What Is Fried Chicken Ice Cream & Can You Actually Make It?

Fried chicken and ice cream aren't words you expect to hear together to describe a dessert, but they make up the concept behind a fun and creative frozen treat. The snack isn't actually meant to taste like fried chicken, although it's appearance suggests otherwise. Instead, this viral treat, aptly named Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream, has traditional sweet ingredients, and is merely is designed to look like a fried chicken leg.

The  the brainchild of pastry chef Cynthia Wong, who was inspired by Drumstick brand ice cream cones not looking like their namesake, and wanting to create an ice cream that did, per Garden and Gun. South Carolina-based company, Life Raft Treats, makes the drumstick-shaped desserts with waffle ice cream, a Twix-style chocolate-covered cookie bar as the "bone," and a coating of caramelized white chocolate. Crushed cornflakes, a cereal that can also be an alternative crunchy coating for real chicken, is added to the outer layer to mimic fried chicken's golden crust. The ice cream has a waffle cone and vanilla ice cream taste, and the cornflake shell is crunchy with a little saltiness.

Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream can be found at various retailers like Whole Foods and Fresh Direct, depending on the region. Curious dessert lovers in the United States can also order Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream online via Goldbelly. Online orders come with nine drumsticks in a gold-and-white striped chicken bucket for $109.95. The website also sells a few of Wong's other creations, including ice cream cakes that look like maple syrup-covered waffles and a ramen bowl. 

Making ice cream drumsticks yourself is easier than it might seem. For the best shaping experience, let the ice cream soften slightly so it'll be easier to mold around a Twix-style chocolate bar. We also recommend using a larger ice cream scoop for the amount you'll shape around the top half of the bar, and a smaller scoop for what you'll mold around the "chicken leg" bottom. A large spoon can also ladle out the portions if you don't have designated ice cream sculpting tools. Wearing plastic gloves to mold the ice cream will keep your hands clean and your ice cream fingerprint-free. You can also opt for plastic wrap instead when shaping your ice cream. 

Using vanilla or another light-colored ice cream like coconut would be closest in appearance to Not Fried Chicken's look, and you can even make it yourself using a 3-ingredient no-churn ice cream recipe. If you prefer taste over presentation, you can also choose any flavor of ice cream that would match well with the chocolate bar "bone," like coffee, salted caramel, or even strawberry. You can also substitute the typical Twix bar for another narrow chocolate candy like Kit Kat or a chocolate-covered pretzel rod. 

Have fun playing with similar-colored crispy "drumstick" coatings, like crushed Honey Grahams cereal, golden vanilla wafers, or even potato or corn chips for a sweet and salty combo. Amp up the flavor with a dipping sauce, like melted dark chocolate, strawberry sauce, or even a caramel sauce boosted with an unexpected spicy ingredient.