If there’s one thing better than something fried in breadcrumbs, it is something fried in biscuit crumbs. Oh yes. Many recipes for deep fried ice cream use biscuit crumb and cornflakes, but we have used that classic Australian biscuit – the cornflake biscuit. Fanfare please.

Deep fried food ticks all the boxes. Executed well, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. That crisp crumb, which should be deeply flavoured yet not taste of oil or indeed carry any trace of oil. Then, something soft inside. It is a thing of contrasts. We are primed to find food pleasurable, to seek out fat and flavour.

Add sweet, and creamy, into that equation and you may just have found food heaven. Hot, crisp, sweet exterior and cold, creamy, slightly melting middle.

Where does deep fried ice cream come from?

Although no-ones seems to be able to agree on the exact origin of fried ice cream, it has strong associations with Asian cuisine. It is a popular dessert in Chinese restaurants, but is also seen in Thailand and throughout South East Asia. We have plenty of Asian recipes for you to try if you want to make a meal of it.

How to make deep fried ice cream

The whole point of deep frying is to encase the ingredients in a barrier so that the oil only touches the outside. In a classic egg and crumb technique known as panne, the egg cooks to form a thin yet impenetrable coat. The crumb browns in the oil to create those deeply satisfying flavours. In the case of fried fish, for example, this creates steam inside that cooks the fish and keeps it tender. In the case of ice cream, the crust keeps it cold and prevents it from melting into the oil.

The ice cream needs to be frozen solid. So no soft serve here. You can use a ice cream scoop to create a ball, or use two smaller spoons to roll rough chunks. And you will need to work quickly. Dipped in beaten egg, and then rolled in the crumb, the balls are dropped into hot oil for about 20 seconds. Drained on kitchen paper, they are served hot. Perhaps with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, some whipped cream and a retro cherry.

You can use any ice cream you like, but why not go for a Japanese style with our matcha ice cream recipes?

Deep fried ice cream recipe

Serves 4

500ml ice cream

200g cornflake biscuits

2 eggs

2 tablespoon cold water

1. Scoop the ice cream into 4 standard balls, or equivalent smaller balls. Put them on a tray, on greaseproof paper, and refreeze to solid.
2. Beat the eggs with the cold water. This thins the egg down and will make your coating less eggy. Set aside.
3. Blitz the biscuits to a medium coarse crumb. Also set aside.
4. When ready to fry, heat oil in a deep fryer or pan to 190C. It is hot enough when a cube of bread takes 30 seconds to turn a deep golden brown.
5. Roll the ice cream balls in the beaten egg using one hand only.
6. Roll them in the crumb with the other (dry) hand and make sure they are well coated.
7. Drop into the hot oil and fry for about 20 seconds or until they turn a lovely golden brown.
8. Drain on kitchen paper, garnish as you wish, and serve hot.

Try making this recipe with our other handmade Australian biscuits. All of our wholesale biscuits and cookies are available to buy in bulk online.