5 Minute Snow Ice Cream

We live in upstate New York, and it’s been a very cold and snowy winter.  With all the frigid temps and snowfall, we’ve had lots of time indoors, and today was one of those inbound days. I wanted to do something fun with the kids to break up the day, so I decided to make snow ice cream, and the kids absolutely loved it!  It’s SO fast, and SO easy, and just a really fun winter activity…that you get to eat!

After living in Texas for a couple of years, my little kids didn’t remember snow ice cream, and they were absolutely fascinated by the whole thing.  They weren’t sure how it was going to work when I told them what we were going to do, but it was sure an exciting process for them to watch! It literally takes less than 5 minutes to make, and the result is a yummy ice cream that everyone will gobble up.

If you know it’s going to snow, place a bowl outside, so fresh snow will fill it up. You can always use snow that’s already in your yard, but make sure it’s clean!  Once you know you’ll have snow to use, don’t gather it…not yet. You’ll want to mix the other ingredients together first, then add the snow at the last minute.

We always make vanilla, but you can always experiment with other flavors if you want to.  There are just a few ingredients, and it’s just a matter of mixing them together.  Feel free to adjust sugar and vanilla to taste–you may like more or less sweet.  I also like to use heavy cream or half and half, but you can also use whole milk.  I’ve never used milk with less fat, so I’m not sure how it would turn out, but you could always try it!

Mix together in a large bowl:

2-2 1/2 c. heavy cream or half and half

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

dash salt

Make any adjustments as you like–more or less sugar, etc. Once they’re combined, place the bowl in the fridge while you collect your snow!  You’ll need about 8 c. of snow, but I would gather a little extra just in case. If the snow is lighter, you may need a little more.  Remove the cream mixture from the fridge, and add in your snow a cup or two at a time, stirring to combine well.  Add snow until you get the right consistency–it won’t be firm, but it will be sticking together like you see in the picture below.

And that’s it!  Seriously!  You can add sprinkles like my kids love to do, or any other toppings/mix-ins you like.  Just work quickly, and then eat it right away, because it will melt pretty fast.

*Eat snow at your own risk.  You can always use shaved ice instead!

Print

5 minute snow ice cream

Course Dessert

Author Simply Kierste

Ingredients

• 2-2 1/2 c. heavy cream or half and half
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• dash salt
• 8-10 c. fresh clean snow

Instructions

1. Combine non-snow ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. You may add more or less sugar, depending on taste. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you gather your snow. Make sure it's clean, fresh snow.
2. Remove the cream mixture from the fridge, then slowly add the snow a few cups at a time until it reaches a soft ice cream consistency. Serve and eat immediately.