History
The Baltimore snowball dates to the 19th century, when ice shaved from blocks was sold cheap to working families through the summer. Unlike a coarse snow cone, the ice is shaved fine enough to drink with a spoon, then drenched in syrup. Egg custard, a vanilla-yellow flavour, is the local signature, frequently topped with a layer of marshmallow. Seasonal stands, some over a century old, still run from spring through summer across the neighbourhoods.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Common allergens: Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- Finely shaved ice, about 4 cups
- For egg-custard syrup: 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- a few drops yellow colour
- Marshmallow creme, to top
Method
- Heat the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves into a clear simple syrup, then cool slightly.
- Whisk a little warm syrup into the egg yolks to temper them, then whisk the yolks back into the syrup over low heat until just thickened.
- Stir in the vanilla and a drop of yellow colour and chill the syrup completely.
- Shave the ice as finely as you can and pack it loosely into cups.
- Pour the egg-custard syrup over the ice and finish with a spoonful of marshmallow creme.
Tip from the editors. Shave the ice fine, not crushed; the texture should be soft enough to eat with a spoon, which is what separates a snowball from a snow cone.
Where to eat snowball
Snowball in Baltimore
Walther Gardens Snowball Stand ★ 4.0
Walther Gardens runs one of the country's oldest snowball stands, shaving ice over syrup and topping the egg-custard classic with marshmallow each summer.
TryEgg-custard snowball with marshmallow
TipIt is summer-only and cash-friendly; the egg custard with marshmallow is the Baltimore order.
More cities are in research. Want snowball covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.