Air Fryer Ice Cream is a new crispy twist on the boring old way to enjoy fried ice cream without the deep-frying mess. Made with vanilla ice cream balls and rolled in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, this air fryer-fried ice cream is perfectly creamy and cold on the inside with an irresistible outer crunch.

- Prep Time5 minutes
- Cook Time2 minutes
- Additional Time2 hours
- Total Time2 hours 7 minutes
Ingredients: Air Fryer Ice Cream is
- Vanilla Ice cream, 4 Balls.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, 2 cups.
- Toppings of choice, optional.
Instructions: Air Fryer Ice Cream is
- Crush’em: Crush two cups of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal into fine crumbs (but not powder) using a food processor or rolling pin. (or anything else you can use to break up the cereal into fine crumbs). I used Hamilton Electric chopper and mini food processor. Spread the crushed crumbs on a large plate and set aside.
- Make the Balls: Scoop four large scoops of vanilla ice cream and shape them into a ball shape with your clean hands, or using two large spoons. The size of my ice cream balls was approximately 3 inches in diameter but you can make them bigger if you prefer.
- Dip & Roll: Immediately dip and roll each ball into the crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbs until completely covered on all sides (you may need to press down with your hands on the crumbs so they stick). Work carefully but quickly. You don’t want to lose the ball shape, since we all know that ice cream can melt pretty quickly.
- Freeze: Place the ice cream balls covered in crumbs onto a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 1-2 hours or until fully hardened. This ensures that your ice cream will stay solid while frying.
- Make it hot: When ready to air fry your ice cream balls, preheat the air fryer to 400F (200C). It is very important to preheat and place the balls into a very hot air fryer. If you don’t have a preheat setting, simply run your air fryer empty for at least 5 minutes.
- Work quickly: Remove your frozen ice cream balls from the freezer and immediately place them in the air fryer basket or tray. I used a small cut-out piece of parchment paper to place them on.
- Air-fry: Air fry for 2 minutes. Or until lightly golden brown and crispy on all sides (cook time may vary depending on how thickly you have coated each scoop). But no more than 3-4 minutes, or else the ice cream may begin to melt. You do not to turn or flip the ice cream ball.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately with any desired toppings such as sprinkles or chocolate sauce! I used Magic Shell hard chocolate sauce.
Notes: Air Fryer Ice Cream is
Topping Substitution for Air Fryer fried Ice cream
I’m loving cinnamon toast crunch cereal for my outer shell, however, mix things up with whatever crunch you prefer. Corn flakes, crushed pecans, dried coconut flakes, frosted corn flakes, Cinnamon Life cereal, and Rice Crispies are some ideas to get you started.
Can I make fried ice cream in advance?
Absolutely! This is my favorite part. You can make as many as 6 or 8 balls (or more) and freeze them all at the same time. Just follow the same directions on dipping the balls in crumbs and place them in the freezer on top of a parchment paper lined sheet. They can be in your freeze for a week or two. Make sure they are not touching each other. When your big day arrives, surprise your guests with air-fried ice cream. I served the fried ice cream at my Superbowl party for a dessert and my guests were obsessed. I think the ice cream was the talk of the party, not the game.
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Air Fryer “Fried” Ice Cream
Ice cream is delicious, no question asked. For me, the perfect ice cream experience is even better when crunch or nuts are mixed into the creamy delight. Not only does the crunchy texture make it feel like I’m getting two treats in one, but it also adds harmony to my favorite food.
With effortless prep and only 2 minutes of cooking time, the air fryer does an amazing job for “fried crunchy ice cream” while holding its shape and not melting it. The combination of warm, crunchy topping with cold, creamy ice cream is simply unbeatable. Gosh, my mouth is watering as we speak.

