Easy Freezer Bag Ice Cream is simple to make and no ice cream maker is needed.
Only a few ingredients are needed to make a low-carb vanilla ice cream.
Also, the recipe has a paleo option. Oh, by the way, the low-carb version is incredible!
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Watch the Short Recipe Video.
Easy Freezer Bag Ice Cream is a simple, versatile recipe, and a fun way to make single-serve ice cream without an ice cream maker.
This ice cream tastes unbelievably good, and so much like old-fashioned creamy homemade ice cream from the old-school crank and churn maker.
It can be made paleo or low carb, depending on which cream option and sweetener option you use in the recipe.
Yum!! You can also add homemade chocolate syrup or caramel sauce to the ice cream. I included my Chocolate Syrup recipe at the bottom of the post.
Easy Freezer Bag Ice Cream
Equipment &Tools:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup heavy cream, or coconut cream for paleo (dairy-free version)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp minced ground vanilla bean *optional (but very good)
- 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice: low carb sweetener, or coconut sugar for paleo
- 4 cups ice
- ⅓ cup salt
Directions:
- In a medium bowl combine: heavy cream or coconut cream, vanilla extract, optional vanilla bean, and sweetener of choice. Mix together well.
- Pour the mixture into the zippered sandwich bag and zip the bag closed.
- In the gallon-size, freezer bag adds the 4 cups ice and ⅓ cup salt.
- Place the closed bag with liquid ingredients into the freezer bag of ice and salt. Close the freezer bag.
- Shake the whole bag for at least 6 minutes to 10 minutes or more until the ice cream is the desired firmness. Can shake more for firmer ice cream (it can be soft serve texture to slightly firmer)
- Remove the sandwich bag from the freezer bag. Rinse the closed sandwich bag in cool water to get the salt water off of the bag before opening it, otherwise, your ice cream could get salt in it. You can also put the bag in the freezer after rinsing it for 20 minutes to an hour or until the ice cream is as firm as you like it.
- Scoop into a serving bowl. Can top with homemade chocolate syrup, or sugar-free chocolate syrup, or caramel sauce if desired. Chocolate Syrup recipe at bottom of the post.
Nutritional Data for Low Carb Version, (using Swerve sweetener): Servings: 1, Serving Size: ½ cup, Cal: 408, Carbs: 3 g, Net carbs: 3 g, Fiber: 0 g, Fat: 46 g, Protein: 2 g, Sugars: 1 g
* all nutritional data are estimates based on the products I used*
Optional Chocolate Syrup Recipe (Paleo or Low carb):
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder.
- ½ tbsp coconut oil, or butter, melted
- Sweetener of choice: 1 teaspoon or to taste honey for paleo, or for low carb use 6 drops or more, to taste, liquid stevia, or other low carb sweeteners to taste.
Directions for Chocolate Syrup:
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter or oil and add the other ingredients and stir until mixed. Remove from heat. Cool a few minutes.
Nutritional Data for Chocolate Syrup only ( low carb version using Stevia sweetener): Servings: 1 Serving Size: ½ tbsp (whole recipe), Cal: 63, Carbs: 1, Net Carbs: 0.5 g, Fiber: 0.5 g, Fat: 6.5 g, Protein: 0 g, Sugars: 0 g,
Printable Recipe Card Below:
📖 Printable Recipe Card
Easy Freezer Bag Ice Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream for paleo (dairy free version)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon minced vanilla bean *optional
- 1 tablespoon low carb sweetener or coconut sugar for paleo
- 4 cups ice
- ⅓ cup salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine: heavy cream or coconut cream, vanilla extract, optional vanilla bean, and sweetener of choice. Mix together well.
- Pour the mixture into the zippered sandwich bag and zip bag closed.
- In the gallon size freezer bag add the 4 cups ice and ⅓ cup salt.
- Place the closed bag with liquid ingredients into the freezer bag of ice and salt. Close the freezer bag.
- Shake the whole bag for at least 6 to 10 minutes or more until ice cream is the desired firmness. Can shake more for a firmer ice cream. Remove sandwich bag from freezer bag.
- Rinse closed sandwich bag in cool water to get salt water off of bag before opening, otherwise your ice cream could get salt in it. You can put the bag in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour, if an even firmer ice cream is desired.
- Scoop into serving bowl, or eat out of bag.
Video
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Notes
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Sandi DeFalco
Hey Stacey!
Just read the instructions and had a thought about the salt getting on the sandwich bag. How about putting the sandwich bag inside a quart bag, zipper it and then put in the gallon bag. I think that would keep the salt off of the sandwich bag!
Stacey
Sandi, that is a great idea!
JennF
very easy, a nice serving size - not too much, killed that craving I had and it was so yummy. I used regular table salt, wore gardeningf gloves and also held the bags in a bath towel. LOL 7 minutes and it was perfect soft-serve consistency. I ate it right out of the bag!
Stacey
Thank you so much for your kind words and for trying the recipe, Jenn. The gloves & bath towel idea are genius! I should have done that, brrr.
Jeanne
Stacey, I’m making your ice cream. Can i just mix it well and put it in the freezer instead of using the ice cube method?
Stacey
Jeanne, yes you can.
Kate
Hi! I am teaching lots of kids to make this in class, and I don't want to make too much. Do you know how much one serving is? Also, can I substitute vanilla extract for imitation vanilla? Thanks
Stacey
Hi Kate, Yes you could use imitation, but it may not be as yummy as the real extract. The serving size is about 1/2 cup of ice cream.
Tre
Thanks for this easy freezer bag ice cream receipt. It's the only one of it's kind that doesn't call for sweetened condensed milk. I felt that using it would be too much sugar for my kids.
Stacey
Thank you for trying it, Tre 🙂
Rose
Hi! I used 1/2 cup of coconut cream, 1 tbsp of granulated Erythritol and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. It left a syrupy residue in my throat (possibly too much sweetener) and overwhelmingly tasted only of coconut. I’ll adjust the sweetener and extract next time. Overall, it’s a decent alternative if you have no other options that are Keto friendly. Thank you.
Patricia
Stacey could you just put in the freezer and turn the bag every now and then? Don't have any rock salt.
Patricia
Stacey
Great idea, Patricia! My hands get so cold!
Aszalee
Can I use sugar in the recipe instead of an sweetener? If so, how much?
Stacey
Yes, you can and it would be the same amount.
Diane
Can you substitute vanilla extract for the minced vanilla bean? If so, how much?
Stacey
You can omit the vanilla bean as it is optional. No need to add more extract.
Yolanda
Hello, would love to try this recipe but want to make it with coconut milk. Will it tasted too much like coconut?
Thanks!!
Stacey
Hi Yolanda, The coconut milk version does have a mild coconut flavor.
Analiz De Jesús López
Is it coconut milk or cream? Does it has to be cold?
Stacey
Analiz, it is coconut cream.
Tasha
I had no idea making ice cream could be this easy! Thank you for the recipe, I'm dying to try this one.
Stacey
Thank you Tasha 🙂 It is fun one, and a great arm workout 🙂
Kim | Low Carb Maven
What a fun idea! I think I'll have my kids help me make ice cream. They'll have a great time! Thanks for the recipe.
Stacey
Thanks Kim, it is good to have the kids do the shaking part and get their wiggles out, but it is also a good arm workout, lol.
Sandi DeFalco
Stacey this looks so good and super easy! What I love about your recipes is the low carb or paleo info! I may try this with unsweetened vanilla cashew milk with berries, first in a blender, then transfer to the baggies. Maybe during the week I'll test it out.
Sandi ♥
Stacey
Hi Sandi, Thank you. I think cashew milk would work if the fat content is high enough, and the blender is perfect if your adding berries, or cocoa powder, or anything that needs more mixing. 🙂 Have a good weekend!