Snow Ice Cream

I could write pages about my love for snow and all of the wonderful reasons why it is amazing, but since this is a blog and not a book, I'll just share one of my favorite things about snow... making snow ice cream!

I grew up with my family near the lakeshore in Michigan where the snowfall was plentiful. It meant ice skating on our pond, sledding on the hills behind our house, skiing, forts, massive snowball fights, and most importantly, snow ice cream. When everyone else at the store was stocking up on canned goods, my parents were throwing sugar and cream in their cart. This recipe has been handed down from my great grandparents (according to my dad) and now my own little girls have learned how to make it.

Give it a try and you'll be wishing for more snow before you know it!


First, pile a mountain of snow in a large mixing bowl.



The necessities- snow, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. (P.S. Real vanilla is the way to go!)

Pour the cream in and work it through the snow. The volume will decrease as the snow melts.

Add vanilla, sugar, and a pinch of salt. The dark stuff in the picture is the vanilla.



Add more cream until you get a creamy texture.

Final product- yum!

We always make this by sight and taste, so there isn't an exact measurement for anything. I used 1/2 the carton of cream, a few splashes of milk, 4-5 tablespoons of vanilla (maybe more), a small pinch of salt, and around a cup of sugar. If you don't have cream, don't worry! You can use any mixture of cream, half and half, and/or milk. We add 1/4 cup of sugar at a time until we get the sweetness we want. The best part about making snow ice cream is if you make it too sweet or too runny, you can always add more snow!