Food and Recipes Desserts Ice Cream Ice Cream In A Bag Be the first to rate & review! All you gotta do is shake, shake, shake to make your own ice cream in a bag. By Jasmine Smith Published on July 3, 2024 Recipe tested by Julia Levy Recipe tested by Julia Levy Julia is an experienced cook with a demonstrated history of working in the publishing industry. She is skilled in catering, food & beverage, event planning, and menu development. She tests and develops recipes in the DotDash Meredith Test Kitchen for Southern Living. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 2 Learning how to make ice cream in a bag is a summertime rite of passage. After all, there really isn't anything better than a great scoop of classic vanilla ice cream, and this ice cream in a bag recipe is as easy as a few ingredients, a few shakes, and an itty bitty bit of elbow grease. Vanilla bean seeds from vanilla paste naturally boost the flavor in this ice cream recipe, which makes it stand out, but you can stir in syrups or toppings to make the flavors all your own. Learn how to make ice cream in a bag. Once it's all prepared, all you have to do is shake! Pass it around for kids to take a turn "churning" ice cream. Ingredients For Ice Cream In A Bag You've probably got all the ingredients for ice cream in a bag on hand. The full ingredient list with measurements are further down below, but here's what you'll need to get started: Ice: Helps the cream mixture cool to a frozen, ice cream consistency.Rock salt or kosher salt: Brings down the freezing point of the ice, which helps the cream mixture freeze without an ice cream maker, faster. Kosher salt can be used if you do not have rock salt.Half-and-half and heavy whipping cream: A mixture of half and half and heavy cream provides a base that’s silky smooth without being too icy.Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness for the overall ice cream mixture.Vanilla bean paste: In this concentrated form, vanilla packs in concentrated, fresh flavor—and adorable flecks of vanilla seeds. But if you don’t have paste, vanilla extract will work just fine. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley How To Make Ice Cream in a Bag This dessert really couldn't be easier. Well, at least it's easier than digging out the ice cream maker you haven't seen in years. Here's a brief guide to making ice cream in a bag; the full recipe is further below: Step 1. Combine ingredients: Place half-and-half, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a quart-sized zip top bag; seal it well. Step 2. Make ice bag: Combine ice and salt in another large, sturdy zip-top bag, and place the smaller bag with the cream mixture inside it, and seal tightly.Step 3. Shake, shake: Make sure both bags (inside and out) are tightly sealed. Cover with a kitchen towel and shake vigorously until the mixture is thick like ice cream. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Our Tips For Making the Best Ice Cream In A Bag Beyond the shaking and mixing, there are a few tricks that will make this dessert even better: Get the kids involved: This is a great activity to do with children. Not only will shaking the bag help get some wiggles out, but the process churns out to a delicious reward for everyone. Add mix-ins: This recipe is mix-in friendly; after the ice cream mixture forms, stir in chocolate, caramel, or any syrup of choice to create your own flavors. Other mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or candy pieces would also be delicious. Try our Strawberry Ice Cream in a Bag next. Zip it up: Make sure your bags are secured very well. You don’t want any pesky salty ice water to make its way into your tasty vanilla mixture—or vice versa. How To Store Ice Cream in a Bag Once frozen, ice cream in a bag can be stored in the freezer in the ziplock bag for up to a month. Editorial contributions by Catherine Jessee. Ingredients 4 cups ice 1/4 cup rock salt or kosher salt 3/4 cup half-and-half 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract Directions Add salt and ice to a bag: Combine ice and salt in a gallon-size ziplock plastic bag; set aside. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Combine ice cream ingredients: Combine half-and-half, cream, sugar, and vanilla in a quart-size ziplock plastic bag; seal well. Place quart-size bag inside gallon-size bag; seal well. Cover gallon bag in a kitchen towel. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Shake ice cream: Shake vigorously until half-and-half mixture is thick and chilled, 7 to 10 minutes. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Serve: Remove ice cream from bag to serve. Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Frequently Asked Questions How does making ice cream in a bag work? Salt brings down the temperature of ice, which is then able to absorb heat from the cream mixture. By shaking vigorously through this process, you’re creating a churning environment that turns the mixture into a cold, creamy, frozen texture. Can you use regular salt to make ice cream in a bag? Yes, any salt will do! For this recipe, regular table salt or kosher salt work well in addition to rock salt. Rate It Print Additional reporting by Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee Catherine Jessee is an Assistant Digital Food Editor at Southern Living. She is a writer, recipe tester, and recipe developer with a passion for Appalachian foodways, culture, and history. Prior to joining the Southern Living, Catherine tested and developed recipes for print and digital publications like EatingWell, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more. learn more