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Crunchy on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside, Mexican fried ice cream is a flavor bomb in your mouth and a go-to Mexican dessert!
Indulge in this tasty Mexican treat after you polish off your Enchiladas and Spanish Rice!
We All Love 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?!
We LOVE Mexican food at our house. We love to finish our Mexican dinner with not just any delicious dessert, but a favorite Mexican dessert like this Fried Ice Cream.
Why we love it:
- Impressive. It’s much easier than it looks to make but has all the wow factor.
- Texture. The cornflakes give such a unique texture and the cinnamon gives it a little spice.
- Make ahead. It can easily be prepped and stored. Just fry right before serving for a quick treat!
- Simple ingredients. There are just a handful of ingredients needed.
A Few Simple Ingredients
- Vanilla Ice Cream – other yummy flavors include strawberry or chocolate
- corn flakes cereal – use any brand of cornflakes or try Frosted Flakes.
- cinnamon – experiment with other spices like nutmeg or a Pumpkin Pie Spice
- eggs whites
- vegetable oil – or canola oil or peanut oil
- fresh berries
- Whipped Cream
- honey
Topping Ideas
- a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or Chocolate Sauce
- Maraschino cherries
- sprinkles
- fruit compote
How to Make Fried Ice Cream
- PREP. Prepare ice cream balls on a cookie sheet or in a muffin tin. Prepare the cornflake mixture and egg white mixture.
- COAT. Dip each of the ice cream balls in the egg whites, then roll in the corn flakes, coating the ice cream completely. Repeat once more, dipping first in the egg whites and then again in the cornflakes, coating completely.
- CHILL. Return the ice cream balls to the freezer and freeze until solid, 2-3 hours.
- FRY. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 375°F. Using a slotted spoon, add the ice cream balls to the hot oil. Cook for 10-15 seconds, until golden, turning to ensure both sides get browned. You’ll need to act fast!
- Let the ice cream balls drain on paper towels for 1-2 minutes, then serve immediately with whipped cream and berries, drizzled with honey.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the freezing. They must be frozen after forming the balls and then again after rolling in the cornflake coating.
- Coat completely. No ice cream can be showing through the cornflakes, otherwise it will melt out. We coated them twice.
- Test. 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.
- Cereal. You could also use crushed-up cinnamon toast crunch cereal instead of cornflakes and cinnamon.
Make ahead of time
- Make ahead of time. 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 cornflakes place them in the freezer for 1-2 months. Fry before serving.
For More Sweets:
Mexican Fried Ice Cream Recipe
Crunchy on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside, Mexican fried ice cream is a flavor bomb in your mouth and a go-to Mexican dessert!
Ingredients
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 ½ 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°F. 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
Notes
Make ahead of time. 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 cornflakes place them in the freezer for 1-2 months. Fry before serving.
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.
I am so happy I found this- it’s even better than what we get from our favorite Mexican restaurant! My kids were thrilled !!
This is such a hit! Kids super loved it! Soooo good!
I have had fried ice cream before at a tex-mex restaurant and have been looking for the perfect, so glad I found this! I must say the recipe was a huge hit at home when I tried it.
wow – this is crazy and amazing! I am so glad that I can make this at home now!
It’s the perfect crunchy, creamy dessert! Simply delicious, thank you.
I agree with some of the other comments: this is so much easier than i would have thought! I love that you can use different flavors to change things up.
How fun are these? they are so much easier to make then I thought! We loved them!
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOO NERVOUS TO TRY AND MAKE THIS BUT YOU MAKE IT LOOK SO DOABLE – I’M GONNA DO IT!
A cool treat on a hot summer night. Sure to please the little ones!
Love the crunchy outside! I am excited to try all flavors!