Homemade Fried Ice Cream

A Mexican fried ice cream ball with chocolate and caramel syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry on a plate.

5 from 3 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Chilling Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Calories: 927kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Ice Cream Balls

½ gallon vanilla ice cream
5 cups cornflakes
½ cup salted butter
½ 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 ½-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.
Use a food processor or rolling pin and Ziploc bag to crush the 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.
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!

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.

Nutrition