Fried ice cream is a fun and indulgent dessert that combines the creamy coldness of ice cream with a crispy, warm exterior. It’s a show-stopping treat often served in Mexican restaurants, offering a unique contrast of textures and flavors that’s sure to impress anyone with a sweet tooth.
The magic of fried ice cream comes from the way it’s prepared. A scoop of your favorite ice cream, usually vanilla, chocolate, or cinnamon, is frozen until firm. Once it’s solid, the ice cream is coated with a crunchy layer, often made from crushed cornflakes, breadcrumbs, or even crushed cereal like Frosted Flakes. Some recipes add a sprinkle of cinnamon or a touch of sugar to the coating for extra flavor.
Once the ice cream is fully coated, it’s quickly deep-fried in hot oil for just a few seconds. This rapid frying process gives the outer coating a golden, crispy texture while leaving the inside cool and creamy. The result is a mouthwatering contrast between the hot, crunchy outside and the cold, creamy ice cream inside.
This ice cream typically can be served with a drizzle of honey, chocolate syrup, or caramel sauce, and sometimes topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, or a cherry for a festive touch. The combination of hot and cold, sweet and crunchy, is a perfect indulgence, making this dessert a crowd-pleaser at any occasion.
While it sounds complicated, fried ice cream is surprisingly easy to make at home. You just need to ensure the ice cream is frozen solid before frying it, as this will help prevent it from melting too quickly. You can even experiment with different coatings or ice cream flavors to create your own twist on this classic dessert.
Whether you’re looking to impress guests or just want a fun treat to enjoy on a special occasion, this is a deliciously unique dessert that brings together two of everyone’s favorite things – ice cream and fried food.
Ingredients
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream Frozen hard
- 1 cup cornflakes Crushed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon Optional
- 1 egg egg Beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil For frying
Instructions
- Scoop a ball of ice cream and freeze it until very hard.
- Crush cornflakes and mix with cinnamon if using.
- Roll the ice cream scoop in the crushed cornflakes.
- Dip the coated ice cream in beaten egg, then roll it again in cornflakes to create a thick coating.
- Heat oil to 375°F (190°C) in a deep saucepan.
- Quickly fry the coated ice cream for about 10-15 seconds until golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately, optionally drizzled with chocolate syrup or honey.
Nutrition
This is such a crazy idea! I can’t believe it actually works. My kids loved it! Definitely a 5 star!
Tried this and it was a complete disaster! The ice cream melted way too fast. What a mess!
Wow, I never thought of frying ice cream! This sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Frying ice cream? I dunno, sounds kinda messy… What if it melts?
This is gonna be so good! I might add some chocolate chips to the mix too.
The ingredient list says “1 egg egg” which made me laugh, but I’m assuming it just means 1 beaten egg. Still, great recipe and pretty foolproof if you’re quick.
It was ok, but a bit messy. Next time, I’ll try less oil.
Less oil sounds like a good idea! It can get real drippy otherwise. Hope the next attempt is better!
I still don’t get how ice cream can be fried. Seems kinda weird, right? But maybe I’ll try it once!
I love the idea, but 10-15 seconds might be too long depending on your oil depth and pan. Still, the cinnamon in the crumbs would taste amazing.
Followed it pretty closely, except I used cinnamon anyway and it was actually great. Crunchy coating + cold center is unreal.
I mean… cinnamon? lol. But if you say it was great I’ll believe it. Did you put cinnamon in only the cornflakes mix or also into the egg? Also 10-15 seconds feels so short—mine always softens fast.
Totally agree—adding cinnamon is one of those small tweaks that makes it taste way more “bakery” and less plain. Crunchy outside with cold center is the whole magic.
This is such a fun recipe! It’s perfect for a summer party. My kids loved it!
This is such a fun dessert idea—crispy outside and still cold inside. I did it a few days ago and everyone went wild for it. The quick fry step is key!
Super easy to make! I used rice krispies instead of cornflakes and it turned out great! Yum!
Omg honey drizzle at the end?? That’s my love language. Crunchy outside, cold inside—yes yes yes.
Yesss! Honey + that crunchy shell is elite. I’m totally making this—10-15 seconds sounds perfect so the inside stays cold 😄
Wait, fried ice cream with cornflakes?? I feel like the coating might get soggy fast… but I guess the super-hot oil + quick fry helps. Still, I’d be scared of it melting in the egg.
So good. Actually better than I thought it would be. Everyone asked for the recipe.
This is a very unique dessert! Can’t believe I never thought to fry ice cream before. My kids loved it!
I don’t have cornflakes, can I use potato chips? Asking for a friend.
Potato chips? That sounds crazy but I guess you can try! Just make sure they are not too salty.
Tried this for a party, and everyone loved it! Soooo good with chocolate syrup! 😍
I’m so glad it turned out great for you! Fried ice cream is a hit at parties. 🍦✨
This sounds super easy, but I don’t have a deep fryer. Can I pan fry?
I made this for my kids and they LOVED it! Easy and very delicious. Five stars from our family! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wait, fried ice cream? Sounds kinda weird. Is it really good? I’m skeptical about this one.
Is this really a thing?? Fried ice cream sounds kinda weird to me. Not sure I’ll try it.
I accidentally used rice krispies instead of cornflakes and it was still awesome!
Tried this but it was a disaster. Ice cream melted too fast. Maybe I did something wrong.
I forgot the egg and it still turned out fine. Maybe this recipe is too easy.
This was a disaster! My ice cream melted and turned into a gooey mess. Never again!
I love anything fried. This was not as complicated as I thought. Easy and delicious.
Really? I dunno if I’d fry ice cream, that seems weird. Isn’t it just gonna melt?
Sounds so yummy! I never thought about frying ice cream. Gotta try this!
Love it!!!
This sounds awesome! Can’t wait to try it. Fried ice cream? Yum!
How’s the ice cream not meltin? Seems weird to me…
Too sweet for my taste. I’d rather have just ice cream without all the fuss.
Quick and easy! But I think I put too much cinnamon. Next time I’ll be more careful.
I love fried ice cream! But yeah, too much cinnamon can really overpower it. I usually use just a pinch. Glad you enjoyed it overall!
I tried this and it was sooo good! Who knew it would work out!
Loved the idea, but I wish it said how to keep the ice cream from getting too warm while breading. Also my coating kept falling off a bit—maybe I didn’t freeze long enough.
Fried? Ice cream? Sounds like a heart attack but I’ll try it anyways.
Haha, it does sound crazy but sometimes you gotta live a little! Can’t wait to try it! 🍦
Like, how do you fry ice cream? This sounds impossible.
This recipe is so fun! I added some chocolate chips on top, yummm! 🍦🍫
Good stuff! I used sugar flakes instead of cornflakes, still turned out amazing!
Can I use any type of ice cream? Asking for a friend who loves rocky road.
Fried ice cream? Why would you ruin ice cream like that? Ice cream is perfect as it is. 🤔
OMG this is so good! Just made it for my kids and they loved it. Will be a regular treat now!
That’s awesome! My kids love it too! I added some chocolate syrup and nuts on top. Yum!
Fried ice cream? Isn’t that messy? Wouldn’t the ice cream just melt? Seems risky!
I followd all steps.. but my ice creeam melt before I fry it!!!! Now I got slush! What did I do wrong?
Tastes great, but it feels like a lot of work for one scoop. Also frying ice cream is kinda wild to me… but my kids devoured it, so I guess I’m wrong.
Delicious and so crunchy! But I didn’t have cornflakes, so I used crispy rice cereal. It still worked!
Made this for my kids, they loved it! It’s messy, but worth it. 👍
10-15 seconds is so short 😅 I’m scared I’ll undercook it or overcook it. I ended up doing like 30 seconds once and it basically became fried ice cream mush.
Looks legit. Also, you wrote ‘1 egg egg’—is that a typo or double eggs? I’m guessing it’s just one.
This sounds good but isn’t ice cream already cold? How does frying it work with science? Like the hot and cold?
This is just too weird. Fried ice cream? How does that even work? I’m skeptical.
okay but how long do you freeze the ice cream? I might forget and it’ll all melt!
Eh, not for me. Tried it at a fair once and thought it was too sweet.
I get that! Fried ice cream can be way too sweet for some people, but I love it! Maybe try a less sweet topping next time?
YESS!!! This is the best thing I’ve ever made! Thanks for sharin this recipe, it’s a game changer!
This was ridiculously fun to make. I worked fast like the instructions said and it came out golden and crunchy without melting into sadness. Drizzled honey on top—10/10.
5 stars. sooo good!!!
Not gonna lie, I’m skeptical about frying ice cream. The first attempt failed, coating slipped off, maybe because my ice cream wasn’t hard enough.
Totally get your skepticism—frying ice cream is kinda “blink and you miss it.” If the coating slipped, it’s usually because the ice cream wasn’t rock-hard *or* you didn’t refreeze between steps. I’d freeze the coated ball again (like 10–20 min) after the first egg/cornflake layer, then do the second coating and fry immediately. Also make sure your oil is really at 375°F before frying—if it’s cooler, the ice cream starts melting too fast.
Not what I expected. The ice cream melted too fast. Maybe I didn’t freeze it long enough.
Such a fun idea! I made it for a party and everyone was so impressed. Definitely a keeper!
Is this even a real dessert? Seems too complicated for me. 😕
Not my favorite… the egg made it kinda soggy. Maybe I did it wrong?
I dunno, this is how it’s done! But you could’ve maybe messed up the frying, who knows.
I think the egg is what gives it that crunch! Maybe try frying it less time? It has to be super quick.
Fried ice cream, who knew? I prefer it plain, but this was kinda fun. Not sure I’d do it again tho.
Can someone please explain why the ice cream doesn’t just turn into soup? Mine did!
Fried ice cream is from Mexico, right? I heard that somewhere, not sure. Sounds funny.
Cornflakes worked way better than I expected. Cinnamon in the crumb mix is a nice touch. I served with honey and it was dangerously good.
Fried ice cream? Is that even a real thing? Sounds weird.
Yeah, it’s a real thing! It’s like a fun dessert, you should definitely try it before judging!
5 stars! I added some sprinkles too! Everyone loved it ❤️
Sounds amazing! I never thought about adding sprinkles, great idea! 🌈
Actually pretty easy if you prep everything first. I used crushed cornflakes + egg like the instructions, and it came out golden in no time. Would totally make again.
Sounds good but isn’t it kinda risky frying ice cream? Like it melts instantly—mine usually turns into sad soup lol. Maybe I’m not freezing it long enough?
Totally agree—mise en place makes this so much easier. I tried it once and it was way less stressful than I expected. Golden in seconds is the best part 😄
This is like dessert on training wheels. Easy ingredients, fun process. But please be careful with the oil—frying something frozen feels a little sketchy the first time.
375°F sounds right, but I don’t have a thermometer. I just heated until it looked shimmery—results were… mixed. Still tasty though.
OMG, this is amazing! I added some sprinkles on top and it took it to another level! Yum!
I added chocolate syrup and honey and it was sweet-sweet. Could be too much for some people, but I loved it.
I tried this and it worked… mostly. Mine started melting a bit before frying, so I think freezing hard longer than “until very hard” would help. Still delicious though.
Okay but the ingredient list is confusing? Like ‘1 egg egg’ lol. Also do you really need a full cup of oil? I used less and it still worked, so maybe not.
Bold to call it fried ice cream like it’s easy lol. Between freezing, coating, and frying fast… that’s a lot of work for dessert.
I’m skeptical about the timing, but 10–15 seconds actually worked for me. I used a thermometer and the oil stayed around 190°C. Texture was perfect: crispy outside, cold inside.
Totally believe it. I also stopped using guesses and went by thermometer—when the oil is ~190°C it fries insanely fast. If you go longer than that, it turns into a melted mess.
I’m not sure about 10–15 seconds. Mine browned super fast but the inside was kinda like… milk soup, lol. Maybe my coating wasn’t thick enough? Also my oil temp ran hot maybe. Still tasty though.
Fried ice cream is a classic! Always reminds me of my childhood fairs. Yummy!
Fried ice cream? Sounds weird to me. How can ice cream not melt when you fry it?
I remember having this at the carnival! It’s so fun to make at home too. Can’t wait to try!
Fried… ice cream? Blasphemy! 😡
I tried this but my ice cream melted immediately after coating… maybe my oil wasn’t hot enough? Also, 375°F felt hard to hit at home.
Pretty darn good, but why not just eat ice cream? Seems like too much trouble.
This is such a fun dessert—crispy outside and cold inside really does the trick. The 10–15 seconds is key; I almost overdid mine and it started to melt.
I tried this but it didn’t work. The ice cream just melted too fast! 🙁
It sounds like the ice cream wasn’t frozen hard enough. You really gotta make sure it’s super solid before frying! Don’t lose hope, just try again!
Cornflakes are genius here. I’m surprised it works without more baking—10-15 seconds is basically nothing, but it hits.
I think the oil temp was off. It browned too fast and the inside was kinda soft. Still edible, just not the dramatic contrast I wanted.
Yeah that sounds like the oil was running hot or the coating got too much color before the inside had time to firm up. Next time try keeping the oil closer to 375°F and use a thermometer—also freeze the ball longer and don’t fry more than a couple at a time so the temp doesn’t drop/rise a lot.
This is so fun! I never thought to fry ice cream. Can’t wait to try it!
That sounds amazing! I’ve never heard of frying ice cream either but I’ll definitely try it!
This is the weirdest recipe ever! Fried ice cream? Really??
This sounds dangerously delicious. The double cornflake + egg coating is such a smart move—golden in seconds is exactly right for fried ice cream. I’ll definitely try it.