Fried Ice Cream

Name: Fried Ice Cream
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups vanilla ice cream; 4 large egg whites; 4 cups cornflakes cereal; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar; vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

Sweet vanilla ice cream balls are rolled in a crispy crunchy cinnamon and cornflake coating then quickly dipped in hot oil to fry to golden brown perfection in this fried ice cream recipe!

Total 5 hours
Serves 8 servings
Dessert
Mexican

Jump to the recipe

Sweet vanilla ice cream balls are rolled in a crispy crunchy cinnamon and cornflake coating then quickly dipped in hot oil to fry to golden brown perfection in this fried ice cream recipe!

Fried Ice Cream on a plate with a bite taken out

Why this recipe works

Ordering fried ice cream from our local Mexican restaurant has, and always will be, a must. The warm and crispy coating surrounding the cold and creamy interior leaves you in awe with each bite. How is frying ice cream possible? Well, rolling the frozen ice cream balls in frothy egg whites followed by a coating of cornflakes works to insulate the ice cream from the heat of the oil. But we can still call it magic.

With a few quick tips and 6 ingredients, you can easily make fried ice cream at home for all those times this cinnamon crunchy coated ice cream is calling your name.

Fried Ice Cream on a plate with whipped cream and a cherry on top

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

ICE CREAM – You can use any flavor of ice cream for this recipe. We go back and forth between classic vanilla and homemade Mexican chocolate ice cream. There are a few elements that work together to make the magic of frying ice cream possible – freeze the ice cream between each step so that it is never out of the freezer for too long. You want it as cold and solid as possible before putting it into the fryer. You also want the ice cream balls large enough that they can withstand the 375°F oil temperature for a few seconds. If your ice cream ball is too small, it will melt before the shell can fry.

CORNFLAKES – This is the classic crispy coating on fried ice cream. You’ll mix the crushed cornflakes with a bit of cinnamon and sugar for extra flavor. If desired, you can leave the cinnamon out of the mix.

How to Make Fried Ice Cream

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Scoop ice cream into 8 – 1⁄2 cup round balls. Place on a quarter sheet pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper and immediately place in the freezer for the ice cream to re-solidify (30 minutes – 1 hour).
Meanwhile, place four egg whites into a shallow bowl and whisk until frothy.
Place Corn Flakes in a gallon size ziptop bag, seal the bag, and roll with a rolling pin to crush the cereal into small pieces (you can crush them completely or leave them about “Rice Krispie” size.
Transfer the crushed cereal to another shallow bowl and stir together with the cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Taking one ice cream ball from the freezer at a time, dip the ice cream into the frothy egg whites and toss to coat. Immediately place the ice cream ball into the cereal mixture and toss it until well coated. Return the coated ball back to the freezer as quickly as possible.
Coat the remaining ice cream balls. Chill the balls for about 30 minutes. Then, repeat step 5 to coat all of the balls in a second layer of frothy egg whites and cereal.
Leave the prepared ice cream in the freezer for at least 3 more hours, longer if desired.
When you are ready to fry the ice cream, fill a deep skillet or Dutch oven with 4-5 inches of cooking oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. Heat until the oil reaches 375°F; maintain the oil temperature between 370°F and 375°F throughout cooking.
Use a large, flat slotted spoon or spider strainer to dip an ice cream ball into the hot oil. Be sure the ice cream dunks all the way under the oil and is completely covered so that it cooks evenly. Cook for about 10 seconds and then immediately lift it out of the oil and blot on a paper towel.
Serve immediately or return the fried ice cream to the freezer.
Fry the ice cream balls one at a time, taking each one out of the freezer only when you are ready to put it in the fryer.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can I make fried ice cream ahead of time?

Technically, you can prepare the ice cream balls rolled in cornflakes ahead of time and store them in the freezer before frying. Do note that preparing them in advance will cause the coating to not be as crisp. This recipe is best when made right before frying. You can put the rolled ice cream balls in the freezer for a few minutes while you prep the rest of the batch if you want to be able to serve them all at once.

Serving Suggestions

Serve fried ice cream with a variety of different toppers from whipped cream, chocolate, caramel, or fruit-flavored drizzles, maraschino cherries, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or sprinkles. The options are endless!

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Recipe

Fried Ice Cream

With a few quick tips and 6 ingredients, you can easily make fried ice cream at home for all those times this cinnamon crunchy coated ice cream is calling your name.

Ingredients

4 cups vanilla ice cream
4 large egg whites
4 cups cornflakes cereal
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
vegetable oil or canola oilfor frying

Instructions

Scoop ice cream into 8 – 1⁄2 cup round balls. Place on a quarter sheet pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper and immediately place in the freezer for the ice cream to re-solidify (30 minutes – 1 hour).
Meanwhile, place four egg whites into a shallow bowl and whisk until frothy.
Place Corn Flakes in a gallon size ziptop bag, seal the bag, and roll with a rolling pin to crush the cereal into small pieces (you can crush them completely or leave them about “Rice Krispie” size.
Transfer the crushed cereal to another shallow bowl and stir together with the cinnamon and granulated sugar.
Taking one ice cream ball from the freezer at a time, dip the ice cream into the frothy egg whites and toss to coat. Immediately place the ice cream ball into the cereal mixture and toss it until well coated. Return the coated ball back to the freezer as quickly as possible. A few of the corn flakes may break away when you place the ice cream into the oil, so be sure that you have coated the ice cream well. Once the corn flakes pop off the ice cream, there will be nothing left to prevent the ice cream from melting right into the oil.
Coat the remaining ice cream balls. Chill the balls for about 30 minutes. Then, repeat step 5 to coat all of the balls in a second layer of frothy egg whites and cereal.
Leave the prepared ice cream in the freezer for at least 3 more hours, longer if desired.
When you are ready to fry the ice cream, fill a deep skillet or Dutch oven with 4-5 inches of cooking oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. Heat until the oil reaches 375°F; maintain the oil temperature between 370°F and 375°F throughout cooking.
Use a large, flat slotted spoon or frying simmer to dip an ice cream ball into the hot oil. Be sure the ice cream dunks all the way under the oil and is completely covered so that it cooks evenly. Cook for about 10 seconds and then immediately lift it out of the oil and blot on a paper towel.
Serve immediately or return the fried ice cream to the freezer.
Fry the ice cream balls one at a time, taking each one out of the freezer only when you are ready to put it in the fryer.

Notes

There are a few elements that work together to make the magic of frying ice cream possible – freeze the ice cream between each step so that it is never out of the freezer for too long. You want it as cold and solid as possible before putting it into the fryer. You also want the ice cream balls large enough that they can withstand the 375°F oil temperature for a few seconds. If your ice cream ball is too small, it will melt before the shell can fry.
10 seconds is really all it takes to fry up the exterior of each ball. Any longer than that and everything will start falling apart.
The fried ice cream balls stayed intact more when I was able to simply dunk the ice cream into the oil and then lift it straight back out. The ice cream right under the cornflakes gets super soft (obviously) so if you try to fish the ball out of the oil or toss and turn it, it really starts to dent and smush. The ice cream balls are heavy so they’ll sink down under the oil – just keep the skimmer underneath and lower it in then lift it back out.
Froth those egg whites! Use a whisk or even a hand beater to really beat the egg whites until they’re foamy. Re-whisk while coating your ice cream to make sure there is plenty of frothy foam. It works SO much better than just the egg whites to really “glue” on the corn flakes.
Serve these immediately for best results. You can put them in the freezer for just a few minutes while you’re making the rest of the batch if you wanted to be able to serve them all at once. You an also store them in the freezer, but the coating will not be as crisp.