Mason Jar Ice Cream

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my mason jar ice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Cream – I originally made this recipe using heavy cream and that’s still my fave, but half and half works pretty well too. It’s just less rich and creamy, as expected. I haven’t tried full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream yet, but these will probably work — let me know how it goes if you try. Avoid lower fat milks, as they won’t whip properly and will yield an icy result that is hard to eat. (If you want to use almond milk, make my almond milk ice cream instead.)
• Powdered Besti – My top recommendation because it dissolves exceptionally well and keeps your ice cream scoopable. Notes on alternatives:
  • Powdered Allulose – Works fine, but add a couple teaspoons extra.
  • Granulated Besti – This works if you shake the jar long enough. It takes a little more effort but still dissolves.
  • Powdered Sugar – Not my preference, but it works from a recipe standpoint.
  • Other Powdered Sweeteners – Including erythritol and other brands of monk fruit or stevia. These all stay gritty or can crystallize, and make your ice cream freeze solid.
  • Liquid Sweeteners – These do work well, just be careful to choose one that doesn’t have an aftertaste. My favorites this summer are Wholesome Yum Strawberry Syrup, Raspberry Syrup, or Blueberry Syrup, which all add a pop of real fruit puree!
• Vanilla Extract – I love this brand. I include it in any flavor of mason jar ice cream I make, but use more for the vanilla flavor. You can also scrape a vanilla bean seed in as well.
• Sea Salt – This is optional and my original mason jar ice cream recipe didn’t have it, but recently I found that adding it brings out the sweetness more.
• For Strawberry Flavor – Chop fresh strawberries super fine, so you get lots of bits throughout your ice cream, and we’ll pre-cook them in water to soften. You should be able to replace them with other berries if you want to. Frozen thawed berries can also work, as long as you thaw them enough to chop.
• For Chocolate Flavor – I use unsweetened cocoa powder, and I recommend going with this Dutch processed kind. It gives the chocolate a deeper, richer flavor that makes a big difference.

How To Make Ice Cream In A Mason Jar

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. If you’re making the strawberry flavor, cook the strawberries. Combine them with water and powdered Besti in a small saucepan. Stir and mash them a bit as they soften, then let the mixture cool completely.
2. Combine everything into a jar. Pour the cream, powdered Besti, vanilla, and salt into a mason jar. These jars are the perfect size. If you’re making strawberry, add the cooled berry mixture now. Seal the lid tight.
3. Shake for a few minutes. The mixture should fluff up, like a soft whipped cream, and double in volume.
4. Freeze until solid. Place the mason jar ice cream in the freezer, until firm but scoopable. When I make the strawberry flavor, I flip the jar occasionally so the fruit doesn’t sink to the bottom.

Variations & Toppings

My favorite part of this recipe is the simplicity, but if you’re feeling fancy and want to change it up, try these add-ins:

• Other fruit flavors – Swap the strawberries with raspberries or blueberries, or even tropical fruit, like mango. Any fruit that cooks down soft works great.
• Matcha – Replace the cocoa powder with matcha powder.
• Peanut butter – Add 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter to the jar.
• Chocolate chip cookie dough – Make my cookie dough balls super small and toss them in the jar before shaking.
• Brownie – Chop one of my avocado brownies or even zucchini brownies and shake with the pieces. I prefer them with the vanilla version, but you can do it with chocolate mason jar ice cream if you want double chocolate vibes.
• Mint chip – Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract and a handful of chocolate chips.
• High protein – My cottage cheese ice cream recipe uses the same mason jar method.
• Toppings – A drizzle of caramel syrup, a swirl of chocolate sauce, or a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream is amazing over vanilla mason jar ice cream. Chopped nuts are good over these, too!