They’re incredibly mouthwatering, but a lot easier to make than you think. If you’re looking for a way to elevate that tub of ice cream you have sitting in the freezer, you’ve come to the right place. This recipe takes the classic dessert to another level by covering it with a sweet, cinnamony, and crunchy crust. If you haven’t had ice cream balls yet, consider this as the sign. This dessert will change your life!
Easy Ice Cream Balls
Ice cream balls are a fun dessert made of scoops of ice cream covered in a graham cracker crust. The ice cream can be whatever flavor you like. The crust is a mixture of graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon, and peanut butter. It’s crunchy and crumbly with sweet and nutty flavors. If you’re looking for the perfect summer dessert, you’re staring right at it.
Ingredients
Ice Cream – The flavor doesn’t matter. Seriously, these balls will taste heavenly regardless if you choose vanilla, coffee, or strawberry. As long as you like the flavor, this dessert will be a success. Crust – It’s a mixture made of crushed graham crackers, peanut butter, sugar, and cinnamon. If you have picky eaters who can’t stand cinnamon, just take it out.
How to Make Ice Cream Balls
- Prepare the crust. Mix together the crushed graham crackers, peanut butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. If your peanut butter is a little dense, microwave it for a few seconds to soften it up.
- Scoop the ice cream into balls. You can simply eyeball the balls and scoop them with an ice cream scoop. Or, to ensure the balls are evenly sized, cut the ice cream into four equal slices, then cut the slices again into four. Using plastic gloves, form the slices into balls.
- Roll the balls in the crust. Roll the balls in the crust and coat them evenly. You’ll want to work quickly here to keep the ice cream from melting. Also, just work on one to two balls at a time and keep the rest in the freezer.
- Freeze. Give the ice cream balls 30 minutes to an hour to firm up again.
- Serve and enjoy! Now, for the fun part: garnish the ice cream balls with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
If your graham crackers aren’t crushed yet, simply do so by blitzing them in the food processor. I like some crunchy pieces in my crust, so I don’t crush them all the way. Leave a few small bits here and there for a fun texture. If you don’t want to dirty your food processor, just crush the crackers with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Place the cookies in a Ziploc bag and give them a couple of smashes.Bite-sized ice cream balls make the perfect poppable treat! To make, simply scoop the ice cream into small balls, and follow the recipe as is.Use room temperature peanut butter so it mixes smoothly with the rest of the crust ingredients. Work on the balls one at a time to keep them from melting. Keep the rest of the balls in the freezer while they wait their turn. Freeze the ice cream balls before serving. They’ll be a little melted from scooping and rolling, so give them at least 30 minutes to an hour to firm up again.
Variations
The great thing about ice cream balls is that you can go crazy with the flavors!
Classics like vanilla and chocolate won’t disappoint. Go for these flavors if you want the tastes and textures of the crust to shine through.For the more experimental palate, try butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, and whatever ice cream flavor tickles your taste buds.
Besides the ice cream, you can also tweak the crust with fun ingredients to suit your liking. This recipe is really more of a guiding hand. It’s best to follow what your heart tells you. In case you’re looking for inspiration, here are some suggestions:
Add your favorite nuts to the crust. Toast them beforehand to make their flavors pop! Chop them up or grind them before adding them to the mix.This dessert will already be a guaranteed hit with the kids, but you know what else will make this even more drool-worthy? Chopped candy and colored sprinkles!
Lastly, you can also go wild with the toppings. Caramel is obviously a no-brainer, but there are also lots more to choose from, such as:
Hot fudge or melted chocolate Fruit preservesChopped nutsChocolate chipsButterscotch chipsChopped candy
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