Skip the deep fryer with this easy Mexican Fried Ice Cream. Creamy vanilla ice cream is coated in a buttery, crunchy cinnamon cornflake shell with a secret ingredient for even more texture and flavor. The chocolate and caramel syrup, whipped cream, and maraschino cherry are the perfect finish to this fun and simple dessert!
Table of Contents
- You’ll love this Fried Ice Cream Recipe without Frying
- What is Fried Ice Cream?
- Easy Fried Ice Cream Ingredients
- How to make Fried Ice Cream with Corn Flakes
- Fried Ice Cream Dessert FAQs
- Homemade Fried Ice Cream tips
- Deep Fried Ice Cream Ball storage
- More Ice Cream Recipes
- More Mexican-Inspired Dessert Recipes
- Homemade Fried Ice Cream Recipe
I learned to make deep fried ice cream at my first real job in high school when I was a server at a little Mexican restaurant. I loved that job! Sometimes the cooks would let me help out during afternoon prerp time by coating the hardened balls of cinnamon ice cream with the crunchy cornflake and cinnamon shells then sticking them back in the freezer so they were ready for the dinner rush. When an order for fried ice cream would come in, I would watch in fascination while the ice cream balls were submerged in the deep fryer for 20 seconds to crisp up the outside before being covered with chocolate or caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top.
This easy faux fried ice cream is every bit as delicious as the real deal and you don’t have to go to the trouble or mess of heating up oil in a deep fryer!
If you love Mexican dessert recipes, be sure to also check out our Homemade Churros, Flan de Queso, and Tres Leches Cake!
You’ll love this Fried Ice Cream Recipe without Frying
- Prep ahead. These are great to make in advance for a Mexican-themed dinner party or celebration like Cinco de Mayo.
- Impressive. Everyone will think you slaved over these, when really the topping only takes minutes to prepare. The hardest part is scooping the ice cream into balls and letting them freeze until hard.
- Amazing texture. The crunchy, chewy, crispy cornflake and coconut shell is fantastic with the creamy ice cream inside. It’s an irresistible combo!
What is Fried Ice Cream?
Fried ice cream consists of a frozen round ball of ice cream covered in a crispy outer coating. It is then quickly deep fried in hot oil for just a few seconds before serving with toppings. It’s a delicious frozen treat that was popularized by Mexican restaurants in the U.S, although the true origins of fried ice cream can be traced back to China.
Easy Fried Ice Cream Ingredients
This is a quick overview of some of the important ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Ice cream: You can make your own or use your favorite store bought variety. Vanilla ice cream is the most common choice, but really you could use any flavor you like! Our favorite brand is the Kirkland vanilla ice cream available at Costco.
- Cornflakes: Regular old cornflakes add so much texture and crunch, but any crunchy cereal will work. Honey Bunch of Oats, Frosted Flakes or Special K would both be good choices, and if you want an even bigger cinnamon sugar result, try using Cinnamon Toast Crunch!
- Cinnamon: We always added a dusting of cinnamon to our fried ice cream balls at the restaurant I worked at and it adds wonderful warmth and flavor that goes well with the corny flavor of the cornflakes.
- Coconut: I haven’t seen another fried ice cream recipe that calls for shredded coconut, but I love the additional chewiness and flavor it adds!
- Sugar: You can leave this out if using a sweetened cereal like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but I have found that plain cornflakes need a little sugar added to make the outer coating on the fried ice cream balls extra sweet and wonderful.
- Butter: Instead of deep frying whole balls of ice cream in oil, we achieve a similar result for toasting the crushed cornflake coating in salted butter before rolling the ice cream balls. It adds a rich, buttery, nutty flavor without all the hassle.
You will also need a skillet, baking sheet, ice cream scoop, and shallow dish for assembling your fried ice cream balls.
How to make Fried Ice Cream with Corn Flakes
- Soften and scoop. Start by letting your ice cream soften for 5-10 minutes on the counter so it’s scoopable unless you already have muscles on your arms the size of the Incredible Hulk. You don’t want it so soft that it melts right away, by you want to be able to scoop it into 2 1/2-inch balls without frustration or pulling a shoulder or bicep muscle straining too hard.
- Freeze. Place the balls of ice cream on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and transfer to the freezer to firm up until really solidly frozen, about 3 hours.
- Crush the cornflakes. While the ice cream freezes, crush the cornflakes in a large food processor (affiliate link) or in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin (affiliate link).
- Make the cornflake coating. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the crushed cereal, coconut, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until crispy and toasted. Be careful not to burn the cornflakes or coconut. Set aside to cool completely.
- Roll in coating. Once the ice cream balls have hardened and the cornflake coating has cooled, roll each ball in the coating. You may need to really press the coating into the balls to cover them well. Serve immediately or stick them back in the freezer to stay frozen until ready to serve. If doubling or tripling the batch, I will still only work with 6 balls at a time just so the rest of the ice cream doesn’t soften too much while I’m coating the first batch.
- Top and serve. When you are ready to serve, place an ice cream ball on each plate and drizzle with chocolate and caramel sauce. Top with a swirl of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, then enjoy!
Fried Ice Cream Dessert FAQs
You can actually make these a full week in advance! They last very well in the freezer and can be assembled sans toppings and covered with plastic wrap, then frozen for about a week without the outside coating going stale.
No, I’m pretty sure that fried ice cream is an American invention. It’s association with Mexican restaurants is more a result of the popular Chi-Chi’s chain adding it to their menu in the 1980’s. It is frequently served in a cinnamon-sugar tortilla shell.
This isn’t a worry with this easy fried ice cream recipe, but in the original version, the ice cream is frozen extra hard. Then when it is submerged in hot oil, the deep fryer only crisps up the protective outer coating without melting the inside ball of ice cream.
Absolutely! If you want to go the full mile, you can heat a few inches of vegetable or peanut oil to 365°F on the stove or in a deep fryer. When the oil is hot, gently lower each fried ice cream ball into the oil for about 20 seconds, then remove with a wire slotted spoon. Top and serve.
Yes, real fried ice cream really is deep fried in hot oil, but only long enough to crisp up the outer coating. The coated ice cream balls are first frozen very hard so that the core of the fried ice cream is still hard even after frying the outside for 20-30 seconds. However, this easy fried ice cream doesn’t require breaking out a deep fryer, which is why it’s a faux version.
Homemade Fried Ice Cream tips
- Use gloves: If you need to squish the ice cream into balls because your scooping doesn’t give you good spheres, you might want to don some food-safe disposable plastic gloves first to protect your hands from the cold and keep the ice cream balls from melting too much from the warmth of your hands.
- Other toppings: We love these best with chocolate and caramel topping, but I have also seen them served with strawberry or pineapple ice cream topping as well. Even cherry or apple pie filling would be good spooned over the top. At the Mexican restaurant I worked out, they were drizzled with honey. You could also sprinkle on some chopped pecans or toasted coconut for even more texture and crunch.
- Fried ice cream bars: If you want an even easier version, try spreading half of your cornflake coating into a baking dish, then scooping the ice cream on top into a single layer. Top with the remaining cornflake coating and press down to get everything to adhere. Freeze until firm, then slice into bars.
- Extra cornflake coating: You may have extra coating leftover, but I would rather have too much than run out and you can always save it to sprinkle over ice cream or fruit and yogurt.
Deep Fried Ice Cream Ball storage
Keep any uneaten fried ice cream balls in the freezer covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Easy Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Maple Walnut Ice Cream
More Mexican-Inspired Dessert Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Homemade Fried Ice Cream
Ingredients
Ice Cream Balls
- 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
- 5 cups cornflakes
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Toppings
- Chocolate sauce
- Caramel sauce
- Whipped cream
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or muffin pan with plastic wrap. Scoop ice cream into 2 1/2-inch balls. You may want to wear kitchen-safe gloves and squeeze them into balls, but try to work quickly so the ice cream doesn't melt too much. They don't need to be perfect because the outside coating will cover up imperfections. Freeze for 3 hours until really firm.½ gallon vanilla ice cream
- Use a food processor (affiliate link) or rolling pin (affiliate link) and Ziploc bag to crush the cornflakes.5 cups cornflakes
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed cornflakes, coconut, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until toasted. Remove from the heat and cool completely.½ cup salted butter, ½ cup shredded, sweetened coconut, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Roll the frozen ice cream balls in the cooled cornflake mixture. Press the mixture firmly onto the ball to create a thick coating. Serve the fried ice cream immediately or return to the freezer.
- Top each ball of fried ice cream with chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry. Enjoy!Chocolate sauce, Caramel sauce, Whipped cream, Maraschino cherries
Notes
- Make-ahead: You can assemble and freeze for 1 week covered in plastic wrap to protect against freezer burn.
- Extra cornflake coating: You may have extra coating leftover, but I would rather have too much than run out and you can always save it to sprinkle over ice cream or fruit and yogurt.
- Use gloves: If you need to squish the ice cream into balls because your scooping doesn’t give you good spheres, you might want to don some food-safe disposable plastic gloves first to protect your hands from the cold and keep the ice cream balls from melting too much from the warmth of your hands.
- Other toppings: We love these best with chocolate and caramel topping, but I have also seen them served with strawberry or pineapple ice cream topping as well. Even cherry or apple pie filling would be good spooned over the top. You could also sprinkle on some chopped pecans or toasted coconut for even more texture and crunch.
- Deep Fried version: If you want to go the full mile, you can heat a few inches of vegetable or peanut oil to 365°F on the stove or in a deep fryer. When the oil is hot, gently lower each fried ice cream ball into the oil for about 20 seconds, then remove with a wire slotted spoon. Top and serve.
- Fried ice cream bars: If you want an even easier version, try spreading half of your cornflake coating into a baking dish, then scooping the ice cream on top into a single layer. Top with the remaining cornflake coating and press down to get everything to adhere. Freeze until firm, then slice into bars.
Can fried ice cream be made using an air fryer?
No, I don’t think so. I mean, I haven’t tried it, but I don’t think the outside would get very crisp quick enough to avoid melting the ice cream centers.