Easy Fried Ice Cream

Easy Fried Ice Cream is a fun way to recreate your favorite Mexican restaurant dessert at home and there is no frying required!

What is Fried Ice Cream?

When I was a kid I was always fascinated by the idea of fried ice cream.  I would see it on the menu at a Mexican restaurant and wonder how on earth did they do that, how do you fry ice cream?

I remember one of the first times I ever tried it at a restaurant.  The ice cream was covered in a crunchy topping and had actually been fried in hot oil!  It was topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and it was so good! I loved the crispy, crunchy coating on the outside and the sweet, smooth, cold ice cream in the middle.

No Fry Fried Ice Cream

The thought of trying to fry ice cream at home though was a little too much for even me so years ago when my husband’s cousin served us “No Fry” Fried Ice Cream I knew I had found the solution.

How to Make Easy Fried Ice Cream

• Choose your favorite cereal as the crunchy coating.  My favorite cereal is Cinnamon Toast Crunch but you can use what ever sweet cereal you like.  I just recommend not using something like Raisin Bran or Cheerios.  This is the perfect time to use that sweet, sugary cereal mom never let you have.

• Place the cereal in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. You will need 1/2 cup of crushed cereal per serving of ice cream.

• Combine crushed cereal with brown sugar and melted butter.  Stir to combine.

• Scoop ice cream into balls and place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. They are much easier to work with this way. I like to use vanilla ice cream but feel free to use your favorite flavor. This is my favorite scoop to use with the ice cream.  It’s also great for scooping muffins and cupcake batter.

• After the scoops of ice cream are firm, remove from the freezer and roll them into the cereal mixture.  Use your hands to press it into the ice cream.

• Place the coated ice cream scoops back onto the baking sheet and keep frozen until ready to serve.

• Serve with whipped cream and chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce.  A scoop of macerated strawberries would be delicious too.  Raspberry sauce or strawberry sauce would be delish as well.

How Far Ahead of Time Can I Make Easy Fried Ice Cream?

Besides being delicious, easy fried ice cream is easy to make!  I don’t recommend making it too far ahead though as the crunchy cereal can lose it’s crunch if it is made too early or sits in the freezer too long. Making it no sooner than the morning of the day I am going to serve it is what I recommend.  I have found that it is best to make it a few hours before serving and then put it in the freezer to give it a little time set up before serving.  Add the whipped cream and sauce right before serving.

Check out more of my favorite ice cream desserts:

• Brownie Ice Cream Cake
• Ice Cream Pie
• Lemon Curd Ice Cream Pie
• Creamsicle Ice Cream Pie
• Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

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Did you know I wrote a cookbook?  Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes.