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.
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.
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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?
Two years ago: Chocolate Biscuit Cake {Royal Wedding Groom Cake}
Fried Ice Cream
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
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This looks delicious. Is it possible to make this sugar free for diabetes?
I followed the recipe but it melted in the oil
I love the wacky cake ww11 I’ve made it a Few times gave it to my friends they loved. It!
hi, Michelle
first of all many thanks of your good recipes
it is possible dont serve the fried ice cream immediately, keep them in the freezer and then serve them couple of hours, later?
how can i freeze them? does it need to be covered?
Hi Peri, Once you fry them, they need to be served immediately.
hi Michelle
first of i would be thankful of your very good recipes
is it possible that we don’t serve this immediately, put them in freezer and serve them couple of hours, later?
yours,
LOVE ice cream & LOVE this recipe. May I have permission to repost one of your photos (with credit/link) in one of my articles for Spoon University?
Hi Caroline, Thanks for the request. If you’re simply using a photo with a link back to the original blog post (and not re-printing the recipe), then that is okay.
Is there anything else I can use instead of cornflakes?
Hi Megan, I’m not sure, that’s all I’ve used!
Just made this today. So delicious! I think it is also one of the most difficult food photos I have taken so far.
I have a suggestion why not pack the ice cream ball in or in between 2 bags of ice ,the frozen bags you get in convenience stores. Or fill up an ice bucket and store the ice cream in that.
I always wondered why ChiChi’s went out of buisness. It was a favorite place for whole family to go.! I was always to stuffed from the grande burrito to have desert.But I did have a few tastes of it. And was amazed they could fry icecream ! The place was always packed! Anyone know why it closed?
I worked at Chi Chi’s and they actually used crushed cinnamon graham crackers for the coating
Wow, this looks insanely good :)
I think I’ve only had fried ice cream once but I remember loving it. I love the coconut in the coating. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
This reminds me when my dad would take us for fried ice cream at the only authentic Mexican restaurant we had when I was little. Looks really good.
I love fried ice cream! What do you do with your oil after? Do you throw it away or save it for another fried recipe?
If I know I’ll be frying again in the relatively near future, I’ll save it.
I never knew this was a Mexican thing. I’ve only had the Japanese variety-tempura fried ice cream. Great technique, thanks!
drooling. so bad. right now.
unfortunately I SUCK SO BAD at frying things! SO BAD! I can never seem to balance the temperature of the frying oil so it’s like TOO HOT then TOO COLD then TOO HOT… maybe i’ll just find a friend with a deep fryer and go for it :)
That’s me too Natalie!
I can’t seem to find that temperature that I can form the thing I’m cooking. Like for example, when cooking omelettes. There’s that temperature that the egg will not mature as soon as it should for your to put the ingredients and everything but for me, it matures real fast that I end up mixing everything on the pan ahaha :)
Anyway, this fried ice cream recipe is one of my goal for this month. I should be able to do this. I didn’t know those are crushed cornflakes and cinnamon. I’ll still go for chocolate syrup for the topping. Well, it really depends on the ice cream flavor. If it’s vanilla, chocolate or even double dutch. Chocolate add on will still be the best.
Kudos!
Jessica
I have always wanted to try fried ice cream! This looks so yummy!!
Wow…that looks fantastic! I love love love fried ice cream!
I have always wanted to make this!! Thank you!