How to make ice cream from breast milk – 3 Simple recipes

Can you make breast milk ice cream? 

You may ask yourself, is breast milk ice cream a thing? I’m here to tell you -it most definitely is! Once my babies start eating solids, I like to experiment with different recipes. Although I’ve made homemade ice cream from cow’s milk/heavy cream, I didn’t think to try it with my own milk until my third baby. It really is so simple and fun to try a new recipe. So yes, human milk can absolutely make ice cream!

If you’re here searching for breast milk recipes, it’s likely you have a freezer stash of milk you’re looking to get creative to use. You definitely made it to the right place. If you put in that hard work collecting your precious milk you absolutely want to use every last drop. This is one of my top uses for frozen breast milk or fresh breast milk because my baby loves it and it’s super fun to make. If you’re on the hunt for more breast milk uses, try these breast milk recipes for babies and toddlers alike. 

Perfect for hot summer days, I hope you enjoy the process of making this breast milk ice cream and your kiddo enjoys this delicious treat also! Breast milk ice cream for your teething baby is also a tasty way to soothe those sore gums.  

Here are three easy ways to make breast milk ice cream. My personal favorite to make is the blend of breast milk and heavy cream with a little vanilla. You can add sweetener if you like, but since I made this for my baby/toddler, I left out the sweetener (he had no complaints).  Get creative with your flavors by adding any fruit or lemon zest.  

Let me know which breast milk ice cream recipe is your favorite! 

FAQ

Can I use fresh or frozen breast milk?

Yes, you can use either fresh or frozen breast milk. When thawing out my freezer milk, I like to thaw it to a point where it still is slushy. 

How to store breast milk ice cream

Store in an airtight container. I like to scoop the ice cream into breast milk storage bags and remove as much air as possible. Place in the freezer (obviously). Generally, I use these breast milk storage guidelines when freezing the ice cream.

Recipe 1

Ingredients

• Banana
• Breast milk
• Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• Vanilla (optional)

Equipment

• Blender

Instructions

1. Cut ½ to a whole banana into slices and freeze prior to starting. It will take a couple of hours for the bananas to freeze. 
2. Place frozen bananas, and any additional add-ins into a blender. I like to use the single serve blenders for this small amount. 
3. Pour breast milk into a blender and blend until you get a soft serve texture.  You can add more frozen bananas or also a couple of ice cubes if it is too runny. 
4. Serve immediately. 
5. Store any leftovers in a freezer safe container. In particular, I like to use breast milk storage bags, or even reusable pouches. 

Note- The amount of banana you use will depend on how much breast milk you have. For about 4 ounces of breastmilk, I like to use ½ of a medium banana. If you have 8 ounces of milk then go for a whole medium banana. 

Recipe 2 -Breast milk ice cream

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup breast milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sugar or sweetener of choice (optional)
• 5 cups ice
• 5 tablespoons salt

Equipment

• Gallon size zip lock bag
• Quart size zip lock bag
• Oven mitts

Instructions

1. Combine breast milk, heavy cream, and vanilla in quart size zip lock bag. Be sure to close tightly.
2. Fill gallon size bag with ice and then the salt.
3. Place quart bag inside of gallon bag and zip close tightly.
4. Using your oven mitts to protect your hands, shake and roll gallon size bag continuously for about 10 minutes or until your ice cream reaches a soft serve consistency. 
5. Serve immediately.
6. Store any leftovers in a freezer safe container. In particular, I like to use breast milk storage bags, or even reusable pouches. 

Recipe 3 -Breast milk ice cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup breast milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sugar or sweetener of choice (optional)
• 5 cups ice
• 5 tablespoons salt

Equipment

• Gallon size zip lock bag
• Quart size zip lock bag
• Oven mitts

Instructions

1. Combine breast milk, and vanilla in a quart size zip lock bag and be sure to close it tightly.
2. Fill a gallon size bag with ice and salt.
3. Place a quart bag inside of a gallon bag and zip closed tightly.
4. Using you oven mitts to protect your hands, shake and roll gallon size bag continuously for about 10 minutes or until your ice cream reaches a soft serve consistency 
5. Serve immediately.
6. Store any leftovers in a freezer safe container. In particular, I like to use breast milk storage bags, or even reusable pouches. 

​First time making ice cream from your breast milk? I’d love to hear how your first batch went! 

Try another breast milk recipe – breast milk butter recipe!