Easy Fried Ice Cream

Get your sweet tooth ready, this fried ice cream recipe is the perfect combination of crispy and creamy! Vanilla ice cream is coated with buttery cinnamon sugar cornflakes for a texture your tastebuds will go crazy over!

Dessert is my favorite course! No meal is complete without one! For more amazing cinnamon sugar flavor, you’ll have to try churro cheesecake, churro toffee, and cinnamon roll cake next.

Easy fried ice cream molded into a circle, with a bite taken out of it revealing a creamy vanilla center.

Quick and Easy Fried Ice Cream Recipe

Fried ice cream is one of my family’s favorite treats. It takes a classic ice cream sundae to a whole other level! Traditionally, it’s deep-fried to achieve that crispy, golden brown outer shell. This version is made with toasted and crushed cornflake pieces to achieve that crispy goodness with no mess! It tastes just as good if not better than the traditional method! No hot oil or frying required!

You can top your ice cream off with whatever toppings you’d like, but I always go for chocolate sauce and caramel sauce. (Find more delicious tips and variations below!) It’s a rich and decadent combination of flavors with the absolute best texture. It’s a great way to switch up desserts for the family. They will love it!

Everything You Need to Make It

It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to make this easy fried ice cream. It’s super easy to customize, so feel free to add in your own toppings and favorite ice cream flavors! Measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

Butter: Unsalted melted butter is used to toast your cornflakes in. It gives your cornflake mixture the most rich and delicious flavor!
Cornflakes: I love the texture and shape of cornflakes, but you can swap this out with your favorite kind of crushed cereal!
Ground Cinnamon: Mixed with sugar to create a sweet coating with a hint of warm spice.
Sugar: White sugar sweetens up the coating of this fried ice cream.
Vanilla Ice Cream: I use vanilla ice cream because it has a versatile flavor for any of the toppings you want to add on top.

How to Make Easy Homemade Fried Ice Cream

It takes just over an hour to chill your ice cream molds, but trust me it’s well worth it! I like to pop these in the freezer while I make the rest of dinner and then we have a delicious Mexican-inspired dessert to have afterward!

Toast Cornflakes: In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. In a bowl add in the crushed corn flakes, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir everything together.
Remove from the skillet and add to a bowl. Scoop out one cup of ice cream and roll it into a ball until you have about 8.
Chill, Coat Ice Cream Balls: Place on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Remove from the freezer and roll the ice cream balls in the cornflake mixture.
Chill Fried Ice Cream: Add it back to the baking sheet and place back in the freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour or until solidified.
Add Toppings: Top with desired toppings.

4 process photos of preparing cornflake coating and shaping ice cream balls.

Tips and Delicious Variations

Here are a few ways to switch up this tasty dessert! My family loves trying out different combinations. It’s so fun to create your own little fried ice cream sundae!

Change Cereal: No cornflakes on hand? No problem! You can use things like cinnamon toast crunch cereal, fruity pebbles, captain crunch, or Reese’s puffs for a different twist on the flavor of the shell.
Switch Ice Cream: For a more chocolatey version of fried ice cream, try using chocolate or cookies and cream ice cream with a crushed Oreo O’s shell! You can also make this dessert keto-friendly by swapping in this homemade keto ice cream to go with it!
Toppings: Whipped cream, maraschino cherries, cool whip, coconut flakes, sliced bananas, sprinkles, and a chocolate or caramel drizzle are my favorite fixings for this treat. You can also add chopped nuts for a bit of extra texture.
Use a Food Processor: To get your cereal crumbs to be more finely crushed, you can use a food processor for a few seconds at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

A globe-shaped fried ice cream topped with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and chocolate drizzle.

Storing Leftover Fried Ice Cream

This dessert is best served after an hour of chilling, but can also be stored in the freezer for 5-7 days.

In the Freezer: Wrap each globe of fried ice cream in plastic wrap and store for up to 1 week. It’s ready to serve straight out of the freezer with your favorite toppings!

Top-down view of a bite being taken out of fried ice cream with a silver spoon.