How to Make Fried Ice Cream

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 20, 2022 Tested

One way to make ice cream even more delicious? Fry it! Fried ice cream might sound impossible, but it's actually pretty simple. Pull out your favorite ice cream flavor and get ready to add a little extra crunch and sweetness to this classic frozen treat.

Ingredients

Classic Fried Ice Cream

1 qt (180 g) ice cream
3 cups (75 g) crushed cornflakes cereal
1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon
1 cup (109 g) crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup (100 g) sweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 cup (100 g) cookie crumbs (optional)
3 egg whites
2 qts (1.8 L) vegetable oil, for frying
Desired toppings (chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries)

No-Fry “Fried” Ice Cream

1 qt (180 g) ice cream
3 tbsp (42 g) butter
3 cups (75 g) crushed cornflakes cereal
1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon
1 cup (109 g) crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup (100 g) sweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 cup (100 g) cookie crumbs (optional)
Desired toppings (chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Classic Fried Ice Cream

1
Scoop out 8 scoops of ice cream onto a baking sheet. Use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to dish out 8 ice cream balls, all about ½ cup (68 g). Place them in rows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.^{[1]
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- Most recipes use vanilla ice cream, but you can use whatever flavor you want.
2
Freeze the ice cream balls for 1-2 hours. Once you've scooped out the ice cream, place the baking sheet back in the freezer. Let the ice cream continue to freeze for at least an hour, or until it's firm.^{[2]
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- You want the ice cream balls to be frozen solid before you bread them.
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3
Combine the cornflakes and any other sweet ingredients to make the breading. First, crush your cornflakes by placing them in a Ziploc bag and crunching them up with your hands. Then, in a bowl, mix together your crushed cornflakes with at least one sweet ingredient you want to have in your breading mixture.^{[3]
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Making a Crunchy, Sweet Breading

Along with cornflakes, consider including…

Cinnamon

Coconut flakes

Chopped walnuts or pecans

Cookie crumbs

… or any combination of those!
4
Beat 3 egg whites until they're foamy. First, separate your egg whites from the yolk by cracking an egg, then holding it upright and pulling the halves apart. Hold the halves over a bowl and gently shift the yolk back and forth until most of the egg white has dripped into the bowl. Once all 3 eggs are separated, use a whisk or a fork to whisk the eggs gently, using a circular motion, until they're foamy.^{[4]
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- This should take about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- You can discard the yolks once you separate them.
5
Roll the ice cream balls in the egg whites and breading, then re-freeze them. After 1-2 hours, remove your ice cream balls from the freezer. One at a time, roll the balls in the egg whites and then in the breading, repeating if necessary so that each ball is completely covered. Place them back on the sheet and freeze them for another 3 hours, until they're firm.^{[5]
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- Use one hand to roll in the egg whites and the other for the breading. If you mix the two, your breading will start to clump up.
- Make sure you can't see any ice cream through the breading. You'll need a thick crust to protect the ice cream from melting in the oil.
6
Heat the oil to 375 °F (191 °C) in a large saucepan. Pour your frying oil into a big, heavy saucepan on the stove. Heat the oil until it's 375 °F (191 °C), using a food thermometer to check. If you don't have a thermometer, stick in a wooden spoon. If the oil starts bubbling steadily (but not vigorously) on contact, it's ready to fry!^{[6]
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- You can also use a deep fryer.
7
Fry 1-2 ice cream balls at a time, for 10-30 seconds each. Use a slotted spoon or basket to lower your ice cream balls into the oil. Make sure they're completely covered by oil, letting them sit for no more than 30 seconds before pulling them back out.^{[7]
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- Put in just one ice cream ball for your first try. If it comes back melted or not fried enough, you'll know to adjust your timing for the rest of the batch!
8
Drain the balls on paper towels and serve with toppings. As each ball comes out of the oil, set it on a couple of paper towels to drain for a few seconds. Then, add any toppings you want, and enjoy!^{[8]
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- You can also store your ice cream balls in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a week. Wait to add any toppings until you're ready to eat them.^{[9]
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Tasty Topping Suggestions

Whipped cream

Chocolate sauce

Sprinkles

Maraschino cherries

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

No-Fry “Fried” Ice Cream

1
Scoop out 8 ice cream balls onto a baking tray. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, dish out 8 ice cream balls onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Aim for each ball to be about ½ cup (68 g) of ice cream. Set the tray in the freezer while you prepare your breading mixture.^{[10]
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- With this variation, you won't actually be frying the ice cream, so you don't need to freeze it until it's solid. Just keep it in the freezer for now so it doesn't melt.
2
Saute the cornflakes and cinnamon in butter until they're golden. Set the butter in a medium-sized skillet and melt it over medium heat. Then, add your cereal and cinnamon and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the cereal turns golden. Remove the skillet from the heat.^{[11]
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- To crush your cornflakes, simply pour them into a Ziploc bag and crunch them up into fine pieces with your hands.
3
Stir in the sugar and place the mixture in a bowl. Pour the sugar into the skillet and stir it well. Place the mixture in a shallow bowl and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.^{[12]
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- Once the mixture is cool, you can stir in any other ingredients you might want to add, like coconut flakes, chopped walnuts or pecans, or cookie crumbs.
4
Roll the ice cream balls in the cereal mixture. Once your breading mixture has cooled, remove the ice cream balls from the freezer. Roll each one through the breading a few times, until it's completely covered.^{[13]
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5
Top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or other toppings. Once your ice cream balls are breaded, you're ready to eat! Top them with your favorite ice cream extras to make them even sweeter, like whipped cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, and chocolate sauce. ^{[14]
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- You can also store your “fried” ice cream in the an airtight container in the freezer for up to a week. Don't add the toppings until you're ready to eat, though!

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need to freeze it for two hours? Can't I just fry it after rolling it in the cereal?

Qamar

Top Answerer

No, you have to freeze it before frying. Freezing the ice cream balls ahead of time prevents the ice cream from melting when it's time to fry them.
Question

Is the ice cream going to melt if it is put in the frying pan?

Community Answer

No. The batter protects it, along with the speed of cooking. But if you do see it melting, just put it back in the freezer and try again later.
Question

Why do I need the egg?

Community Answer

The egg helps bind everything together, essentially acting as glue. If you prefer, you can use 3 to 4 egg whites instead of the entire egg.

Warnings

Always use caution when cooking with hot oil. Use oven mitts when lowering in your ice cream balls and be careful not to touch the oil or the pan.

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