✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This Chi-Chi's style fried ice cream has a crunchy cinnamon cornflake shell and a center that stays frozen solid. The trick is two coats and two freezes, plus a no-fry version.
How Do You Make Chi-Chi’s Fried Ice Cream? (Quick Answer)
Scoop 1 pint of vanilla ice cream into 4 balls and freeze until rock hard. Roll them in 2 cups of crushed cornflakes with sugar and cinnamon, freeze 30 minutes, dip in egg and milk, roll again and freeze at least 2 hours. Fry one at a time at 375°F for 10 to 15 seconds and top with honey, whipped cream and a cherry.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Freeze the coated balls overnight if you can. A rock-hard center is your insurance against a puddle in the pot.
Why You'll Love This Fried Ice Cream
- The Chi-Chi's dessert the crunchy, cinnamon sundae everyone saved room for.
- Hot and cold a warm crisp shell around frozen vanilla.
- Make-ahead coat them days before and fry in seconds.
- Only 4 ingredients for the shell: cornflakes, sugar, cinnamon and egg.
- No-fry option butter-toasted cornflakes give the same crunch.
What Was Chi-Chi’s Fried Ice Cream?
Chi-Chi's opened in Richfield, Minnesota, in 1975 and grew into a big, festive Tex-Mex chain with about 210 restaurants by the mid-nineties. Fried ice cream was the dessert: a cold scoop in a crunchy, cinnamon crust.
There's no official recipe out there, so this is how I make mine at home, with a cornflake crust, two coats and two freezes.
Can you still eat there? In one place. The original chain closed all its restaurants in 2004. A brand-new Chi-Chi's opened in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in October 2025, and fried ice cream came back with it.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Vanilla ice cream: a dense, premium-style ice cream freezes harder and holds better than airy budget tubs.
- Cornflakes: crushed fine. They brown fast and stay crisp.
- Cinnamon and sugar: the churro-style flavor in the crust.
- Pasteurized eggs: for the egg wash, because it only cooks for seconds.
- Toppings: honey, whipped cream and a cherry. Chocolate sauce or cajeta are great too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Rock hard or nothing. Soft ice cream melts the second it touches oil. Freeze the scoops on a tray, then freeze again after each coat.
- Crush the flakes fine. Big flakes leave gaps where the oil sneaks in. I bash them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin until they look like coarse sand.
- Press, don’t sprinkle. Squeeze the crumbs on with your palms. A tight crust is the wall that protects the ice cream.
- Use pasteurized eggs. The egg wash only sees about 15 seconds of heat, so pasteurized eggs are the safe choice.
- One at a time. Each ball drops the oil temperature. Fry one, let the thermometer climb back to 375°F, then fry the next.
- Count to fifteen. Golden is done. Longer than 15 seconds and the heat reaches the middle.
- Serve fast. Have the bowls, honey and whipped cream ready before the oil is hot. Fried ice cream waits for no one.
Chi-Chi’s Fried Ice Cream
4
servings20
minutes5
minutes450
kcal4
hoursCopycat-style Chi-Chi’s fried ice cream: hard-frozen vanilla ice cream balls double coated in crushed cornflakes, cinnamon and sugar with a pasteurized egg wash, frozen again, then fried at 375°F for 10 to 15 seconds and topped with honey, whipped cream and a cherry. Includes a no-fry version. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- For the Ice Cream Balls
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream
- For the Crust
2 cups cornflakes, finely crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the Egg Wash
2 large pasteurized eggs
2 tablespoons milk
- To Fry and Serve
2 quarts neutral oil
4 tablespoons honey
to serve whipped cream
4 maraschino cherries
1 pinch cinnamon sugar
Directions
- Shape and Freeze
- Line a small tray with parchment. Scoop the ice cream into 4 firm balls, about 1/2 cup each, and freeze for 1 hour, until rock hard.
- Double Coat
- Mix the crushed cornflakes, sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll each ball in the crumbs, pressing so they stick, and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs and milk. Dip each ball in the egg wash, roll it in the crumbs again and press firmly. Wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Fry and Serve
- Heat about 3 inches of oil to 375°F in a heavy pot. Lower one ball at a time on a spider and fry for 10 to 15 seconds, just until deep golden. Lift straight out and drain for a few seconds.
- Serve immediately with a drizzle of honey, whipped cream, a pinch of cinnamon sugar and a cherry.
- No-Fry Version
- Toast the cornflake mix in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden, and cool. Roll the frozen ice cream balls in it, pressing firmly, and freeze until serving. Skip the egg wash and the oil.
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Fried vs No-Fry Fried Ice Cream
Both are crunchy. Here's how they differ.
| Deep fried | No-fry | |
|---|---|---|
| Crust | Hot, crackly, golden | Crisp, buttery, cool |
| Egg wash | Yes | No |
| Oil | 2 quarts at 375°F | None |
| Make ahead | Coat ahead, fry to order | Fully ahead, serve from the freezer |
Storage
Coated, unfried balls keep up to 1 week in the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in a freezer bag. Fried ice cream doesn't keep, so fry only what you'll eat right away.
More Desserts From Lost Menus
If you love a crispy dessert, my copycat Taco Bell Caramel Apple Empanada is another fried favorite. Need ideas for the scoop? Here are my favorite ice cream flavors. For dinner first, try my Steak and Ale style Hawaiian chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Chi-Chi's serve fried ice cream?
Yes. Fried ice cream was one of the Chi-Chi's desserts people remember most, and it's on the menu again at the revived Chi-Chi's in Minnesota. This is my copycat-style version, not the restaurant's recipe.
Is Chi-Chi's still open?
The original chain closed in 2004. A brand-new Chi-Chi's opened in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, in October 2025, with fried ice cream back on the menu.
How does fried ice cream not melt?
The ice cream is frozen rock hard, wrapped in a thick, tight crust, frozen again and fried for only 10 to 15 seconds. The crust browns before the heat can reach the middle.
Can I make fried ice cream without frying?
Yes. Toast the cornflake mix in butter until golden, cool it, roll the frozen ice cream balls in it and freeze. You get the same crunch with no oil.
How far ahead can I make fried ice cream?
Coat and freeze the balls up to 1 week ahead, wrapped tightly. Fry them straight from the freezer just before serving.
What can I use instead of cornflakes?
Crushed frosted flakes, graham crackers or toasted coconut mixed with cornflakes all work. Keep the crumbs fine so the crust has no gaps.
