Question #6 Why doesn't ice cream melt when you fry it?

This is a question I get asked a lot so I figured I would answer it now.

The first thing we need to discuss is freezing temperatures. For water it is 32 F (0 C) but milk is a little different. Due to the fact milk has solids dissolved in it, fats, proteins, etc. the freezing point of milk is 31.028 F or -0.5400 C. A little aside, one of the ways they determine if milk is watered down by a supplier or if the cow producing it is sick is they check the freezing point of the milk. If the freezing point is 32 F (0 C) then there is something wrong with the milk. Back to the ice cream. Ice cream freezes solid at about 5 F (-15 C). Most home freezers keep ice cream at or near this temperature. 

When we think about a scoop of ice cream melting that means that the temperature of that ice cream has raised from whatever temperature it was in the freezer to something between 5 F and 31 F. The higher the temperature the more milk like it is. The trick with fried ice cream is figuring out a way to dunk a scoop of ice cream into 160-190 F (71- 88 C) boiling oil in a fryer. How can we do this without the temperature of the ice cream reaching a point where it will melt?

There are a few things going on with fried ice cream.

First, most establishments that make fried ice cream chill the scoops of ice cream to a temperature that is colder than the ice cream they serve without frying. This gives a few extra degrees before melting starts. Sometimes extra large scoops of ice cream are also used to help have more of a core to keep the ice cream solid.

Second, the pie crust like shell on the ice cream insulates the ice cream from coming into direct contact with the hot oil. (Other possible crusts are tempura batter, corn flakes, nuts, cookie crumbs, tortillas,

Finally, the time that the ball is in the hot oil is just a few seconds. No more is needed because the shell is thin and cooks quickly.


Basically. you have extra cold ice cream in insulation (the crust) dipped in hot oil for an incredibly short period of time. This allows the ice cream to stay solid. If you let your fried ice cream sit too long the heat from the shell will reach the inside and begin to melt the ice cream. This is why fried ice cream is a dessert to eat immediately.