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
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 2-4 servings 1x
Description
This 5-minute recipe for homemade snow ice cream is a sweet way to celebrate a snow day!
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
*Consume fresh snow at your own risk.
I am off to try this right now! We just got some snow in NC and I had to find a recipe for snow cream. We never made it where I am from (Ohio)–looks and sounds good!
In the midst of a crazy Portland, OR snowstorm, this simple and delicious recipe just became a new tradition for our little family. Thank you! :)
Very cool, but……..AE Milk! you must live in my home town. (Des Moines, Iowa) I have not thought about Anderson Erickson in YEARS. I am old enough(50)to remember (barely!)home delivery in glass milk bottles from AE.
My husband is from Oskaloosa Iowa originally and swears by AE :) I must admit…their chocolate milk is outta this world! Also, I love the hyvee brand vanilla haha. Only the midwest-ians (new word perhaps) know about hyvee
I just made it for my family and they loved it! This is the best ice cream I have ever made.
It’s snowing here in Iowa… Again!!! Hubby is out of town! I think Snow Ice Cream is totally in order for the kids and I! Thanks Ali and Pinterest!
Just made our very first batch of snow ice cream. Substituted half & half for the milk and added a little extra vanilla. The whole family now has a new favorite wintertime treat! Tasted exactly like homemade vanilla ice cream! Thank you Ali!
Our family loves peppermint ice cream so I modified the recipe. I substituted half and half as well. I also added strong peppermint tea to the half and half totaling one cup of liquid. Then used peppermint sprinkles on top.
:-O Now I wish it snowed in Cali. This is so cool. Reminds me of something my Canadian friend showed me in Montreal when it snowed.
loved it never know you could make ice cream from snow but it was the best
That’s so awesome
After getting hit with a heavy winter blast and wondering what to do with all of this snow~I came across your *snow ice cream* recipe, made it, … with lots of purple and blue sprinkles and my daughter and I LOVED it! Thanks for posting this :) we’ll make it again and again!