Whether you prefer it plain, with syrup or topped with farm-fresh strawberries, nothing screams summer more than ice cream on a hot day. If you are looking for an easy family activity to entertain and satisfy the kids as school wraps up, let’s explore how to make ice cream in a bag!

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Materials needed

Homemade ice cream in a bag scooped into a small dish.

Making ice cream in a bag involves a few simple materials that you likely already have in your kitchen or pantry. You will need:

Gallon-size resealable plastic bag
Pint-size resealable plastic bag
Kitchen towel
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
Ice cubes
6 tablespoons rock salt

And, while optional, don’t forget to grab an assortment of toppings – maple syrup, fresh berries, caramel, candy bits, whipped topping or anything in between!

How to make ice cream in a bag

Making this sweet treat is so simple, even the smallest of hands can do it! Start by filling your gallon bag half full of ice and add your rock salt and set aside.

Next, take the pint-size resealable bag and add the milk, vanilla and sugar. Once added, seal the bag; if you are worried about leaking, you can place it in a second small bag.

Place the pint bag with your ingredients inside the gallon bag with the ice mixture. Seal the large bag and wrap the entire contraption in a kitchen towel.

This is where things get fun, especially for the kids in your life. Shake the bag for five minutes, or until the mixture turns to ice cream. Be careful to not open or puncture the small bag as you shake things up!

Your ice cream will resemble soft serve when ready. Top with any desired toppings and enjoy!

Learn more about ice cream

While your ice cream in a bag might make just one tasty scoop, the real magic of how ice cream ends up in our freezers is quite impressive.

Did you know it takes 14 gallons of milk to make just one gallon of ice cream? That’s a lot of love from Wisconsin cows! Dairy cows are milked two to three times a day on farms across the state. That milk is quickly cooled and picked up by a milk truck, taking it to a creamery where the journey to ice cream begins.

At the creamery, milk is separated into cream and skim milk before it’s mixed with sugar. The mix is then pasteurized, meaning it’s gently heated to kill any harmful bacteria and ensure safety. Pasteurization is one of the reasons you can feel confident about the quality of your dairy.

Next up: homogenization. This process smooths everything out so your ice cream is extra creamy. Air is whipped in to give it that soft, scoopable texture we know and love.

Finally, flavors and fun mix-ins, like chocolate chips or strawberries, are stirred in before the batch gets frozen in a hardening room. From there, it’s ready to head to your grocery store or local ice cream shop. The next time you and your kids enjoy a scoop, you’ll know exactly what goes into every bite from the farm to your freezer. It’s just one more reason to love Wisconsin dairy!