We first tried this “recipe” the week we finally got our first snow day that actually involved snow. For two days, my kids (and all the kids in the neighborhood) were outside 8-10 hours a day sledding, building snowmen, and making snow angels.

One of the children suggested making snow cream and once the idea had been spoken out loud, all of the kids begged to be able to make this treat.

I figured there was a way to make snow cream delicious but without corn syrup or processed ingredients… and a new family recipe was born!

Dairy-Free Snow Cream Recipe (No Evaporated Milk)

I remembered snow cream from when I was a kid and that the recipe involved:

snow (of course)
milk, heavy cream, or *cringe* sweetened condensed milk
lots of sugar

I wanted my kids to be able to try snow cream, especially since the opportunity only presents itself every few years where we lived at the time, but I wasn’t stooping to sweetened condensed milk. I also didn’t have any dairy in the house and I wasn’t personally going to venture out on snowy roads to get any. (I’m from the South… snow-driving isn’t covered in driver’s ed!)

We ended up figuring out a dairy-free/dairy-optional version that the kids enjoyed (and really, how hard could it be to figure out… it only has four ingredients!).

But… Is It Safe to Eat Snow?

Still, let me say the obvious: This snow cream recipe is only “healthy” if you use fresh, pure white snow! Avoid snow that’s been sitting around or is anything that is less than pure white 🙂

If you’re ready for more snow recipes, try making snow-day maple candy next!

coconut milk snow cream winter kid activities

Snow Cream Recipe

Snow cream is a classic winter recipe that kids love. Made with fresh snow, coconut milk or regular milk, vanilla, and optional sweetener, it is a recipe that kids can make and enjoy.

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Calories 56kcal

Author Katie Wells

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings

Ingredients

fresh clean snow
1 cup or more of coconut milk or raw milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
honey or maple syrup to taste optional

Instructions

Collect a large amount of fresh snow in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, combine some of the snow, vanilla, and any desired sweetener.
Add just enough coconut milk or milk to create a smooth consistency.
Mix well with a spoon until evenly mixed.
Serve immediately and enjoy.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Snow Cream Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 56 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1.1g7%

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 27mg1%

Carbohydrates 7.4g2%

Sugar 7.1g8%

Protein 1.9g4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Snow cream must be eaten immediately as it loses its consistency if kept in the freezer.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Other Snow Day Recipes:

Ever made snow cream? Got a variation of this recipe? Share below!

Sources

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

25 responses to “Easy Snow Cream Recipe”

Anja

March 20, 2022

What a fun idea! And why have I never thought of this? ????

In Singapore, they make a dessert called ice kachang which is shaved ice with syrups poured over. My kids have wanted it ever since, and I never realized since we live in Denmark, we can just grab handfuls of snow from our garden… ?

Reply
Terri T.

January 5, 2019

Oh, my gosh! I haven’t heard anyone … in my 70 years…. mention this winter treat.
I grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and my grandma would fix me this when I was a good girl (which wasn’t often, lol!)
She had this old beat up tin cup with a handle. Would get it full of fresh pristine snow, then pour a little cream on top and sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon. How good was that!
Thanks for the memory of a special treat that made winter joyful and tasty.

Reply
Janice

January 17, 2018

I agree. I live in Northern Carolina. This is tech ically our thord snow. I made now cream with the second snow as our ancestors suggests not makin it with the first snow as it supposedly “cleans” the air. I still have some in the freezer and is still delicious.

Reply
Andrea

January 6, 2018

Blah, isn’t snow full of chemicals? ?

Reply
victoria

July 16, 2016

I had to read this recipe in the middle of summer in Chicago. I will make this, I live in the burbs and I used the snow to make frozen margaritas before. YUMMY!! I don’t drink anymore and miss making snow drinks when I take a break from shoveling. This is a great alternative. (it would probably be great with Baileys too. LOL)

Reply
Melissa

February 16, 2015

I was planning to make some just like this tomorrow! I have three coconuts on my counter waiting to be turned into milk. That and a drizzle of maple syrup sounds delicious!

Reply
Nancy magee

February 16, 2015

In my neck of the woods a favourite snow treat is taffy on snow. Cook maple syrup to a soft ball stage and drizzle over freshly packed snow. Let firm up then dig in with forks to swirl as much as you want on your fork. Enjoy. Pure Canadian fun.

Reply
CJ

February 16, 2015

Oh sheesh people, it’s a fun treat for kids on a snow day. Chemtrails? C’mon now. The kids are going to eat the snow anyways. Might as well have fun with it! Thanks for the fun recipe Wellness Mama!

Reply
Stacy

January 15, 2015

I live in the south now, but I don’t hesitation to eat freshly fallen snow when I go back home. And honestly for those freaking out over it, you eat organic vegetables right? Grown out of doors, watered largely if not exclusively by…. Oh yeah toxic, acid rain! …hmmm…. Uh…. So why shouldn’t one eat snow again? Sorry, don’t mean to come off snarky but seriously, let kids enjoy a bit of germs and bacteria possibly brave a few chemicals before we raise a generation of clean house syndrome sufferers. (Suppressed immune systems due to non-exposure to environmental toxins)

But not really what this comment was initially spurred on by. Given that you don’t have dairy readily available in the house, another awesome treat from back home was snow “cakes” mixing fresh snow with molasses and packing it tightly together. Mmm the cold creaminess of fresh powdery snow with the sticky sweetness of molasses! It was a great wintery treat that helped add just a few extra of those much needed calories for those cold winter days.

Reply
Brianne

June 17, 2014

My kids eat snow. Even I have eaten snow when thirsty and we are out on a hill sledding. We live on a farm in Saskatchewan, and we have nothing but feet of snow for 6-7 months of the year. Avoid the yellow snow.

My Grandma used to make this for my siblings and I when we were little kids. She’d send us out to get snow and then she would put canned evaporated milk and brown sugar on it. I had forgotten all about it, so thanks for the reminder! Will have to make it with my kids this winter.

Reply
Mae

May 11, 2014

If you live in a big city or close to an industrial area I wouldn’t suggest trying this just because of local smog. Anywhere else, really, eating this is no worse than taking a swim in a lake, river, or swimming pool (swimming pools being even worse than lakes or rivers when it comes to toxins). You’re more likely to get sick from a bacteria that can begin to grow on snow after a week of being on the ground. So the key to making snow cream is, as stated in the recipe, fresh clean snow.

If you’re still going to nitpick over the snow, though, you can get a similar results using ice from a snow-cone or shaved ice machine.

Anyways. I’ve been living in cities for the past ten years, and visiting family in less populated and smoggy areas has a habit of happening when either there isn’t any snow or the snow has been around too long. Growing up, though, we used to make ours with goat milk and fruit preserves. Tried thinned out yogurt a couple times, with mixed results.

Reply
Adriana

March 23, 2014

I have made the origanal recipe before, it is sooooo yummy!

Reply
Angela

March 18, 2014

I still think this is pretty cool even after reading the comments. Chemtrails? Really? lol. I guess you need to know more about airplanes and what contrails are.

I can’t stop my boys from eating snow. I tried. I did it when I was a kid and understand why they enjoy it. I can’t always buy organic food but I don’t refuse to feed my family non-organic when I have to. If you think about it, this recipe is 10 times better then even a tub of “all-natural” ice cream. The cow the milk came from probably ate GMO corn covered in pesticides anyway!

I give this recipe 5 stars for uniqueness and fun!

Reply
Jess

March 13, 2014

Wow, people take the fun out of everything these days! These comments are so depressing… I love this idea. My son often makes “slushies” with fresh snow, just like my sisters and I loved to do when we were kids. I never thought of making snow cream, but I bet he would LOVE that! Sometimes you just have to enjoy the good things in life and not over-think everything 🙂

Reply
1. Traci
  
  February 26, 2015
  
  THANK YOU…… I was getting depressed reading these comments. We breathe in toxins with every breathe I’m sure, but we’re not going to stop breathing. GoodNESS! I, for one, am super excited to try this HEALTHY version next snow fall. I couldn’t resist trying it the ‘normal’ way with all the snow we got last week, as I grew up in Florida and never had the opportunity. 🙂
  Thanks again for the positive comment!
  
  Reply
Susan Waljer

March 13, 2014

While I do not condone eating snow, and we’ve had tons here in Michigan, on a regular basis, how much harm can a bit every few years do? Especially if the children are strong and healthy.

Reply
1. bev
  
  January 19, 2016
  
  I agree. If something is ingested very rarely it is doubtful it will hurt you.
  
  Reply
Carol

March 11, 2014

I just found this link: it has sources at the end of the article>
https://www.naturalnews.com/044258_Roundup_herbicide_rain_samples_air_pollution.html

The reason I don’t think this is a good idea in today’s toxic world. Maybe when it was original: I guess this dates back to the mid-century era.
Although it sounds delicious…

Reply
Emily

March 11, 2014

I will not be eating snow, thanks, nor would I suggest this to anyone. I find it absurd, considering all the impurities and toxins in the air and rain water. I’m surprised that you would eat this, Katie! Do you know what’s in rain water these days?

Reply
1. PaytonB
  
  August 9, 2015
  
  You, and everyone on here, has no clue what a “toxin” actually is. The dose makes the poison; a tiny bit of snow isn’t going to hurt anyone.
  
  Reply
Carol

March 9, 2014

I wonder if there really IS such a thing as “clean snow” these days?
What with chemtrails and toxic air pollution, etc. We all know about acid rain, what about acid snow?
Sounds great, but I would wonder about the snow part…..

Reply
1. Marni
  
  March 9, 2014
  
  Agreed. Everything is so contaminated these days. I wouldn’t eat snow, no matter how freshly fallen. Just like I wouldn’t drink a cup of rain water or lake water without running it through the Berkey first. No such thing as “fresh” anymore. It’s sad that we’ve come to that point in the world, but here we are.
  
  Reply
Ashlee

March 7, 2014

We never got snow, only ice! I need to go up north so I can make this : )

Reply
1. Laura
  
  January 22, 2016
  
  Same here! This looks so tasty and I would LOVE to make it, but alas. It doesn’t snow in Southern California 🙁
  
  Reply
2. Sabrina
  
  January 30, 2018
  
  Even when there is some snow, if that falls in a big city, there is no clean snow almost anywhere.
  
  Reply