Fried Ice Cream

Crunchy on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside, fried ice cream is a flavor bomb in your mouth and a go-to Mexican dessert!

Fried ice cream is the best ending to a festive Mexican meal! Indulge in this tasty Mexican treat after you polish off your Chicken Enchiladas and Mexican Rice!

Mexican Fried Ice Cream

What is Fried Ice Cream?

Mexican fried ice cream is a scoop of vanilla ice cream that is breaded and quickly deep fried in oil. Sounds delicious, right?!

The deep frying turns the breaded outer part into a crispy warm shell that is so tasty. If you’ve never had this dessert before, you will fall in love with it.

The breaded shell is made from a mixture of crushed cornflakes cereal and cinnamon. The cornflakes give such a unique texture and the cinnamon gives it a little spice.

All of the favors come together perfectly for one delicious dessert. Trust us when we say that fried ice cream is always a big hit! Especially when it’s served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients + Prepping

There are just a few simple ingredients in this Mexican dessert:

• vanilla ice cream
• crushed cornflakes
• cinnamon
• egg whites
• vegetable oil

You’ll need fresh berries, whipped cream, and/or honey to serve with the fried ice cream!

Also, note that you have to act a little fast when making these so the ice cream doesn’t melt. 😉

How to Make Fried Ice Cream

ICE CREAM. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop ice cream into 1/2 cup balls, place them on a lined baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for one hour, until they are firm.

Tip: Instead of a baking sheet, you can also put the scoops into a muffin tin.

COATING. In a shallow dish, whisk together the crushed cornflakes and cinnamon. In another shallow dish, beat the egg whites until frothy. Dip each of the ice cream balls in the egg whites, then roll in the cornflakes, coating the ice cream completely. Repeat once more, dipping first in the egg whites and then again in the cornflake mixture, coating completely.

FREEZE. Return the ice cream scoops to the freezer and freeze until solid, 2-3 hours.

FRY. When ready to serve, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, add the ice cream balls to the hot oil. Cook 10-15 seconds, until golden, turning to ensure both sides get browned. Let the ice cream balls drain on paper towels for 1-2 minutes, then serve immediately with whipped cream and berries, drizzled with honey.

Are there other toppings I can use for this treat?

• A drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate sauce
• Maraschino cherries
• Sprinkles
• Fruit compote

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip the freezing. They must be frozen after forming the balls and then again after rolling in the corn flake coating. 
• No ice cream can be showing through the corn flakes, otherwise it will melt out. We coated them twice. 😉
• Fry your first scoop on its own so you can get the hang of it. Once you’ve got it down you can put 2-3 in the pan depending on the size. 
• Vanilla is the flavor of choice for this dessert, but go ahead and try out your favorite flavor. 
• You could also use crushed up cinnamon toast crunch cereal instead of cornflakes and cinnamon.

Can I make this ahead of time? You can easily prepare the balls ahead of time and keep them in a container in the freezer. Once the ice cream has been rolled in the corn flakes place them in the freezer for 1-2 months. Fry before serving. 

For more Mexican treats, try:

• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Tres Leches Cake
• Arroz Con Leche
• Cinnamon Chips

5 from 14 votes

Fried Ice Cream Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

Crunchy on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside—fried ice cream is the BEST dessert! It's a flavor bomb in your mouth and such a fun and unique treat idea.

Servings: 8

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 2 minutes mins

Freeze Time: 4 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

for the fried ice cream:

• ▢ 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• ▢ 3 cups crushed cornflakes cereal about 5 cups uncrushed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 4 eggs whites
• ▢ vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

for serving:

• ▢ fresh berries
• ▢ whipped cream
• ▢ honey

Instructions 

• Scoop the ice cream into 1/2 cup balls and freeze for one hour, until firm.
• In a shallow dish, whisk together the crushed cornflakes and cinnamon. In another shallow dish, beat the egg whites until frothy.
• Dip each of the ice cream balls in the egg whites, then roll in the cornflakes, coating the ice cream completely. Repeat once more, dipping first in the egg whites and then again in the cornflakes, coating completely.
• Return the ice cream balls to the freezer and freeze until solid, 2-3 hours.
• When ready to serve, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, add the ice cream balls to the hot oil. Cook 10-15 seconds, until golden, turning to ensure both sides get browned.
• Let the ice cream balls drain on paper towels for 1-2 minutes, then serve immediately with whipped cream and berries, drizzled with honey.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 196mg, Potassium: 277mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 686IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

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