DIY Ice Cream: Fun & Easy Summer Recipe

• 1 cup of half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Your favorite ice cream toppings

• One quart-size resealable plastic bag
• One gallon size resealable plastic bag
• 3 cups of ice
• 1/3 cup of salt
• Towel or kitchen mitts to keep your hands warm

1. Prepare your mixture: In the smaller quart-size plastic bag, combine the half-and-half, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag securely.
2. Get your ice ready: In the larger gallon-size plastic bag, mix the ice and salt together.
3. Shake it up: Place the small bag inside the large one containing the ice and salt. Seal the large bag well. Now, shake the bags powerfully for about 7 to 10 minutes until you see the smaller bag start to solidify.
4. Enjoy your ice cream: Once the ice cream has hardened, remove the smaller bag from the larger one. Make sure to wear kitchen mitts or use a towel because it will be cold. Open the bag, scoop out your homemade ice cream, and add any toppings you love!

One of the best parts of this homemade ice cream recipe is that it teaches you about different types of sciences. During this experiment, you can talk with your kids about chemistry and the phases of matter.

Water and ice are the same – but in different phases of matter. Ice is in the solid phase, and water is in the liquid phase. To make ice, cold temperatures will cause the water molecules to slow down and line up in an orderly pattern, forming crystals.

By adding salt to the ice bag, you’re lowering the temperature of the outside bag. As the ice cubes start to melt and the water molecules mix with the salt molecules, the mixture makes it hard for the water molecules to form that crystalized pattern. As a result, the temperature that the ice can refreeze goes down, so the ice cubes start to melt faster. As it melts, the ice absorbs heat from the smaller bag with the ice cream mixture and starts lowering the temperature. This is called a freezing point depression, meaning the temperature at which water freezes is lower than it is for pure water.

1. As you put the salt in the bag, ask your kids what they think the salt will do to the ice and the mixture.
2. After 4-5 minutes of shaking the bag, take a look at the state of the mixtures. What does the ice cream mixture look and feel like? How about the salt and ice mixture?
3. After you talk about how salt changes the freezing point for ice, talk about other ways salt is used to influence water freezing points.

Making ice cream in a bag is a fantastic way to enjoy a sweet treat and is a fun summer activity that provides a cold reward. This easy recipe is perfect as a hands-on science experiment that kids and adults will love. So, the next time you’re looking for a refreshing way to cool down, remember that your perfect scoop of ice cream is just a few shakes away!