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How to Make Snow Cream for a Fun Winter Treat

Fresh snow creating a beautiful winter wonderland in our yard is magical. So when we heard you can make ice cream out of snow, our Test Kitchen had to find out if it really worked. The one thing we couldn't ignore is the safety risk. Even snow falling through the air to your untouched yard could have pollutants from the atmosphere (think coal-fired plants, vehicle emissions, and wood-burning stoves to name a few sources). There's no way to escape all of these environmental factors, but if you're comfortable with the minimal risk (we tried it and didn't get sick), you can enjoy a homemade frozen dessert treat after the next big snowfall. Here's the four-ingredient (that's including the snow) snow ice cream recipe our pros came up with.

How to Make Snow Cream (aka Snow Ice Cream)

Sorry, snowbirds, this snow cream recipe isn't for you. Only the freshest snow will do. Before we get started, collect fresh snow in a very large mixing bowl. You will need about a gallon of clean snow.

We found glass bowls worked best. Stainless bowls warmed too quickly, so the snow started melting faster after bringing it inside.

Snow Ice Cream Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make snowstorm ice cream.

1-gallon clean snow
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups half-and-half or light cream

Step 1: Combine Snow Cream Ingredients

All of the 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.

Step 2: Beat Snow Cream Ingredients

Use a hand mixer to beat the snow cream until the mixture comes together.

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 Ice 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 activities to your winter bucket list. Or, if you're in the mood for more homemade ice cream with a twist, give these delicious (and easy) no-churn recipes a try.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use the first snow of the season for snow cream?

Old wives’ tales may be right. It is said you shouldn’t use the first snow of the season for snow cream treats, as it is supposed to cleanse the air, it's too close to the ground, and it may still be too warm so animals would still be rummaging around, thus leading to contaminated snow. While we don’t have evidence about it, you may be better off making treats after it’s been snowing for a while (or if a snowstorm has left greater accumulation) and always use fresh, clean snow, preferably from the top surface, free from any dirt or discoloration.
Can you make flavored snow ice cream?

Of course! Treat snow cream as you would with any frozen desserts, specifically any ice cream, sherbets, or shaved ice. Right before Step 2, you may infuse your fresh snow with flavored syrups, maple syrup, condensed milk, fruit juice, or pulp or, why not, cold coffee for an exquisite frozen espresso martini-like drink for grown-ups. The key is to add the flavoring slowly so you don’t lose the texture. You can also follow our original vanilla recipe above to create delicious soda or root beer floats using scooped snow ice cream.