Have you ever seen those viral photos of what looks like fried chicken but is actually ice cream? I was totally blown away when I first saw these treats, and I just had to figure out how to make them myself! This fun dessert isn’t actually chicken-flavored (thank goodness!), but rather a creative ice cream treat designed to look exactly like fried chicken pieces. Today, I’m gonna walk you through making your own homemade fried chicken ice cream that’ll trick your eyes but delight your taste buds!
What Is Fried Chicken Ice Cream, Anyway?
Before we dive into the recipe, let’s clear something up fried chicken ice cream doesn’t taste like chicken at all! It’s a clever dessert that uses vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, and crushed cornflakes to create something that looks remarkably like fried chicken pieces but tastes like a delicious ice cream treat.
The original concept was created by pastry chef Cynthia Wong, who founded Life Raft Treats in South Carolina Her “Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream” was inspired by Drumstick brand ice cream cones that didn’t actually look like real drumsticks. Wong decided to create an ice cream that truly resembled its namesake – and thus, fried chicken ice cream was born!
While the original treats are available at places like Whole Foods and can be ordered online through Goldbelly (for about $109.95 for nine pieces!) making your own version at home is much more affordable and surprisingly doable.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a total conversation starter at parties and gatherings
- Kids absolutely go crazy for this fun food illusion
- The combination of creamy ice cream and crunchy coating is irresistible
- You can customize the ice cream flavor to your liking
- It’s way cheaper than ordering the original version online
- It makes for amazing social media photos!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the “Breading”:
- 1½ cups white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 3 cups cornflakes, crushed
- Optional: a small piece of dark chocolate (to add color variation)
- Optional: chocolate cookie bars or Twix for “bones” if making drumsticks
Equipment:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk attachment
- 9×9 baking dish or 8×4 loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Large silicone spatula
- Cutting board
- Long sharp knife
- Baking sheet
- Large shallow bowl or plate
- Medium microwave-safe bowl
- Small silicone spatula
- Optional: skewers for dipping
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making the Ice Cream Base
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Chill your equipment: About 15 minutes before starting, place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator. Cold equipment helps the cream whip better!
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Prepare your baking dish: Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving enough paper hanging over two sides to use as handles later. Set aside.
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Whip the cream: Pour the cold heavy cream into your chilled mixing bowl. Using your stand mixer or hand mixer with the whisk attachment, start whipping on medium-low speed for 30-60 seconds. Increase to medium-high and continue until soft peaks form. Reduce to medium and whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip!
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Add the remaining ingredients: Gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
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Freeze the base: Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish, smoothing it into an even layer. Make sure to push it into the corners of the dish. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or overnight until completely solid.
Shaping and “Breading” the Ice Cream
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Prepare for assembly: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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Cut the ice cream: When your ice cream block is fully frozen, use the parchment paper handles to lift it out of the dish and onto a cutting board. Using a knife that’s been run under hot water (and dried), cut the ice cream into chicken nugget, strip, or drumstick shapes.
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Refreeze the shapes: Transfer your shaped ice cream pieces to the prepared baking sheet and place them back in the freezer for at least 2 hours until they’re completely solid again.
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Prepare the coating: Add crushed cornflakes to a large shallow bowl or plate. Set aside.
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Make the chocolate coating: In a completely dry microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips and coconut oil. If you want more color variation (like real fried chicken), add a small piece of dark chocolate. Microwave at 50% power in 15-second bursts, stirring well between each burst, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
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Coat the ice cream: Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest in the freezer!), dip or roll each ice cream shape in the melted white chocolate, coating it completely. You can use a fork to hold the ice cream in the bowl, or skewer it with a metal skewer and spoon the chocolate over to cover.
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Add the “breading”: Immediately transfer the chocolate-coated ice cream to the crushed cornflakes. Flip and press lightly to coat all sides of the ice cream in cornflakes, then return it to the baking sheet.
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Freeze the finished pieces: Once all your chicken-shaped ice cream bars have been coated, return the baking sheet to the freezer for at least 1 hour to set.
Serving Suggestions
What’s fried chicken without dipping sauces? For an extra fun touch, serve your fried chicken ice cream with sweet dipping “sauces” like:
- Caramel sauce
- Honey
- Chocolate sauce
- Strawberry sauce
You could even present your chicken ice cream in a fast-food style paper bucket for maximum visual impact!
Tips for Success
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Work in batches: If your kitchen is warm, work with small batches of ice cream at a time. Keep the rest in the freezer so nothing melts.
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Hot knife trick: For easy cutting, run your knife under hot water before each cut, then dry it completely. The warm blade will slice through frozen ice cream much more easily.
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Quality matters: Use good quality white chocolate (like Ghirardelli, Godiva, or Lindt) for the best results.
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Add a “bone”: If you want to make drumsticks like the original Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream, use a chocolate cookie or Twix bar as the “bone” and shape your ice cream around it.
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Get creative with coating: While cornflakes are traditional, you could experiment with other crunchy coatings like crushed Honey Grahams cereal, golden vanilla wafers, or even potato chips for a sweet-salty combo.
Variations to Try
Different Ice Cream Flavors
While vanilla ice cream gives the most realistic “chicken” appearance, you can definitely experiment with other flavors:
- Coconut ice cream (still light in color)
- Coffee ice cream (for a “dark meat” look)
- Salted caramel
- Strawberry (for something completely different!)
No-Churn Option
Don’t have an ice cream maker? No problem! The recipe above is already no-churn. Just mix, freeze, and enjoy!
Store-Bought Shortcut
If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought vanilla ice cream instead of making your own. Just let it soften slightly, then repack it in a parchment-lined dish and freeze until solid before cutting into shapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does fried chicken ice cream actually taste like chicken?
A: Nope! Despite its appearance, it tastes like vanilla ice cream with a white chocolate coating and crunchy cornflake exterior. There’s no chicken flavor at all!
Q: How long does homemade fried chicken ice cream last?
A: Stored in an airtight container in the freezer, these treats will keep for up to 2 weeks. However, the cornflake coating may soften slightly over time.
Q: Can I use a different type of cereal for the coating?
A: Absolutely! Cornflakes give the most realistic “fried chicken” appearance, but you can experiment with other crunchy cereals or even crushed cookies.
Q: Where did this dessert originate?
A: The viral “Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream” was created by pastry chef Cynthia Wong of Life Raft Treats in South Carolina.
Q: Is this recipe kid-friendly?
A: Yes! Kids love both making and eating these fun treats. Just be sure to help younger children with the hot knife and microwave steps.
Final Thoughts
Making fried chicken ice cream at home is such a fun project, especially for parties or special occasions. It’s definitely a bit time-consuming with all the freezing steps, but the reactions you’ll get when you serve these treats make it totally worth the effort!
I’ve made these several times now, and they always get such a huge reaction. My friends literally couldn’t believe they weren’t actually looking at fried chicken until they took a bite! The contrast between the creamy ice cream, the sweet white chocolate, and the crunchy cornflake coating is absolutely delicious.
Have you tried making fried chicken ice cream? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Drop a comment below with your experience or tag me in your photos on social media if you give this recipe a try!
So there you have it – everything you need to know about making this fun dessert illusion at home! It’s definitely one of those recipes that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Happy freezing!
Set Up a Sauce Bar
Want to impress? Put out ramekins with dipping options. People will lose it.
Can I use store-bought ice cream?
Yes. Soften slightly before shaping, then refreeze.