Schools closed snow day… and this recipe had regular milk. I thought it would be gross… the whole thought of snow-cream was gross. It was great and 10 kids LOVED it and want to do it again tomorrow. I wasn’t even sure if it was mixed well… but it really was yummy and delightful. Winner!
Really, I do LOVE IT btw! I’ll make this over, and over, and OVER AGAIN just to keep my belly satisfied! Rjday, the moral for this story is try new things, and MAYBE you will like them! ( some 10 kids might too!)
This was great!!! We absolutely loved it
Gonna try it out for my very first time ever and I’m so super excited. And yes we will be using clean snow!!!!! I mean why not!!!!! Lol. Thanks for posting your quick and easy snow ice cream recipe. Can’t wait to dive right in, lol.
Hi Ali, All my family loved it.Thx for the option
This is a great way to learn something new so i can teach my sisters
how much of mk and sugar do I need like a cup or 2 or table spoons?
So delicious ?, treat yourself or your family ?
Delicious!!! Added chocolate chips and mint extract… Mnnnn!!!
We were out of vanilla, so we used almond extract. Yummy!
Karly, and Ashlyn, it says 1 cup. Getting ready to try this.
1 cup milk (any kind)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less, depending on the density of the snow)
optional topping: sprinkles!
Best snow ice cream recipe! I added a little more vanilla and it turned out perfectly!
Ima try it today my teacher told me about it I hope it so good
I was confused on how much of each ingredient i needed but other than that i’m sure it would have been good!
This is AMAZING! I sometimes eat snow FRESH from the ground, but it’s usually clean. And to mix that with ice cream, is just, …… well, what’s the word…….. phenomenal!!! Thank you guys for making this snow ice cream!!! =)
Perfect for a Christmas Eve treat for my kids right after a blizzard blew through.
I made snow cream when I was a little kid. It was a tradition we had every year. Now that Im older I don’t make it. Me and my fiancé live in Virginia and the weather was saying we might be getting snow and I thought about Snow Cream. I asked her has she ever had Snow Cream before and she said she has not had it before or even heard of it. IM SO EXCITED!! I GET TO MAKE HER SOME. I love Snow Cream and I know that she will. When she gets to try it, I will come back and leave a comment on how she liked it. I can not wait. She is going to LOVE it.
using metal bowl works best.. doesn’t melt quickly at all :)
Great tip!
Pleasantly surprised! Not just for kids! Parents too!! Yummy and fun!!!
Great recipe. My second time making, I added a tablespoon of instant coffee. It was awesome!
Love that idea!
OK hi im a kid and from a kids point of view this is amazinggggg!!!!!!! literally the best i added 1 drop of foodcoloring that i liked and it made it really pretty!!! :D10/10 recomend
Yay, so fun! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! :)
Great! Added some pina colada cream! Lol! Yum! Thanks!
This was one of my favorites growing up with my grandmother. I haven’t had it in so long I was looking how to make it again as I’ve never made it on my own. Thanks for putting the recipe up I knew I was forgetting a ingredient and sure enough I was. Thanks again.
Easy and delicious! A must try if you have a lot of snow!
I did not know you could make ice cream out if snow that sounds like the best idea I have to try this I never thought that snow was so delicous.
It was good but I think it was a little too runny.
This is a great recipe! Tastes a lot like ice cream! But… it melts fast, and you have to be careful with the Vanilla Extract because if you put just a little extra thats all you can taste.
I substituted Almond Egg nog and added vanilla and just a little Monkfruit Sugar- amazing!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
I have made this recipe so many times and I’m in love but I always forget how to do it so I always come back to this website
SAME! Tonight it’s been snowing here in South Carolina for about 3 hours now! Seeing it snow is quite rare down here! 😅❄🍧
made a lot, but tasted nice