This Fried Ice Cream is crispy on the outside and cold, creamy on the inside. A fun restaurant-style dessert made at home with simple ingredients and big flavor.
Fried Ice Cream is a fun, restaurant-style dessert with a crispy golden coating on the outside and a cold, creamy center on the inside. Every bite gives you that perfect contrast of hot crunch and cool sweetness that makes it so unique.
It may look fancy, but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home with simple ingredients and a few basic steps. Whether served with toppings like honey, chocolate sauce, or whipped cream, it always feels like a special treat without much effort. It is such an Easy Mexican Dessert. We also love Dulce De Leche Ice Cream.
Why This Recipe Works
- Crispy and creamy contrast: The crunchy coating with cold ice cream inside creates the perfect texture combo.
- Restaurant-style at home: Brings a fun, nostalgic dessert experience right to your kitchen.
- Simple ingredients: Made with easy pantry staples and basic freezer prep. No frying or deep-fryer needed.
- Endless topping options: Honey, chocolate sauce, caramel, whipped cream, and more.
- Fun to make: Rolling and coating the ice cream makes it an enjoyable hands-on dessert.
- Impressive presentation: Looks like a specialty dessert but requires minimal effort.
Ingredients
- Vanilla Ice Cream. You can use store bought or No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Corn Flakes Cereal or Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal. Either option is delicious.
- Toppings. These are optional but I highly recommend them. Try Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe, Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe or chocolate topping. Homemade Caramel Sauce Recipe and Maraschino cherries are always a good option.
View the entire ingredient list at the bottom of the page.
Recipe Variations
- Cinnamon sugar coating: Mix crushed cornflakes with cinnamon and sugar for a sweeter, more flavorful crunchy shell. It enhances the classic fried ice cream taste with a warm, dessert-like finish.
- Chocolate ice cream version: Swap in chocolate ice cream and roll the coated balls in crushed Oreos for a rich, cookies-and-cream twist.
- Coffee ice cream: Use coffee ice cream and top with chocolate chips or drizzle chocolate sauce for a bold, mocha-style dessert.
- Strawberry ice cream: Switch to strawberry ice cream and coat with crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch for a fruity, cinnamon-sweet crunch.
- Vanilla classic: Stick with vanilla ice cream and add a drizzle of honey or caramel for a simple, traditional version.
- Peanut butter twist: Use peanut butter ice cream or drizzle melted peanut butter over the top for a nutty, salty-sweet combo.
- Coconut coating: Add shredded coconut to the cornflake mixture for extra texture and a tropical flavor.
- Churro-style coating: Replace cornflakes with crushed graham crackers mixed with cinnamon sugar for a churro-inspired crunch.
- Substitute for cornflakes: Try crushed corn Chex, Rice Krispies, or even crushed Frosted Flakes for a different level of sweetness and crunch.
How To Make Deep Fried Ice Cream
- Step 1 – Soften Ice Cream – First, set out the carton of ice cream to soften. This usually takes about 30 minutes and will help make scooping much easier.
- Step 2 – Prepare Baking Sheet – Second, get out a baking sheet that will fit in the freezer. Line this with parchment paper.
- Step 3 – Crush Cornflakes – Next, put the corn flakes in a large ziplock bag to crush with a rolling pin. You can also use a food processor if you have one. Either will work fine. You just want the corn flakes into fine crumbs.
Step 4. Place the cornflake crumbs in a bowl and add the cinnamon. Stir to combine. Then melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the crushed cereal and cook until golden brown.
Step 5. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop the ice cream and your hands to form into balls. Place on a baking pan or shallow dish and then roll each ice cream ball in the cornflake mixture. Place on the baking sheet and freeze until ready to serve. Then add your favorite toppings. Grab your spoons and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
- Chocolate sauce: Drizzle warm chocolate syrup or Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe over the top for a rich, classic finish that melts slightly into the ice cream.
- Whipped cream: Add a fluffy dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream to balance the crispy coating with something light and creamy.
- Cherries: Top with maraschino or fresh cherries for a sweet, traditional dessert presentation.
- Peanut butter drizzle + crushed Oreos: Melt peanut butter and drizzle it over the ice cream, then sprinkle crushed Oreos for a salty-sweet cookies-and-cream twist.
- Crushed candy bars or chocolate chips: Sprinkle chopped candy bars, mini chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks for extra crunch and indulgent flavor.
Pro Tips
- Freeze after coating: Once the ice cream balls are rolled in the cornflake mixture, freeze them again so they hold their shape and stay firm.
- Plan freezer space ahead: Make sure you have enough room in your freezer for a baking sheet so the ice cream balls can freeze evenly without touching.
- Fully coat the ice cream: Press the cornflake mixture firmly around each ice cream ball so every side is completely covered.
- Serve as a sundae option: Instead of forming balls, you can skip the coating and simply sprinkle the crunchy cornflake mixture over a bowl of ice cream.
- Use quality ice cream: A richer, higher-quality ice cream holds up better and gives the best creamy texture after freezing.
- Crush cornflakes finely: Break them down into small crumbs using a food processor or place in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin for even coating.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Ice Cream Cone Cupcake
- Homemade Rolled Ice Cream Recipe
- Easy Ice Cream Sundae Bar
- Homemade Butterfinger Ice Cream
- Hula Pie
- Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Try this fried ice cream recipe and enjoy that perfect mix of crispy coating and creamy center in every bite! It’s fun to make, easy to customize, and always a crowd favorite. Don’t forget to leave a review and star rating to share how yours turned out!
Fried Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 6 cups corn flakes cereal or cinnamon toast crunch cereal
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Toppings optional
- Whip cream or whipped topping thawed
- Hot fudge or chocolate topping
- Maraschino cherries
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Set ice cream out to soften about 30 minutes
- Line a baking sheet, that will fit in freezer, with parchment paper
- Add corn flakes to a large resealable bag to crush or use a food processor
- Use a rolling pin to crush cereal into fine crumbs
- Add crumbs and cinnamon to medium bowl and stir to combine
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat
- Stir in crushed cereal and cinnamon and cook until golden brown and fragrant about 2-3 minutes. Watch closely so the mixture doesn’t burn
- Remove from heat and add to large bowl, allow to cool
- Scoop ice cream with a scoop, form into balls with your hands and place on prepared baking sheet
- Roll ice cream balls in cereal mixture, press into ice cream slightly and return to baking sheet
- Return to freezer until ready to serve
- To serve, add whip cream, chocolate, and cherry, if desired
I used Frosted Flakes instead of Corn Flakes! Absolutely delicious!😋
That sounds delicious – I’m so glad that worked too!
I Love fried ice cream ,I can’t wait to try this at home!
Looks Delicious !
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
If using cinnamon toast cereal do you still need to cook it? Or do you eliminate that step as well as cut out the butter and cinnamon.? Thanks
Cheryl – I would still cook it to give the ice cream that “fried” taste. I hope you enjoy it!