Description
Ice Cream in a Bag is a fun hands-on kids’ dessert and science activity made with cream, sugar, vanilla, ice, and rock salt. Kids shake the bag until the sweet cream turns into soft homemade ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ice, enough to fill half a gallon-size zip-top bag
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup rock salt
- 1 quart-size zip-top bag
- 1 gallon-size zip-top bag
- Towel or gloves, optional for cold hands
- Optional toppings: sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, diced fruit, or chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to the quart-size zip-top bag.
- Press out extra air and seal the small bag tightly.
- For extra leak protection, place the sealed small bag inside a second quart-size bag and seal again.
- Fill the gallon-size zip-top bag halfway with ice.
- Pour the rock salt over the ice.
- Place the sealed small bag into the large bag with the ice and salt.
- Seal the large bag tightly.
- Wrap the bag in a towel or use gloves to protect hands from the cold.
- Shake, roll, or gently toss the bag for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cream thickens into soft ice cream.
- Remove the small bag from the salty ice water.
- Rinse the outside of the small bag quickly under cold water and dry it well.
- Open the small bag, scoop the ice cream into bowls, add toppings if desired, and serve right away.
Notes
- Use cold heavy cream for the creamiest texture and quickest thickening.
- Do not skip the salt because plain ice will not freeze the ice cream base quickly enough.
- Double bag the ice cream base to help prevent leaks.
- Add mix-ins after the ice cream thickens so they keep their texture.
- Serve immediately for the best soft-serve texture.
- Leftovers can be frozen for up to 1 week, but the texture tastes best the day it is made.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Churn
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 45
- Fat: 44
- Saturated Fat: 28
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 135