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Create delicious homemade ice cream in a bag. It’s a fun activity for kids on a warm summer day or any time. No ice cream maker needed!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- A fun activity for the kids. Not only does it entertain the kids but it is delicious too!
- It’s fast and easy. When you need homemade ice cream fast this recipe is perfect. It only takes 10-15 minutes to make.
- Small Batch ice cream. The recipe makes the perfect amount of ice cream for one person.
- No ice cream maker required!
Supplies Needed:
- Gallon resealable plastic bag
- Sandwich size resealable plastic bag
- Ice. About 5-6 cups
- Half and Half. (or use half whole milk and half heavy whipping cream)
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract. Could use flavored extract if you prefer.
- Rock Salt. This is not table salt. You can find it in the baking aisle of the grocery salt near the regular salt. It may also be called ice cream salt.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream in a Ba
- Combine the milk, sugar and vanilla in the sandwich size bag. If you want to make chocolate ice cream, pour in some chocolate syrup too. Don’t add any solid ingredients into the ice cream mixture like cookies or chocolate chips at this point. You can add those later.
- Seal the small bag and mix the ingredients by smooshing the bag around in your hands until it is combined. Smooshing is fun! But make sure the bag is securely zipped first! And make sure to get as much air out as possible.
- Fill your gallon size bag with ice until it is half way full.
- Add in the rock salt.
- Place the smaller sealed bag of ice cream ingredients into the larger bag. Remove the air from the gallon bag and zip it closed.
- For about 5-10 minutes, shake the bag!
Have fun with this part. Have a dance party, shake it around, jump up and down, or play catch. Just make sure not to drop it! You don’t want the bag to break open.
The temperature will effect how quickly your ice cream sets up. The warmer the weather, the longer it will take to set. If your hands get cold, wrap a dish towel around the plastic bag or wear gloves.
- After the ice cream has set, squeeze it out of the bag into a bowl. If the ice cream is still a little too soft, you can place the smaller bag into the freezer for a bit to help it harden. We found ours did just fine by shaking it. It will have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
Pair This With:
- Sprinkles
- Chopped up cookies such as Oreos
- Nuts
- Marshmallows
- Fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is half and half?
Half and half is a mixture of half heavy cream and half whole milk. If you can’t find half and half where you live just substitute with half whipping cream and half whole milk. You can use all whipping cream for a creamier ice cream or all whole milk but the ice cream won’t be as creamy.
Can I use a different flavor extract?
I love using vanilla extract but you could also use mint extract, almond extract or maple extract. Other flavored extracts can be stronger than vanilla so start out with using half the amount and taste to see if you want moire.
Can I use a different type of salt?
Rock salt will lower the temperature faster but if you don’t have it you could use kosher salt or table salt.
Ice Cream in a Bag is so yummy and so fun to make. You can have homemade Ice cream in about ten minutes.
For more fun ideas to do with kids check out these:
Ice Cream in a Bag
Ingredients
- 1 gallon zippered plastic bag
- 1 sandwich size zippered plastic bag
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp chocolate syhrup
- 1/3 cup rock salt
- ice
Instructions
- Fill gallon bag half way with crushed ice.
- Fill sandwich bag with half & half, sugar, vanilla and chocolate syrup. Smoosh to combine ingredients.
- Zip bag closed removing as much air as possible.
- Add rock salt into large bag with ice.
- Place smaller bag with liquid inside larger bag and remove as much air as possible and zip closed.
- Shake or toss bag for 5-10 minutes until the ice cream sets up.
- Remove smaller bag from larger bag and squeeze ice cream into a bowl. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- Sprinkles
- Chopped up cookies such as Oreos
- Nuts
- Marshmallows
- Fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
Nutrition Facts:
Curios cook says
Are you using rock salt like used in the water softener??
Leigh Anne says
It is the rock salt you can buy in the grocery store that is used in making ice cream , not sure at water softener?
Wendy says
On your other posts, the recipe is at the bottom of the post. I don’t see the recipe for Ice Cream in a Bag. Is that listed somewhere else?
Leigh Anne says
Wendy, For some reason there is a problem with the recipe plug in right now, working on getting it fixed. Here is the recipe: 1 gallon zippered plastic bag
1 sandwich size zippered plastic bag
1/2 cup half and half
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp chocolate syhrup
1/3 cup rock salt
ice
Fill gallon bag half way with crushed ice.
Fill sandwich bag with half & half, sugar, vanilla and chocolate syrup. Smoosh to combine ingredients.
Zip bag closed removing as much air as possible.
Add rock salt into large bag with ice.
Place smaller bag with liquid inside larger bag and remove as much air as possible and zip closed.
Shake or toss bag for 5-10 minutes until the ice cream sets up.
Remove smaller bag from larger bag and squeeze ice cream into a bowl. Enjoy!
patty says
do you have any suggestions on making other kinds of ice cream
Leigh Anne says
I have only made it with the recipe included but I have lots of other ice cream recipes on the blog that use a counter top ice cream maker. You could experiment with other recipes using this method.
Kris says
When my daughter was in Kindergarten they made this and that was 20 years ago. It is good to see it is still around. Can also be made with a large and small metal coffee can. We made it for years at Cub Scout Day Camp… tin can soccer. To make sherbet mix a 2 liter bottle of soda and a can of sweetened condensed milk Divide between 4 sets of coffee cans and let the kids at it. Orange soda tastes like an Orange Julius and root beer tastes like a root beer float. Cherry Limeade soda tastes really good, too.
Leigh Anne says
Your versions sound so yummy!! Love the idea of using soda.
MEL says
I think TEENS could have a lot of fun with this as well!!!
Leigh Anne says
Mel, and even grownups!!