Healthier no-bake Fried Ice Cream Cake, using organic gluten free corn flakes sweetened with fruit juice, all natural vanilla ice cream, and no Cool Whip. A delicious frozen treat, that is a crunchy, creamy, cinnamon laced Mexican dessert. All of the taste without any of the fuss, no fry!
Ice cream cakes are a must have recipe any time of the year, the fact that you make these ahead of time is the best! And this Mexican fried ice cream is all it’s cracked up to be!
We are kind of bonkers about ice cream desserts in our house, try these family and reader favorites: Mile High Mud Pie, Best Ice Cream Sandwiches and definitely try my Fried Ice Cream made in the Air Fryer!
Why You Will Love this No Bake Dessert
What’s not to love about a dessert that takes a few steps, but yields a decadent, restaurant quality taste!
- Takes about 15 minutes hands on time, you will have this cake assembled and in the freezer
- Customize the amount of cinnamon to your taste!
- The crunchy, buttery topping and crust cradle your favorite ice cream.
Ingredients
A pretty simple list of ingredients for a outstanding tasting ice cream cake!
- VANILLA ICE CREAM | Use your favorite here! I love Trader Joe’s no RBsT Vanilla Ice Cream!
- CORN FLAKES | I chose gluten free, organic fruit juice sweetened corn flakes, but use your favorite. You will crush them as fine as you like.
- BUTTER | Real dairy butter, if it’s not hard coming out of the fridge it’s not real butter! 🙂
- BROWN SUGAR | I used organic light brown sugar, but use light or dark!
- CINNAMON | The key ingredient to making this a Mexican Ice Cream Cake!
- VANILLA BEAN PASTE | This is optional, but adds great flavor to the fried ice cream cake.
- CARAMEL, HOT FUDGE, WHIPPING CREAM | These are optional of course, eat it plain or drizzled with your favorite!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to make your own creamy, crunchy ice cream dessert with corn flakes!
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat, then add brown sugar and cinnamon and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer at a low boil for about 2 minutes, then stir in corn flakes removing from heat.
- Press half of the buttery corn flake mixture into 9×13 baking dish, cooling completely (I placed mine in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Place softened ice cream into mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add additional cinnamon and vanilla bean paste if desired, stir on low until smooth and combined.
- Pour over cooled corn flake crust and smooth to edges evenly.
- Press rest of corn flake crust into top of ice cream; pressing down lightly, cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 5 hours or longer.
Serving Tips
Suggested serving ideas for this delicious Mexican Fried Ice Cream cake!
- Remove from freezer about 10 minutes prior to cutting, this will soften slightly.
- Fill tall cup with hot tap water and place sharp knife in glass to heat up, dry and slice ice cream cake into slices, using a spatula to remove individual slices.
- Drizzle warm Caramel sauce and/or Hot Fudge sauce over the top, a little squirt of whipped cream and a cherry if you like that sort of thing.
- Keep it plain, it has loads of taste all by itself!
- Drizzle a little regular or hot honey over the top!
- Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar mixture.
Recommended Tools
- I enjoy making and serving this Mexican fried ice cream in a glass 9×13 dish, so you can see the pretty layers, but any 9×13 dish will work just fine.
- I love these Tovolo spatula’s; they are sturdy, the silicone head is dishwasher safe and removable from the wooden handle.
- A large mixing bowl and hand mixer will work just fine, or use your stand mixer.
- A good strong spatula, these Pampered Chef Mini spatula’s are my very favorite!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make sure your corn flakes are gluten free. This is a naturally gluten free dessert.
Why not? It’s your dessert! Make it with chocolate ice cream, cinnamon ice cream, but vanilla ice cream is the classic way to make this.
Not if you don’t want too! Make it Yours is our motto, if you don’t like cinnamon leave it out. Or reduce it. Classic Mexican fried ice cream does have cinnamon in it though.
More No Bake Desserts:
- Magnolia Best Banana Pudding
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
- No Churn Patriotic Ice Cream
- Rose & Pistachio No Churn Ice Cream
- Old-Fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Circus Animal Cookie No Churn Ice Cream
- Half Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
I hope you loved this recipe, if you did, be sure to pop into the recipe card below and give it a 5-Star rating and comment!
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Ingredients
Corn Flake Crust
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups corn flakes crushed, measured after crushing; I used Gluten free, Organic, Fruit Sweetened Corn Flakes
Fried Ice Cream Cake
- ½ gallon vanilla ice cream softened, vanilla bean or French vanilla
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
Topping suggestions
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Hot Fudge or Chocolate Sauce
- Honey or hot honey
- Cinnamon sugar or just keep it plain
Instructions
- Remove ice cream from freezer about 10-15 minutes before making to soften.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat, then add brown sugar and cinnamon and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer at a low boil for about 2 minutes, remove from heat, then stir in corn flakes.
- Press half of the buttery corn flake mixture into 9×13 baking dish, reserve the other half. Cool topping completely (I placed mine in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Place softened ice cream into mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add additional cinnamon and vanilla bean paste if desired, stir on low until smooth and combined. Pour over cooled corn flake crust and smooth to edges evenly.
- Press rest of corn flake crust into top of ice cream; pressing down lightly, cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 5 hours or longer.
- Well covered this dessert will last 2-3 months in the freezer, if it lasts that long. See below for serving suggestions.
Notes
Serving Tips
Suggested serving ideas for this delicious Mexican Fried Ice Cream cake!- Remove from freezer about 10 minutes prior to cutting, this will soften slightly.
- Fill tall cup with hot tap water and place sharp knife in glass to heat up, dry and slice ice cream cake into slices, using a spatula to remove individual slices.
- Drizzle warm Caramel sauce and/or Hot Fudge sauce over the top, a little squirt of whipped cream and a cherry if you like that sort of thing.
- Keep it plain, it has loads of taste all by itself!
- Drizzle a little regular or hot honey over the top!
- Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar mixture.
Nutrition
Julie
Everyone loves this and it’s so easy to make!!
Thanks so much Julie!!
Erin
This is my kind of cake! We made this for a friend’s birthday, and I have a feeling it’ll be gracing our table a few more times this summer because it was so tasty.
Love hearing this!!!
Erin
I made this for a friend’s birthday, and boy, was this a hit. There were no leftovers, and everyone marveled over this deliciousness!
Amy Nash
My first job was at a Mexican restaurant in high school as a server and we had fried ice cream there. I haven’t had it in ages but this was so much easier and tasted just as good.
So happy to hear this Amy!!!
Michaela Kenkel
One of my MOST favorite dessert recipes EVER!
Love hearing this, thanks so much!
Sandra Shaffer
Wow, I never knew how restaurants could roll ice cream and fry it. This version is so much better! Served as a dessert to a Mexican themed meal and everyone raved about the ice cream cake. Don’t skip the cinnamon. Adds the perfect flavor.
Thanks so much Sandra, I am all about short-cuts and if it’s just as delicious all the better!
Sheila
So easy and so fun! My crew loved the crunchy topping and we like it with both caramel and chocolate drizzled on top!
Debi
This was delicious. And easy to make. My family loved it.
So glad to hear that Debi, thanks so much!!