This fried chicken ice cream recipe is the latest trend on TikTok. If you’re wondering what it is and how to make it, keep reading. We’re going to dive into all the details today!
There is a new trend making the rounds on social media: fried chicken ice cream. Even though I’m not a TikTok user, the recipes that come out of there are often intriguing. When I heard about this latest idea, the combination of “fried chicken” and “ice cream” in the same name piqued my interest. Was this chicken-flavored ice cream? I had to take a closer look.
What is Fried Chicken Ice Cream?
Fried chicken ice cream is – thank goodness – not ice cream that tastes like fried chicken. Instead, it is an ice cream dessert that has been made to look like fried chicken.
How is this accomplished? Well, you take candy bars like Kit Kats or Twix, then you shape vanilla ice cream around each bar until it roughly resembles a chicken leg. The whole thing is then quickly dipped in melted white chocolate and finished with crushed cornflakes cereal. The end result is a treat that looks remarkably like fried chicken! This dessert is also called “Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream” and the idea was created by pastry chef Cynthia Wong of Life Raft Treats.
Is it Hard to Make Fried Chicken Ice Cream?
It is not hard, per say, but it is a process. I highly recommend having someone help you make these. Having an extra set of hands will let you work more quickly and will also give you a way to replenish your supply of melted white chocolate after dipping each drumstick.
The melting ice cream is, of course, a constant battle when making these. However, the real tricky bit is when you dip the ice cream in the melted chocolate. As soon as you dip the ice cream the heat from the chocolate causes the ice cream to melt, which then contaminates the chocolate and causes it to seize. As a result, you can only get 1 or 2 dips before the chocolate is totally unusable.
Therefore, the only way to make these treats without driving yourself totally bonkers is to have a second person standing by to give you fresh melted chocolate for each drumstick. The chocolate will harden almost instantly, so you have at most 10 seconds to then quickly coat the drumstick in the crushed cornflakes. If you wait too long, the chocolate won’t be soft enough for the cornflakes to stick. Immediately place the drumstick in the freezer to prevent it from melting and losing its shape.
The original creator of these treats charges $109 for 9 drumsticks. And while that may seem like a bit much for ice cream, trust me, it’s not. Making fried chicken ice cream takes some effort and if you don’t want to do it yourself then whomever is making them for you deserves a big pat on the back and some moola. 🙂
What You’ll Need
Ok, so do you want to give this homemade fried chicken ice cream a go? Brave soul! Grab a friend, put on some music, and gather these ingredients. This is just a brief overview but you can scroll down to the recipe card below for specific amounts.
- Vanilla Ice Cream – I like Breyers’ “Homemade Vanilla” ice cream.
- Twix Bars & Kit Kat Bars – Full size.
- White Chocolate Chips – I recommend Ghiradelli.
- Corn Flakes Cereal – Finely crushed. (Also check out this post about who invented corn flakes for some fun trivia to chat about while making your ice cream drumsticks.)
How to Make Fried Chicken Ice Cream
Here’s a step-by-step overview showing you how to make this dessert:
- Freeze the Twix and Kit Kat bars. Please them in the freezer for a few hours until very cold.
- Prep your tools. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and clear space in your freezer so that the sheet can fit inside. Place in the freezer. Get a large cutting board and prep it for shaping the “drumsticks.”
- Shape the drumsticks. I recommend using plastic gloves for this step to help keep your hands clean. Grab a frozen twix or kit kat bar. Get a big scoop of ice cream and shape it around the candy so that it roughly resembles a chicken leg. Immediately place the drumstick on your prepared baking sheet in the freezer. Continue until you have made 6 drumsticks, half with Twix and half with Kit Kats. (Or you can just do all with one kind of candy if you prefer.)
- Freeze. Let the drumsticks freeze for 3 hours.
- Crush the corn flakes. Put the 3 cups of corn flakes in a ziplock bag and gently with a rolling pin or crush with your hands, until you have crumbs resembling bread crumbs. Pour out onto a large plate.
- Melt the chocolate. Fill a small pot 1/3 with water and bring to a simmer. Place a heat-proof glass or metal bowl on top, so that the bowl sits just above the water but doesn’t fall into the pot. (I use a medium bowl for this.) Add the chocolate and melt, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool until warm and melty, but not hot enough to burn your fingers.
- Bread the drumsticks. Take the frozen drumsticks out of the freezer. Quickly dip each one in the melted chocolate, then immediately roll in cornflakes. Use your hands to further mold each drumstick into the shape of a chicken leg. Place on a baking sheet in the freezer immediately. Repeat for each drumstick.
- Freeze. Plate the baking sheet with the drumsticks back in the freezer and freeze for another 2 hours.
- Dig in. When you’re ready to eat your “drumsticks,” remove them from the freezer and dig in!
Tips for Success
- Have someone help you. For all the reasons I mentioned above, I strongly recommend having someone help you when you’re making these. I’m a super organized person in the kitchen and even I needed a second set of hands. There are just too many things to manage and you have to work too quickly.
- Experiment with different flavor combos. You can use any candy bar that has a sturdy stick shape for the “bone” in these drumsticks. Other flavors of ice cream will also work, as will different kinds of cereal. Frosted Flakes or Cinnamon Toast Crunch would be good ones to try.
- Use two baking sheets. Keep one baking sheet in the freezer while you work with the other. This way you can easily place drumsticks in the freezer after completing a step.
- Keep in the freezer until serving. This probably goes without saying, but keep these in the freezer until everyone is ready to eat them. Then place them in a basket lined with parchment paper so it looks like you’re bringing out a bunch of golden fried chicken!
Can I Skip the Chocolate Step?
Yes, you can skip the part where the ice cream is dipped in white chocolate and just dip the ice cream in the crushed corn flakes. The cereal will stick to the ice cream just as well. You won’t have the crunchy chocolate shell on your finished fried ice cream, but your dessert will still be delicious.
How to Store
Once the drumsticks are frozen solid, you can transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
More TikTok Recipes to Try
Fried Chicken Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1.5 quarts Vanilla Ice Cream, Breyers “Homemade Vanilla” preferred
- 6 Full Size Twix Bars & Kit Kat Bars, 3 of each
- 2 ½ cups white Chocolate Chips, Ghiradelli Preferred
- 3 cups Corn Flakes Cereal, finely crushed
Instructions
- Freeze the twix and kit kat bars. Please them in the freezer for a few hours until very cold.
- Prep your tools. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and clear space in your freezer so that the sheet can fit inside. Place in the freezer. Get a large cutting board and prep it for shaping the "drumsticks."
- Shape the drumsticks. I recommend using plastic gloves for this step to help keep your hands clean. Grab a frozen twix or kit kat bar. Get a big scoop of ice cream and shape it around the candy so that it roughly resembles a chicken leg. Immediately place the drumstick on your prepared baking sheet in the freezer. Continue until you have made 6 drumsticks, half with Twix and half with Kit Kats. (Or you can just do all with one kind of candy if you prefer.)
- Freeze. Let the drumsticks freeze for 3 hours.
- Crush the corn flakes. Put the 3 cups of corn flakes in a ziplock bag and gently with a rolling pin or crush with your hands, until you have crumbs resembling bread crumbs. Pour out onto a large plate.
- Melt the chocolate. Fill a small pot 1/3 with water and bring to a simmer. Place a heat-proof glass or metal bowl on top, so that the bowl sits just above the water but doesn't fall into the pot. (I use a medium bowl for this.) Add the chocolate and melt, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool until warm and melty, but not hot enough to burn your fingers.
- Bread the drumsticks. Take the frozen drumsticks out of the freezer. Quickly dip each one in the melted chocolate, then immediately roll in cornflakes. Use your hands to further mold each drumstick into the shape of a chicken leg. Place on a baking sheet in the freezer immediately. Repeat for each drumstick.
- Freeze. Plate the baking sheet with the drumsticks back in the freezer and freeze for another 2 hours.
- Dig in. When you're ready to eat your "drumsticks," remove them from the freezer and dig in!
Nutrition
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Good recipe
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Made these for a family bbq this weekend and it was a total success. I can’t wait to serve them! Your tips were very helpful. I made my sister help me and the second person made all the difference.
Sounds like it will be a fun bbq! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂