Snow Ice Cream Recipe
How to make delicious sweet and creamy “snow cream” using just 2 ingredients, including of course, fresh snow!
How To Make Snow Cream
Snow ice cream, or “snow cream” is a nostalgic childhood treat for many. It’s a simple frozen treat that is similar to traditional ice cream, but made with snow!
With all this winter weather and fresh snow, the girls and I decided to make our own batch! All you need are 2 simple ingredients, one of them being snow, of course!
We don’t get snow often…actually…hardly ever…here in the Houston, Texas area. We usually have to watch everyone else have all the snow day fun. So when we heard that we were going to get several inches of snow and have a real bona fide snow day, we knew we had to make the most of it!
This recipe is so much fun because it is easy to make and the kids can help with every step of the process. You don’t need any fancy equipment or an ice cream maker. Just a big bowl!
Another fun thing about this recipe is that it is easy to customize with your favorite flavorings and mix-ins. You could mix up a base like we did and let the kids add their own toppings and mix-ins.
Our snow ice cream really does taste like real ice cream! It was a hit with the kids, so it’s a good thing we made a BIG batch!
Ingredients
- 8 cups of fresh, clean snow
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- Optional: add your favorite flavoring
Instructions
- Collect 8 cups of fresh, clean snow (see more tips for this below).
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk, stirring as you pour, until you have your desired consistency. You may or may not need the entire can.
- Stir in any flavorings or mix-ins, if using.
- Enjoy immediately.
Prep Tips
- Collecting Snow – Before we made our snow cream, I did some research to make sure that it was ok to do so. One of the tips I loved was to put out a big bowl to catch the snow, so that it never touches the ground. Wait a couple hours into the snow event, to allow the snow to do its filtering work (more on that below) and then put a big bowl, or several bowls, out to catch clean snow to make your snow ice cream.
- Flavorings – The sweetened condensed milk already has a sweet flavor. You could also add peppermint extract, almond extract, chocolate syrup, freeze dried fruit, or even coffee creamer!
- Variations – If you don’t have sweetened condensed milk at home, you could instead use 1 cup of regular cream or milk, along with 1/2 cup of sugar to make it sweet.
Video Demo:
Is Snow Safe To Eat?
Experts say that yes, snow is generally safe to eat in moderation. However there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Don’t Eat The First Snow
Most scientists advise that it’s best to wait a few hours into a snowfall to start collecting snow. That’s because snowflakes act like a dust-catcher or scrub brush. The Cleveland Clinic explains, “as snow forms, it collects bits of dust or pollen โ and as it falls to Earth, it gathers small chemical contaminants.”
As the snow continues to fall, those contaminants are lessened, because they’ve already been trapped and removed from the air by previous snowflakes. According to NPR, “the longer the snow falls, the lower the pollution levels in the air, and thus in the snow.”
2. Don’t Eat Yellow Or Discolored Snow
You’ve probably heard people say things like, “don’t eat the yellow snow!” Wink, wink.
All jokes aside, that’s actually solid advice. Snow that looks dirty, dingy, or discolored is more likely to be contaminated with dirt, animal urine, or other yucky things.
3. Don’t Eat Snow That’s Been Disturbed
If snow has already been shoveled, moved, plowed, stepped in, etc. then there is no way to tell what it’s come in contact with. Avoid it and look for fresh, undisturbed snow.
Snow Ice Cream Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Snow Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh, clean snow
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk one typical can
Instructions
- Collect 8 cups of fresh, clean snow (see more tips for this below).
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk, stirring as you pour, until you have your desired consistency. You may or may not need the entire can.
- Stir in any flavorings or mix-ins, if using.
- Enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
- Collecting Snow – Before we made our snow cream, I did some research to make sure that it was ok to do so. One of the tips I loved was to put out a big bowl to catch the snow, so that it never touches the ground. Wait a couple hours into the snow event, to allow the snow to do its filtering work (more on that below) and then put a big bowl, or several bowls, out to catch clean snow to make your snow ice cream.
- Flavorings –ย The sweetened condensed milk already has a sweet flavor. You could also add peppermint extract, almond extract, chocolate syrup, freeze-dried fruit, or even coffee creamer!
- Variations – If you don’t have sweetened condensed milk at home, you could instead use 1 cup of regular cream or milk, along with 1/2 cup of sugar to make it sweet.
- Do not eat yellow or discolored snow
- Do not eat snow that has been disturbed
- Wait a couple hours after the snowfall begins to start collecting snow
Nutrition
Pin this easy snow cream recipe on Pinterest:
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Snow cream is awesome! Don’t use recipe..been making since I was young and it dont scare me to eat…really???