Homemade Bag Ice Cream
Easy soft serve ice cream you toss in a bag with salt and shake, shake, shake to make! Such a fun summer activity and treat!
Rich, creamy and easy to make in just a few steps. Eazy Peazy and delicious!
It is one of the best and easiest recipes to make!
This homemade bag ice cream is such a fun summer treat, perfect to serve over fudge brownies, peach pie, or slice of chocolate cake.
Our family loves nights that we start shaking it up and make a fun treat for all of us to enjoy!
I love a good bowl of ice cream. I mean, how can you not love the creamy, sweet goodness that is ice cream?
In the summer we go through a bit too much of it. A few years ago I stumbled upon this little recipe in a Family Fun magazine, and I couldn’t wait to try it out with my kids. Needless to say it was a total success.
The kiddos LOVED it. They asked me every day the whole summer if we could make it. I had to keep ice in stock to fulfill their requests. It ended up being a neighborhood favorite.
It is best with cream, but truthfully, you can make it with milk, so that is part of why it is such a fun recipe.
I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, making it a great go-to snack when you want to keep the kids busy. And, if you want to flavor it, add some chocolate syrup or caramel, or strawberry.
Add fresh fruit, crushed oreos, chocolates, mini marshmallows, or whatever you have! Or eat plain.
You guys are going to have so much fun with this one! Enjoy!
What you need to make homemade bag ice cream
- Sugar: the more the better! The longer it takes to freeze the more richer, creamier and delicious it is going to be!
- Milk: you can use milk or cream for this recipe! Make it easy on yourself.
- Vanilla: a splash of vanilla takes away the bitterness and helps add flavor.
- Rock Salt: helps aid in bringing the temperature of the ice cream down.
- Pint-size Ziploc storage bag: this is for the creamy/wet ingredients.
- Gallon-size Ziploc storage bag: this is for the ice and rock salt.
- Ice cubes: keeps the temperatures down and makes the cream thicken up to become creamy.
How to make ice cream in a bag
This is such an Eazy Peazy treat that I can’t stop telling you how good it is. Look in your refrigerator now and start making this dessert for everyone.
It is a hit and kids love to be involved. It is a win-win and everyone has a great time.
They don’t even realize that it is work when making this ice cream. It is all fun and games to the kid party!
It is simple, fast and totally kid approved to make this ice cream recipe!
- Gallon sized bag: fill the gallon-size bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt.
- Pint sized bag: put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the pint-size bag, and seal it.
- Combine the bags: Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it carefully.
- Shake: until the mixture is as thick as ice cream, about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy: Eat it right out of the small bag with a spoon.
- Toppings and mix ins: Top with your favorite toppings or mix ins.
Variations of ice cream
I am all about the ice cream! Like I said before, I can eat ice cream daily, even twice a day…or more! We won’t go there though! haha
It is my weakness but I have learned I am picky about my ice cream. I want a good solid ice cream that is going to taste good.
If I am going to have added calories it has to be good in my book. I have tried mastering homemade ice cream and here is a list of my favorites to make.
Which one do you love?!
- Super Creamy Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
- S’mores Ice Cream
- Ice Cream Cookie Sundaes
- Orange Creamsicle No-churn Ice cream
Toppings and Mix-ins:
This homemade bag ice cream recipe can be made several different ways. Add in mix-ins or toppings to make is a more flavorful, crunchy, fruity, nutty kind of treat.
It is simple to do and the process is easy. Just mix in 1 cup of your toppings right in the creamy batter. That’s it! Simple, right?!
One of my favorites is chocolate with cookies, like Oreos or Reese’s peanut butter pieces. You can go wrong with two of my favorite snacks. Drizzle with some caramel and you have a party in your mouth.
There are so many possibilities! Here are some more ideas for you to try!
- Fruit: any berries, banana, kiwi, pineapple.
- Flavors: peppermint extract, vanilla, almond, strawberry extract or even lemon.
- Chocolate: chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips.
- Candy: gummy bears, m & m’s, marshmallows, Reese’s peanut butter pieces, butterfinger.
- Cookies: Oreos, frosted animal crackers, graham crackers.
- Nuts: toasted pecans, peanuts, walnuts, almonds.
- Sauce: caramel, butterscotch, strawberry, fudge, chocolate hazelnut hot fudge sauce.
- Toppings: sea salt, nuts, sprinkles or coconut and whip cream with a cherry on top!
Ways to use ice cream in a bag recipe
- Serve with a dessert: On any dessert I have, especially out of the oven, it is a MUST to have a big scoop of ice cream to the side of it. Pie and cake are my favorite desserts to enjoy ice cream with. This Peach Pie, Dutch Apple Pie, Instant Pot Lava Cake or Chocolate Cake are some of my go-to’s.
- Banana Split: Make yourself a banana split with all the favorite toppings you love!
- Milk Shake: put it in blender with your mix-ins and have a nice homemade milk shake.
- Rootbeer Float: pour a glass of rootbeer and add in your ice cream. Simple, creamy and delicious! Here is how to build the perfect root beer float or have your own Float Party.
- Ice Cream Cake: add to any cookie layered base and freeze for another delicious homemade dessert! Try this Ice Cream Cake, Cookie Dough Swirl Ice Cream Cake or Cookie Butter Ice Cream Cake.
TIPS for Success with Homemade Bag Ice Cream:
- Use the right amounts of rock salt
- Use heavy cream for a thicker, richer outcomes and milk if you want to go lighter
- Eat it out of the bag. It is soft serve, so eat right away
- Don’t over shake or it will get ice-y
- Use Gallon Ziplock Bags for the ice, and pint-sized bags for ice-cream ingredients
- Also, be sure you have good Scooper.
- We also recommend the Presto Waffle Bowl Maker. You can make perfect waffle bowls, cookie bowls, or brownie bowls to serve in. Moreover, you can also make tortilla bowls for Mexican nights!
- However, if you do not have time to run to the store, making your own ice cream works just as well. While many ice cream recipes call for rock salt, it is possible to make ice cream using plain table salt. Making ice cream with table salt does not require special machinery or hours in the kitchen.
Other Desserts You Might Also Love
- Lime Dreamboat Dessert
- Eclair Icebox Cake
- 20+ No Bake Desserts
- Apple Pear Crisp
- Texas Sheet Cake
- Crock Pot Peanut Clusters
Homemade Bag Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup milk or half and half, or cream (according to richness desired)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 tablespoons rock salt
- 1 pint-size Ziploc storage bag
- 1 gallon-size Ziploc storage bag
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Fill the gallon-size bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt.
- Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the pint-size bag, and seal it.
- Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it carefully.
- Shake until the mixture is as thick as ice cream, about 5 minutes.
- Eat it right out of the small bag with a spoon.
- Top with your favorite toppings or mix ins.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Shelley says
what about coffee flavored, Subtract portion of cream to portion of coffee added?
Rachael says
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not!
Emmy B says
Do you need to use the rock salt that is sold as ice cream salt? Or is rock salt you can get at hardware stores OK?
Rachael says
I think the stuff you get at the hardware store is fine. That is what we use.
hillel says
This was gross. waste of 30 mins. salt got into ice cream.
Aryn says
Do I really have to use rock salt or can I use something else to substitute it since I don’t have any rock salt here.
Rachael says
Rock salt works best. But you can substitute for other salt.