This Gluten Free Dessert is Neither Fried nor Mexican

While Mexican Fried Ice Cream at restaurants may be deep fried, my recipe requires no oil or frying. Instead, I roll frozen scoops of ice cream in crushed Cinnamon Chex. (I also add extra cinnamon, because I like strong flavors.)

Despite the name, history traces this frozen dessert to Philadelphia, not Mexico. (Although some suggest it may have connections to Japanese tempura recipes.) It became famous at Mexican- American restaurants, most notably Chi-Chi’s.

What Coating Do You Use for Gluten Free Mexican Fried Ice Cream?

Many recipes call for using corn flakes, toasted in butter, and then ground with cinnamon and sugar. Because gluten free corn flakes can be hard to find, I chose to use Gluten Free Cinnamon Chex instead. Personally, I skip toasting them in butter, but I suppose you could try it.

I grind the cereal in my Ninja blender, and add more cinnamon and a touch of sugar. When it comes to spices, I prefer Relative Foods cinnamon. (I used this in my gluten free cinnamon roll recipe.) It’s ground in Michigan in an allergen free dedicated plant. They also sell gluten free flours, salt, and so much more.

How Long Does it Take to Make Mexican Fried Ice Cream?

This is NOT a 5 minute recipe. To make sure the ice cream stays firm enough to coat, you need to scoop the ice cream, then freeze it so it remains solid. I find that 2 hours is sufficient to make it firm.

After that, you remove the ice cream scoops from the freezer, coat it in the cinnamon sugar topping and the REFREEZE them until you are ready to serve. As we know, ice cream melts fast, so plan ahead.

Can Mexican Fried Ice Cream Be Made Dairy Free?

Absolutely! The only dairy required in this recipe is the ice cream. If you need to avoid dairy, simply use your favorite dairy free ice cream. Given that most dairy free ice cream is sold in pints, you may need to make smaller scoops, like pictured below. I used a 1 and 1/2 tablespoon scoop for those.

In addition, I use a homemade chocolate sauce for this recipe that is naturally dairy free. The ingredients include sugar, water, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Mindo Chocolate in Ann Arbor sells a wonderful gluten free cocoa powder that’s ethically sourced.

Craving More Gluten Free Hispanic Cuisine?

As mentioned above, this gluten free Mexican fried ice cream isn’t technically Mexican. For more traditional Mexican recipes, try my gluten free Black Bean Enchiladas. Tacos come from Mexico, although these Gluten Free Ice Cream Choco Tacos are a United States creation.

While some may eat gluten free Arroz Con Pollo for Cinco De Mayo, it technically originates from Spain. Theoretically these baked gluten free empanadas came from Spain as well, but they are enjoyed in may cultures. In addition, these naturally gluten free pupusas started out in El Salvador and Honduras.

Print

Gluten Free Mexican Fried Ice Cream

Equipment

• Organic Cane Sugar Crystals (5lb) – Michigan Business
• King Arthur Double Dark Cocoa Powder Blend, 14oz
• Cinnamon Chex Cereal, Family Size, 19.2 OZ

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream Balls

• 1 pint ice cream Use So Delicious if you’re dairy-free!
• 2 cups Cinnamon Rice Chex crushed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sugar

For the Dairy Free Chocolate Syrup

• 1/4 c. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Scoop ice cream into spheres and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Once all scoops have been made, place cookie sheet in freezer for 2-3 hours or overnight.
• In 3 cup mini food processor, pulverize cereal into crumbs. Add cinnamon and sugar. Process again to mix spices throughout.
• Remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes. Use your hands to pack cinnamon crumb mixture onto ice cream balls. Once all balls are coated, return to freezer to harden until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, remove from freezer. Top with chocolate syrup and a dab of whipped cream.
• To make Chocolate Syrup
• In a medium saucepan, combine cocoa, water and sugar. Gently stir over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Cook for no more than 3 minutes. I like to store my chocolate sauce in a mason jar.
• Remove from heat, add vanilla and pinch of salt. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

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Have you ever made Mexican Fried ice cream? What other Mexican recipes do you love? Share your recipe ideas with me below!

Originally Published April 2017

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