Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag is a must try activity for the summer! Not only do you get amazing homemade ice cream but it makes the perfect summer kids activity! You only need 5 ingredients to make this no churn homemade ice cream in a bag!
Ice Cream in a Bag
Homemade Ice cream in a bag is such a fun activity that I love doing with the kids! Not only is it fun but in the end we have a super tasty treat to enjoy! The kids love it when we make this homemade vanilla ice cream!
Our love for Ice cream in a bag started a few years ago. The kids asked if they could have ice cream and we didn’t have any. But I did have all the ingredients to make homemade ice cream. I got all of the ingredients out, and said “here make your own ice cream”.
It was totally not what they expected but the looks on their faces were priceless and they had a ton of fun making their own ice cream. I could have used the ice cream machine to make it but figured it would be more fun for them to make it themselves! Ever since then we have been making our own homemade ice cream as a fun activity during the summer and each year they still love it.
If you are looking for how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker this easy homemade ice cream recipe is perfect. Not only does it taste amazing but it is also so much fun to make!
Love Ice Cream? Be sure to check out these tasty Ice Cream Recipes!
- How to Make Ice Cream with Bananas
- Ice Cream Cupcakes
- Easy Ice Cream Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Shortbread cookie ice cream sandwiches
How does Ice Cream in a Bag work?
Making ice cream in a bag is also a great science project to do with the kids. Using just a few supplies and ingredients you can make this easy no churn ice cream at home that doubles as a science project!
Adding salt to the ice lowers the melting point of the ice. In order for the ice to melt it needs to pull heat from somewhere, and when you are shaking the bag of ice cream it pulls the heat from the cream and milk mixture that is warm then the ice which causes the homemade ice cream mixture to freeze.
Best Salt for Making homemade Ice Cream
We find it easiest to use rock salt or ice cream salt when making homemade ice cream in a bag for kids. However if you do not have ice cream salt you can use table salt instead.
Tips for making this recipe
You can use a few sandwich bags instead of a gallon sized bag for the ice cream mixture. This works well when you have kids who want to add in different things like sprinkles or fruit to their ice cream and make different flavors at the same time.
Rinse the bag of ice cream off with cold water when you remove it from the salt. You don’t want to use warm water as that will melt the ice cream.
Rinse the salt off well. If you have salt on the bag because it was not rinsed well then you can end up getting salt into your ice cream.
You can mix them in a bowl and then pour them into the zip close bag or you can pour the ingredients right into the plastic zip close bag. I find it easiest to put the plastic bag in a bowl and then pouring the ingredients in to the bag.
Variations for this recipe
Homemade Ice Cream with Half and Half. If you do not have milk and heavy cream on hand then you will want to use 3 cups of half and half with this recipe instead of the milk and heavy cream.
Chocolate Ice Cream in a Bag. For chocolate ice cream in a bag add 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
Mint Ice Cream in a Bag. Add 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract instead of vanilla extract.
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Add 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract instead of vanilla extract before mixing and once done mixing add in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.
Strawberry Ice Cream. Add in 1/4 cup of chopped strawberries after mixing the ice cream.
Homemade cookie ice cream. If you want to add cookies, candies or sprinkles into the ice cream do it after you have made the ice cream. Then mix the mix ins into the ice cream. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped cookies and candies to the ice cream depending on your preference.
How to Serve Homemade Ice Cream
There are many ways to serve ice cream and you serve homemade ice cream the same way you do store bought.
Make a sundae! After making your homemade ice cream top it with some homemade hot fudge and some homemade whipped cream for the perfect hot fudge sundae!
Serve Ice Cream in a cone, we prefer waffle cones in our house, but sugar cones work too!
Use it for milk shakes, we love making milkshakes including chocolate banana milkshakes, Oreo Milkshake Recipe and Caramel Milkshake.
Ice Cream in a Bag Supplies
- Ice cream Salt
- Gallon sized ziplock bags
- ice cubes
Ice Cream in a Bag Ingredients
- whole milk
- granulated sugar
- salt
- heavy cream
- pure vanilla extract
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
Making homemade ice cream in a bag is easy. All you have to do is put the salt and ice in one bag.
Put the Ice cream ingredients in another zip close bag.
Put the ice cream mixture bag into the bag with ice and salt and then start shaking. This is the part that the kids love to do.
As you shake it you will feel the ice cream beginning to form. It will take about 10- 15 minutes of shaking to get the finished product. How long it takes depends on how cold the ingredients were before they were put in the bag.
Once the solid is formed and is solid remove the zip close bag of ice cream and rinse off, discard the bag with ice and salt in it.
Serve however you desire, or just take a bite right from the bag!
Looking for more fun things to do with kids? Check these out!
- Colored Homemade Playdough
- Hot Chocolate Playdough
- homemade air dry clay
- Glow in the Dark Slime
- Pudding Slime
- Homemade sidewalk paint
- Cupcake Bath Bombs
- Homemade butter
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
Material
- 2 Zip close bags
- 3 cups Ice Cubes
- 1 cup Salt
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl mix the milk, heavy cream, sugar, salt, vanilla and stir so everything is mixed well.
- Once everything is mixed well, pour all of the ingredients into a gallon sized bag and seal the bag, be sure to squeeze out the air and that it is fully closed.
- In another gallon sized bag put 3 cups of ice and 1 cup of ice cream salt.
- Place bag of ice cream mixture into bag of salt and ice and seal shut.
- Start shaking that bag. As you shake it you will feel and see the ice cream beginning to form. Keep shaking until the ice cream has fully formed.
- Once the homemade ice cream is is solid remove the bag of ice cream and rinse off with water.
- Scoop the ice cream and serve or store in the freezer.
Comments & Reviews
Audrey says
Wow! Thanks so much for the recipe – it actually worked! I’ve tried other ‘ice cream in a bag’ recipes but they don’t work! Thanks soooooo much, I will definitely make this AGAIN when my friends come over!