How to Make Snow Cream
One taste of this easy 5-ingredient snow cream will make you feel like a kid again! Next time you have a snow day, make this nostalgic Southern dessert with fresh snow.

I love snow days. We don’t get enough of them in my neck of the woods. It wouldn’t be a snow day without a big bowl of fresh snow cream.
This fun snow day treat fills my southern heart with nostalgia. I remember Mamaw using a milk jug with the top cut off to scoop up snow for snow cream.
If you’ve never had it, you’re in for a treat. It’s sweet, creamy, and vanilla-flavored. The texture is like, well, snow. The consistency and mouth feel will vary based on how wet or fluffy the snow is. It doesn’t have the same taste or texture as ice cream. Snow cream is its own thing.
It’s so fun and delicious. I hope you make it every time you get a good snow and teach your kids, grandkids, and neighbors to do the same.
If you have little helpers, making snow cream with them is an obligation. I’m serious. This is your duty!
If you don’t have kids, I’m begging you to get out and make snow cream anyway. It’ll bring out your inner child. It’ll fill you with joy and happiness. It’s magical, y’all!
Ingredients
There are so many ways you could get fancy with snow cream. Sure, you could whip up heavy cream and fold it in. You could add cocoa or garnish it with chocolate syrup or sprinkles.
Please don’t. Seriously, I’d rather you let this one be.
Sometimes, you need simple, old-fashioned treats to hit the spot and channel your foremothers.
Let this be easy. Enjoy the simplicity of this old-fashioned, time-honored snow day dessert.
Fresh, Clean Snow
Scoop up the whitest, fluffiest snow you can find. Make sure you gather it from a clean and safe location.
Cold Milk
Make sure your milk is cold. The old-fashioned way is to make it with sweet whole milk, not buttermilk (IYKYK). If you don’t have fresh milk, you can use evaporated milk.
If you’re avoiding dairy or watching calories, you can use whatever milk or milk substitute you have at home. Just be aware that it will alter the taste and consistency of your snow cream. Almond milk or oat milk will be fine.
Granulated Sugar
This is a lightly sweetened dessert. You’ll want to use regular granulated sugar. If you’re watching your sugar, use your favorite granulated sugar substitute. Be aware that it will change the taste.
Vanilla Extract
This flavors the snow cream and makes it reminiscent of vanilla ice cream.
A Tiny Pinch of Salt
When I say the tiniest pinch of salt, I mean it. Like 1/16 of a teaspoon. Just enough to enhance the flavor but not make it salty. Learn more about how to measure a pinch of salt.
How to Make Snow Cream
Snow’s a comin’ in Appalachia. Get to the store to stock up on bread, milk, and toilet paper. Don’t ask why. Just do it. And by the way, don’t forget to save those bread bags. You’ll need ’em to keep your feet dry!
Fill your jugs and bathtub with water. Stock up on firewood and fuel. Get the hot chocolate going in the crockpot and the creamy sausage, potato, and kale soup simmering on the stove. Make sure everything is in order. Now, get ready to cozy up and make snow cream!
Now, snuggle up and watch it snow. The fun begins when everything is white, and you’ve got a good fluffy layer of snow.
Go outside with a big bowl and a ladle. Put your bowl somewhere safe and play in the snow until you’re too cold to stay outside.
Now, look for the whitest, fluffiest, cleanest snow. Fill up your bowl with about 6 cups of fresh, clean snow. Leave it on the porch for now. It needs to stay frozen.
Go get warmed up and prepare the remaining ingredients.
Mix the cold milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Now, run out and get your bowl of snow.
Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir your milk mixture into the snow.
Eat it fast. That snow cream’ll melt lickety-split!
More Snow Day Recipes
Happy snow day! Stay warm, friends!
PrintHow to Make Snow Cream
This simple snow day treat will make you feel like a kid again!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about 6 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 6 cups freshly fallen, clean snow
- 1 cup cold milk*
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- the tiniest pinch of salt
Instructions
- Go outside with a large bowl and a ladle. Play until you’re too cold to stay any longer.
- Fill the bowl with about 6 cups of fresh, clean snow. Leave it on the porch for now to keep it frozen.
- Go get warmed up and prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Mix the cold milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl.
- Go get your bowl of snow. Pour the milk mixture into the snow and gently mix it with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
- Serve right away before it melts!
Notes
- *Milk: I prefer using fresh whole milk. The richer the milk, the creamier the snow cream will be. You can also use canned evaporated milk. If you use reduced-fat milk or a non-dairy substitute, note that it will alter the taste and texture.
- Storage: Snow cream is best served immediately. You can freeze leftovers in a covered, freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 1 cup
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 13.2 g
- Sodium: 41.7 mg
- Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 4.1 mg
My kids get so excited to make this snow cream!