In our quest to Fry All The Things, we’ve yet to encounter a conundrum as delicious as deep fried ice cream. Both ice cold and piping hot at the same time, fried ice cream is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is then deep fried.
Ok, maybe fried ice cream isn’t as complicated as all that. In short, it’s a frozen scoop of ice cream that is breaded and deep-fried. The end result is a hot, crispy fried shell surrounding still-cold ice cream. And yes, it’s as good as it sounds. But where did this fried, frozen deliciousness come from? How is it made? Read on below for all the answers
Fried Ice Cream: A brief history
The origin of fried ice cream is hotly disputed among professional fryologists. (Editor’s Note: This is not a real job. Please don’t go scouring your local paper for fryologist jobs near you) An article in the Baltimore Sun on May 24, 1983, claimed that fried ice cream was introduced during the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.
However, an article published in 1898 points to a Philadelphia company as creating the delicacy in 1894. The article described the original fried ice cream as:
A small, solid cake of the cream is enveloped in a thin sheet of pie crust and then dipped in boiling lard or butter long enough to cook the outside to a crisp. Served immediately, the ice cream is found to be solidly frozen as when it was first prepared. The process of frying is so quickly accomplished, and the pastry is so good a protector, that the heat has no chance to reach the frozen cream.
Others point to Asia as the true home of fried ice cream. According to an article in the 1960’s, ice cream had been fried in tempura batter for many years in Japan and other parts of Asia.
Can you deep fry ice cream?
The process for frying ice cream isn’t difficult, but messing up a step can leave you with a big mess on your hands. To begin, freeze a baking sheet for a few hours. Add parchment paper, and then scoop your chosen ice cream into equal-sized balls onto your frozen baking sheet. Once the balls of ice cream have been in the freezer for 30 minutes, quickly batter your ice cream balls and place them in the fryer. Your type of ice cream and batter will vary on what kind of flavor you’re going for. Once the outside of the ice cream balls is a golden brown, remove the balls from the fryer and let them rest briefly after patting the grease off them.
The main thing to remember is that melted ice cream is enemy number one. If you don’t pre-freeze your baking sheets or don’t properly freeze the balls of ice cream they’re likely to fall apart as you try to batter them. You’ll also run into problems if you overcook them in the deep fryer as that will leave you with a melted mess in your fryer.
Types of Fried Ice Cream
As you’ll see when we discuss recipes, fried ice cream can come in a multitude of different styles and flavors. However, two different countries on opposite sides of the world have really become known for modern-day frozen ice cream: Mexico and Japan.
Mexican Fried Ice Cream
It’s a common misconception that fried ice cream is a long-standing Mexican tradition. In fact, most experts agree that fried ice cream came to Mexico from America, only to see the dish hit its peak popularity in the United States thanks to its proliferation in Mexican restaurants. (Editor’s Note: Given the history it almost feels like we should call it American Fried Ice Cream, but due to all of the delicious food Mexico has brought us over the years we’re prepared to let this one go.)
Mexican Ice Cream generally used vanilla ice cream, but any flavor will work. For the breading, use a base made from crushed cornflake cereal alone or mixed with nuts and cookie crumbs.
Japanese Tempura Ice Cream
While tempura-based fried ice cream is most commonly tied to Japan, the dish has become a popular treat across parts of Asia and even Australia. Japanese fried ice cream is unique in that it eschews cornflakes for tempura batter more closely associated with savory dishes. When it comes to ice cream flavors, Asian fried ice cream often goes with less-common varieties including green tea, taro, and red bean ice cream.
Is fried ice cream gluten-free?
A gluten-free alternative is available to you regardless of the style of fried ice cream you opt for. As we discussed above, the batter for Mexican fried ice cream is based on cornflake cereal. There is a wide variety of gluten-free cornflakes available that can simply replace the cornflakes 1:1 in any recipe.
Editing your recipe for Japanese-style fried ice cream is a little more complicated, given that it relies on tempura batter for its coating. While tempura batter is normally made with wheat, there are a number of fantastic gluten-free tempura batters available. One of our favorites is made by the appropriately named Really Great Food Company.
Fried Ice Cream Recipes
Looking for some easy fried ice crème recipes? Be sure to check out our take on this classic dessert. If you’re looking for some variety, however, look no further as we’ve put together a few of our favorite variations in video form.
Easy Mexican Fried Ice Cream
This delicious recipe expands on the basic Mexican fried ice cream version by adding some different flavors to the batter. In addition to cornflakes, this recipe also calls for sliced almonds, cloves, sugar, and cinnamon. The ingredients and a how-to video are below.
Ingredients:
3-4 ounces of French Vanilla ice cream
2 cups cornflake cereal
¼ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of granulated sugar
½ tablespoon of ground cloves
Vegetable oil for frying.
Tempura Ice Cream Recipe
I’m going to be honest here: I can’t vouch for this recipe as I haven’t tried it. But we’re featuring this video because (1) it looks tasty and (2) the premise of this Youtube channel appears to be a Japanese chef cooks while here dog narrates in English. The series is called Cooking with Dog. This is happening in real life, people. Anyway, check out the video and the ingredients below.
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Matcha Ice Cream
6 slices of sponge cake
3 tablespoons cold water
1.1 ounces cake flour
Frying oil
Fruity Pebbles Fried Ice Cream Recipe
Ready for something unusual? How about ice cream fried with Fruity Pebbles cereal? This recipe is straightforward and delicious. Check out the how-to video and ingredient list below.
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream
2 Cups Fruity Pebbles
Oil for frying
Whipped Cream for garnish
Fried Ice Cream Recipes
Looking for some easy fried ice crème recipes? Be sure to check out our take on this classic desert. If you’re looking for some variety however look no further as we’ve put together a few of our favorite variations in video form.
Easy Mexican Fried Ice Cream
This delicious recipe expands on the basic Mexican fried ice cream version by adding some different flavors to the batter. In addition to cornflakes, this recipe also calls for sliced almonds, cloves, sugar, and cinnamon. The ingredients and a how-to video are below.
Recipe:
3-4 ounces of French Vanilla ice cream
2 cups cornflake cereal
¼ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of granulated sugar
½ tablespoon of ground cloves
Vegetable oil for frying.
Tempura Ice Cream Recipe
I’m going to be honest here: I can’t vouch for this recipe as I haven’t tried it. But we’re featuring this video because (1) it looks tasty and (2) the premise of this Youtube channel appears to be a Japanese chef cooks while here dog narrates in English. The series is called Cooking with Dog. This is happening in real life, people. Anyway, check out the video and the ingredients below.
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Matcha Ice Cream
6 slices of sponge cake
3 tablespoons cold water
1.1 ounces cake flour
Frying oil
Fruity Pebbles Fried Ice Cream Recipe
Ready for something unusual? How about ice cream fried with Fruity Pebbles cereal? This recipe is straightforward and delicious. Check out the how-to video and ingredient list below.
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ice Cream
2 Cups Fruity Pebbles
Oil for frying
Whipped Cream for garnish
What’s next?
Now that you’re full of fried ice cream knowledge, are you ready to fill up on delicious fried food? Check out our ultimate deep fryer guide, or complete guide to deep fryer oil, or our other recipes!
H/T Two Hungry Dudes for the featured photo
