This post is brought to you by Stonyfield Yogurt and Yay Labs. I was provided an Ice Cream Ball to review, let’s just say they didn’t have to twist my arm! 
Yay Labs Ice Cream Ball, Homemade Ice Cream with a FUN Twist!
“Yessssssss!” <—-My kids were stoked to see that I was sent a product for my blog that was NOT a cloth diaper and in fact, it required that we make ice cream. The Yay Labs Soft Shell Ice Cream Ball is built for fun and makes just the right amount of delicious homemade ice cream. My kids, not having ever made homemade ice cream were of course skeptical.
- How does this work?
- Why do we need salt? We don’t want salt flavored ice cream!
- Can we kick it?
- Can we play basketball with it?
- When can we eat it?
Ultimately we were a quick study. After a trip to Wal Mart for rock salt (ice cream salt) and heavy whipping cream we were back at home and ready to ROLL, literally.
We had heard a TIP in advance which queued us in to the fact that you cannot kick or throw or bounce this ball, it might break. While durable, it’s still not made to be dropped or thrown onto hard surfaces. It’s made to be rolled, spun and shook. If you’re into Crossfit you could even use it to burn some calories before you eat because once loaded with ice, salt and ingredients it does get a bit heavy like a medicine ball.
How to make homemade ice ceam
One side of the ball is made to be loaded with ice and rock salt, also known as Ice Cream Salt. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store in the area where you’d find regular iodized salt then I would suggest you check out Amazon here. I was excited to find that ice cubes from ice trays work well. We don’t have an ice maker so those big ice cubes can often be a problem, however in this case they worked fine!
Classic Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
1 pint of whipping cream
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Then play with the ball vigorously for approximately 20 minutes. The time seems to tick by rather slowly and I can say that one of the times we cut it short by a few minutes and did notice the ice cream was quite a bit softer, similar in consistency to a Wendy’s Frosty. So I personally would recommend you stick with a minimum of 20 minutes. Length of time can also depend on the ingredients and recipe. Some low-fat versions can take longer.
Frozen Yogurt Recipe
1 pint Vanilla or Fruit Flavored Stonyfield Yogurt
Optional: Add 1/3 cup of sugar, honey or additional fruit for added flavor
Our family found the Yay Labs Ice Cream Ball super easy to use. With minimal ingredients and time, your kids can participate in making their very own dessert. In fact, since receiving the ball my 12 yr old has shown it off to her friends several times. She adds the salt, ice and ingredients and before I have a chance to notice what she’s up to, she’s in her room with her friends making ice cream!
Yay Labs Ice Cream Balls are available for sale direct and via Amazon.
So what do you think? Would your family enjoy owning one of these?
*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my work at home mom owned business.
I’m Julie, a former cloth diaper retailer who discovered a passion for the industry. Now, instead of selling cloth diapers, I advocate them and promote small businesses I love who sell and manufacture them.
I’m the wife of a fireman and mother of three. I have a daughter and identical twin sons.
