Homemade Fried Ice Cream Recipe

Fried Ice Cream is one of my favorite ways to enjoy an ice cream sundae! Scoops of ice cream are rolled in crunchy corn flakes and crushed cookies, which become a crispy shell once fried. You will LOVE this dessert, and so will everybody you serve it to!

Love Ice Cream? Make sure to check out my Brownie Ice Cream Cake! It’s a family favorite!

This Is the BEST Homemade Fried Ice Cream!

I don’t know if you guys have ever tried Fried Ice Cream before, but if you haven’t, you definitely need to. Like today.

You might be thinking to yourself, first of all, how does one ‘fry’ ice cream, and what’s wrong with a regular bowl of ice cream? This is my response: a) with cereal or crushed cookies, and b) nothing, but fried ice cream is next-level and you have to try it to truly understand why!

Expanding on that first answer a little, scoops of ice cream are coated with egg, then rolled in crushed corn flakes and vanilla cookies, and finally fried for 20 seconds to cement the crispy shell! Whew, that was a lot, still with me? Okay, just checking.

So anyway, when you’re done frying, the ice cream will still be perfectly cold on the inside, and you can garnish it with cherries, whipped cream, etc., as you would any other bowl of ice cream!

Now do you see what I mean about needing to make this today? Desserts like this require immediate attention and taste testing…

What is Fried Ice Cream?

Fried ice cream is just a scoop of frozen ice cream, coated in crushed cereal or cookies crumbs, that is fried in hot oil. The outer layer of cereal/cookie mixture crisps up and becomes nice and golden-brown, while the ice cream on the inside remains solid and cold. It’s a delicacy that will change your life! Or maybe just your dessert plans for the next week. 🙂

What You’ll Need

Alright, so obviously you’ll need ice cream, but what else is required here? Just a few more things – here are the fried-ice-cream-making necessities that you’ll need to round up:

• Ice Cream: I usually use vanilla ice cream, but you can switch it up if you like.
• Cereal: You’ll need some finely crushed corn flakes to roll the ice cream in.
• Vanilla Cookies: Finely crushed vanilla sandwich cookies (like Golden Oreos) are added to the crushed corn flakes to create the fried shell.
• Ground Cinnamon: If you’re not a big fan of cinnamon, you can leave it out, but I love the flavor it adds to the ice cream.
• Sugar: I like to use white granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Eggs: Whisk these before starting to coat the ice cream in.
• Oil: You’ll need enough vegetable or canola oil to deep fry.
• Optional Garnishes: Whipped cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, cinnamon sugar, caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce.

How to Make Fried Ice Cream

Making fried ice cream is a bit of a process, sure, but it’s not a hard one. There’s just a lot of waiting and freezing that has to happen… but it’s definitely worth it! With just about 15 minutes of active prep involved, even the busiest of people can work this delicious dessert into their schedules.

Here’s how you do it:

Scoop the Ice Cream: Using a large ice cream scoop (about 2/3- cup), portion 10 scoops of the ice cream and place into a 9×13 pan. Cover the pan tightly and freeze for an hour, until the ice cream scoops are firm.

Mix the Cereal/Cookie Coating Together: While the ice cream is freezing, combine the crushed corn flakes, crushed cookies, cinnamon, and granulated sugar in a large bowl.

Coat the Ice Cream and Freeze: When the ice cream is firm, place each scoop into the whisked eggs, then roll into the cornflake mixture. Place back in the eggs, and then again in the corn flakes, coating completely. Place the ice cream scoops back in the pan, cover again tightly and freeze for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Heat the Oil: When you’re ready to fry, fill a large Dutch oven at least 4- inches deep. Heat the oil over medium heat, until it reaches 375°F. Keep the ice cream in the freezer until ready to place in hot oil.

Fry the Ice Cream: Working in batches of 1 or 2 at a time, place into the hot oil and fry for approximately 20 seconds, until golden brown. Immediately remove from the hot oil and serve immediately, or place back in the freezer until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining ice cream scoops.

Tips for Success

There you have it. Fried ice cream definitely sounds tricky at first (and kind of impossible?) but now you’re wise to that – it’s totally doable!

And, it’s even less difficult when you’ve got a couple of insider tips and tricks to help you out:

• Can I Use Different Kinds of Ice Cream? Of course! Feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors and brands.
• Freeze the Ice Cream After Coating It: The trick to frying your ice cream scoops successfully is that the ice cream must be completely frozen. After you’ve coated it in the egg and the crushed cookie mixture, freeze until frozen solid again.
• Fry 1-2 Scoops at a Time: You want to make sure that each scoop has room to fry completely, so don’t overcrowd your Dutch oven!
• Fry Right Before Serving: It’s best to eat this ice cream right after it’s fried, otherwise the chilled center will begin to melt. If you don’t want to eat it immediately, simply place your scoops back in the freezer.

Fun Topping Ideas

You can top your fried ice cream with all of the classic ice cream sundae toppings that you love! There are endless options, but here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Whipped Cream: What’s ice cream, of any kind, without a healthy dose of whipped cream to go with it?
• Cherries: Maraschino cherries are always a nice touch, but fresh fruit is a welcome addition too! (Strawberries, raspberries, other berries, bananas, etc.)
• Chocolate Sauce: Drizzle on some rich chocolate sauce or caramel sauce as a finishing touch!
• Sprinkles: Indulge your inner-kid with some fun rainbow sprinkles.
• Cinnamon Sugar: I love the addition of some sweet cinnamon to my ice cream.
• Crushed Oreos: I mean, why not? Reese’s peanut butter cups could be good too…

Here Are More Ice Cream Desserts You Will Love:

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