Fried Ice Cream

Raise your hand if you’re doing something to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this coming weekend. Maybe you’re going to make a Mexican-themed dinner… treat yourself to a margarita (or margarita cupcakes)… or sit down to watch your favorite show with a bag of chips and a jar of salsa? This year, I finally made it my business to make fried ice cream at home. For as long as I’ve known him, my Chief Culinary Consultant has been in love with fried ice cream and asked me a long time ago if I could try making it. I have vague memories of a Chi-Chi’s outing with my mom during my pre-teen years that may or may not have involved fried ice cream. I can kind of remember, but not well. Suffice it to say, I’m a fried ice cream newbie. Also, apparently a bit of a procrastinator. I think the wait was worth it, though, judging by the ooh’s and aah’s as we dug into this with two spoons.

Fried Ice Cream

It took me awhile to wrap my head around how I could actually fry something that was supposed to be frozen and not end up with a melting, globby mess. Turns out, fried ice cream relies on the same work-fast-then-freeze-then-freeze-again techniques that are necessary when making things like ice cream sandwiches and homemade Klondike bars. In the end, assembling the fried ice cream wasn’t much work at all; there’s just a bit of waiting around between steps to make sure everything is frozen solid. I did read that most restaurants that serve fried ice cream keep the ice cream balls frozen at a temperature well below that at which ice cream is normally stored. Since I didn’t have the ability to do this with a regular household freezer, there was a little melting when I plated the fried ice cream, but as you can see, the center stayed pretty solid.

I was thrilled with how this fried ice cream turned out and it received two huge thumbs up from my Chief Culinary Consultant, who’s a fried ice cream pro. The outside is warm and crunchy, then once you break through the crust there’s cold, creamy vanilla ice cream waiting for you. A deliciously perfect complement of flavors and textures.

What’s your favorite Mexican dessert?

Fried Ice Cream

Two years ago: Chocolate Biscuit Cake {Royal Wedding Groom Cake}

Fried Ice Cream

An easy recipe for making fried ice cream at home!
3.50 (4 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 quart (0.95 l) vanilla ice cream
  • 5 cups (140 g) cornflakes, crushed
  • 1 cup (80 g) shredded coconut, sweetened and unsweetened are both fine
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions 

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out balls of ice cream a little more than a ½ cup in size and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2 hours, or until the ice cream is very hard.
  • Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the crushed cornflakes, coconut and cinnamon. Roll the balls of ice cream in the coating, packing them together into a smooth ball. Return the coated ice cream to the baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and milk. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and roll each one in the egg mixture to coat, then immediately roll in the cornflakes mixture again, ensuring there is a thick, even coating on each ice cream ball. Return them all to the baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
  • When ready, add oil to a depth of about 3 inches in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 400 degrees F. When the oil is ready, carefully drop the ice cream balls into the hot oil and fry for only about 30 seconds, until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined to drain briefly and serve immediately. Drizzle with honey and/or chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 722kcal, Carbohydrates: 103g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 186mg, Sodium: 536mg, Potassium: 635mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 69g, Vitamin A: 1740IU, Vitamin C: 8.7mg, Calcium: 343mg, Iron: 11.3mg

Did you make this recipe?

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