Fried Ice Cream
intro
Crispy cinnamon-fried crust encasing cold, creamy vanilla ice cream, this iconic Tex-Mex treat balances warm crunch and frosty sweetness for an unforgettable bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep frozen ice cream scoops
Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop the firm 500g vanilla ice cream into 4 equal, tight 125g balls, packing each firmly to remove air gaps. Place the scoops on the tray, then freeze uncovered for 2 full hours until rock solid with no soft spots, as soft ice cream will melt during frying.
Mix cinnamon cornflake coating
In a shallow wide dish, combine the 180g finely crushed cornflakes, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, and 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Stir the mixture for 30 seconds until the cinnamon and sugar are evenly distributed throughout the golden crumbs, with no visible clumps of spice.
Apply first crumb coating
Remove the rock-hard ice cream scoops from the freezer one at a time, keeping remaining scoops frozen while you work. Roll each scoop fully in the cinnamon cornflake mix, pressing firmly so crumbs adhere to every surface to create a 5mm thick even layer. Return all coated scoops to the freezer for 30 minutes to set completely.
Add egg wash and second coat
After 30 minutes, remove scoops from the freezer one at a time. Dip each coated scoop fully in the beaten egg, letting excess egg drip off for 5 seconds, then roll again in the remaining cinnamon cornflake mix, pressing firmly to create a thick, sealed 1cm crumb layer with no exposed ice cream. Return double-coated scoops to the freezer for 1 full hour until completely solid.
Heat oil to frying temperature
When ready to serve, pour 1L of neutral vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 190°C (375°F) on a candy thermometer; this high temperature ensures the shell crisps instantly without melting the ice cream inside.
Flash fry the ice cream balls
Carefully lower one frozen coated ice cream ball into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry for exactly 15 seconds, flipping once at the 7-second mark, until the crumb shell is deep golden brown and crispy. Do not fry longer than 20 seconds, or ice cream will leak out. Remove immediately and place on a paper towel-lined plate for 10 seconds to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining scoops, frying one at a time to keep oil temperature consistent.
Plate and serve instantly
Place each hot fried ice cream ball in a small serving dish. Top with a 15g dollop of whipped cream, drizzle with 7.5ml (1.5 tsp) of honey per serving, and serve right away—do not let fried ice cream sit for more than 1 minute before eating, as the frozen core will melt quickly.
Tips
2.Never skip the extended freezing steps between coating layers; a thin, incompletely set shell will let hot oil seep inside, melting the ice cream and causing messy leaks during frying.
3.Fry only one ice cream ball at a time; adding multiple balls drops the oil temperature too quickly, leading to soggy, greasy shells and melted ice cream instead of a crisp, quick-seared crust.
OMG y’all, I made this for our Cinco de Mayo potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe before they even finished their first bite! The crispy cinnamon cornflake coating is such a game changer—way better than the fried ice cream I get at our go-to local Tex-Mex spot. My kids went back for seconds even before the main course hit the table! Only heads up is you really do need to plan ahead for all the freezer time, don’t skip that step or the ice cream melts way too fast when you fry it. SO good, will absolutely be making this all summer long for cookouts and taco nights.
Tasted fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but whoa the total time is no joke! I thought I could cut corners on the initial freeze and ended up with half my scoops oozing out into the fryer the first go-round. Tossed those messes, popped the rest back in the freezer for an extra 2 hours, and the second batch worked like a charm. Pro tip for any fellow impatient home cooks: don’t rush the freeze step! The cinnamon crunch coating is chef’s kiss, especially with the cajeta and dark chocolate drizzle I added on top. Would give 5 stars if it was a little less time intensive, but it’s totally worth the effort for a special weekend treat.
I was so skeptical about frying ice cream at home but this recipe was way more straightforward than I expected for a medium-difficulty dish! I swapped the traditional vanilla ice cream for coconut dairy-free ice cream to accommodate my sister’s lactose intolerance and it still turned out perfectly crispy and delicious. We served it with crushed churro bits on top for our weekly family taco night and everyone was raving so hard they forgot about the tacos for a minute. 10/10, already saved this to my permanent recipe folder for all future summer cookouts.
The flavor of this is 10/10 but I had such a hard time getting the cinnamon cornflake coating to stick evenly! I followed the directions exactly—used rock-hard frozen ice cream scoops, rolled them in egg wash, pressed the crumbs on as tight as I could, froze them again for the full recommended time, but a bunch of patches fell off when I fried them. Still tasted amazing, but they weren’t nearly as pretty as the recipe photos when I served them to my book club here in Chicago. Wondering if anyone else ran into this issue?