How to Make Snow Cream (aka Snow Ice Cream)
Sorry, snowbirds, this snow cream recipe isn’t for you. Only fresh snow will do. Before we get started, collect fresh snow in a very large mixing bowl ($25, Sur La Table). You need about a gallon of clean snow.
Test Kitchen Tip: We found glass bowls worked best. Stainless bowls warmed too quickly, so the snow started melting faster after bringing it inside.
Step 1: Combine Snow Cream Ingredients
All of these ingredients will go into your bowl of collected snow. Start by sprinkling the sugar over your snow in the bowl, then add vanilla and half-and-half.
1 gallon clean snow1 cup granulated sugar1 Tbsp. vanilla2 cups half-and-half or light cream
Step 2: Beat Snow Cream Ingredients
Use a hand mixer ($17, Target) to beat the snow cream until the mixture comes together. Note: The mixture will be crumbly at first, but continue beating. As it warms, the mixture will start to look more like soft-serve ice cream.
Step 3: Enjoy Your Snow Cream!
Scoop and serve snow ice cream as you would regular ice cream. Try fun ice cream toppers, serve it in a cone, or eat it straight out of the bowl. Any leftover snow cream can be stored in the freezer for up to one week. We found the texture after holding a few days to be a bit more icy, not quite a granita, but not smooth ice cream either. While it wasn’t exactly like the ice cream recipes or products we usually buy, our snow-day experiment proved to be a fun and worthwhile effort. Keep your winter fun going by adding even more fun activities to your bucket list. Or, if you’re in the mood for more homemade ice cream, give these delicious (and easy) no-churn recipes a try.
