Mason Jar Ice Cream

5 from 2 votes

Make your own Mason Jar Ice Cream in 5 minutes with just 4 ingredients plus your favorite mix-ins for a different flavor every time.

Prep Time5

Freeze Time3

Total Time3 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: pint size mason jar

Calories: 959kcal

1 cup cold heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Optional add-ins - crushed oreos strawberry sundae topping, chocolate syrup, crushed chocolate chip cookies, colorful sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips

Add the cold heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Use a small spoon to stir until the sugar and heavy cream are mixed well and you can barely hear the sugar on the bottom of the mason jar. (It is very important that the heavy cream is cold to achieve the desired thickness)
Place the lid firmly and securely on the mason jar. Shake the jar for about 5 minutes, until the ice cream base has thickened. (This will help reduce any possible spills)
Place the mason jar in the freezer for 3 hours. If you are using any of the add-ins, especially the sprinkles and mini chocolate chips, wait for about 1 hour before you remove the lid and add the add-ins. In my experience the sprinkles and mini chocolate chips tend to sink to the bottom. Waiting until the ice cream begins to set will help keep the add-ins from sinking to the bottom. Use a spoon to stir in the add-ins. Return the jars to the freezer.
Once the ice cream is solidly set, remove the jar from the freezer and enjoy.

Storage:

For optimal taste, texture, and quality, it's best to enjoy this ice cream within 3 hours of preparation. However, if you have leftovers, you can safely store them in the freezer and enjoy within a week. Beyond that, it will still be safe to eat but may not taste as good. Allow them to soften at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes.

Tips:

Make Them Mini: If you prefer a smaller size, you can use a half pint mason jar. Simply reduce the ingredients by half, or use 2 half pint jars.
Kickstart The Ice Cream: You can place the empty mason jar in the freezer before you add the ingredients to kickstart the ice cream process. If the ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Serve It Soft: Don’t freeze your ice cream for more than 3 hours if you want a soft serve consistency. Freezing for longer will result in a harder consistency and you may get ice crystals.