Tempura ice cream is a deep-fried Japanese dessert with a crispy hot breaded crust and a sweet, cold ice cream filling centre.
We started making these at home as a cheap and healthier alternative to the dessert we tried in a small Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. The unique combination makes it a hot and cold guilty pleasure that completely hooked us.
Our panko-fried ice cream recipe uses less sugar and oil than deep-frying at restaurants. We've also simplified the cooking process so it's easier for you to make it at home. For the health-conscious, we'll show you how to prepare it using an air fryer.
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What Is Tempura Ice Cream?
Tempura ice cream is made by wrapping a ball or scoop of ice cream using white loaf bread, pound, or castella cake. The wrapping is frozen before being dipped in a frying batter and deep-fried in hot oil. This dessert is always served fresh and hot, and its charm lies precisely in the contrast between hot and cold.
Apart from the hot and cold winning combination, the rich and creamy concoction goes perfectly with the breaded crust fried to golden perfection.
Ingredients
For our recipe, you'll need ice cream, white bread, panko breadcrumbs, egg and vegetable oil for deep frying. We're using vegetable oil to deep fry as it has a neutral taste.
We've changed the traditional ingredients used to make our version of this dish healthier and easier at home.
No tempura batter and using panko breadcrumbs
The dish's name results from the original recipe using a batter that resembles that used to make tempura ebi (Japanese-style deep-fried prawn). In contrast, there's also the panko-fried style which uses breadcrumbs. This makes the exterior crunchier and crispier upon frying.
We don't use a tempura batter in our recipe as it's not essential. The word "tempura" in the dish's name only refers to it being fried in oil. Instead, coating the bread with egg and panko gives it a crunchier texture, which adds to the overall experience of the dish.
White bread
We're using soft white bread for our recipe, as it has a subtle sweetness that goes well in this dish. Not only does this reduce the amount of calories, it's also more accessible for most people. However, if you want a sweeter dessert, you can use traditional Japanese Castella cake to wrap the filling.
Ice cream filling
You can use any ice cream flavour you want, but our favourites are matcha and Thai tea ice cream. If you don't want to make it from scratch, you can also use store-bought.
An easy hack we love is to make our matcha flavour filling using vanilla ice cream and matcha powder. We combine about 2 tsps of matcha powder into 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream. To mix, take your ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10-15 minutes. You want it to soften but not melt completely. Then, sift the matcha powder into the soft filling and mix using a spoon or spatula until well combined. Then, put the matcha-flavoured filling back into the freezer to harden it.
Again, make sure the ice cream does not melt completely. Otherwise, it will become rock-hard when you refreeze it.
Tempura Ice Cream | Fried Green Tea Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 scoop matcha ice cream or vanilla
- 8 slices white bread
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Cooking Instructions
- First, take the slices of white bread and trim their crusts. Then, flatten the bread slices using a rolling pin or anything equivalent.
- Layout a piece of plastic or cling film on a flat kitchen top and place a slice of bread in the middle. Scoop 1 big scoop of ice cream onto the bread and then stick an ice cream stick inside (optional).
- Fold the edges of the bread slice to the top of the ice cream, wrapping the bottom and side portions. While holding the folded bread in place, place another slice of bread on top of the frozen filling. Use the other slice of bread to cover any gaps.
- To finalise the wrapping, use cling film to tightly wrap the two slices of bread around it. The two slices of bread should be completely wrapped within a layer of cling film without any gaps. You can use a rubber band or some tape to help hold the shape and freeze it in place. Then, freeze them in the freezer for at least an hour.
- After freezing for an hour, spread the panko breadcrumbs on a flat tray. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it until the white and yellow are thoroughly mixed. Then, unwrap the cling film and coat the piece with a layer of the whisked egg. Next, coat the outer layer with panko breadcrumbs, gently pressing them in to ensure they stick to the outer surface.
- Then, put them in an air-sealed plastic bag and freeze them overnight or for at least 3 to 4 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, heat up oil in a deep pan or pot until it becomes very hot at 190°C (or 375°F). When ready, remove them from the freezer and deep fry over high heat for 1 minute or until the outer layer is golden brown.
- Place the tempura ice cream on a plate and sprinkle it with powdered sugar if desired. Serve while it is still hot.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute white bread with castella cake or regular sponge cake (4.5 x 4.5 inches). However, we chose sliced white bread as it is more accessible and less sweet than castella cake.
- Flattening the white bread is essential, making wrapping the bread easier. It also prevents the egg from soaking through too much. The same method applies if you are using castella or sponge cake.
- Instead of scoops, you can also lay ice cream bars on the bread slice. For our homemade fillings, we like to add a stick so that it's easier to hold and eat later.
- When you're covering the filling with a second layer of white bread, make sure to cover any holes you see firmly. Otherwise, the filling will slowly leak when you deep fry the breaded dessert.
- Do not fry the tempura ice cream for too long to prevent the frozen centre from melting. This is why it is important to heat the oil to 190 degrees Celcius before we begin frying.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimate.
Air Fryer Version
We love using our air fryer to make all sorts of Asian recipes with less oil. Making tempura fried ice cream in an air fryer is another mess-free recipe.
Here are our tips to prepare this Japanese dessert using an air fryer.
Firstly, follow the instructions from our main recipe up until you've breaded the dessert and let it set in the freezer. Then follow the following steps:
- Place a piece of aluminium foil at the bottom of your air fryer. Make sure to fold the edges of the foil to make it into a tray.
- Preheat the air fryer until it reaches a temperature of 400 degrees Celcius.
- Once ready, take out only one serving from the freezer. Then, immediately place it on top of the aluminium foil. Fry it for 2 minutes only. It is important that you only fry one at a time.
- Remove the tempura ice cream from the air fryer and place it on a serving plate. Serve with some icing sugar or any of your favourite toppings.
Popular Variations
We think you'll love many variations, and here's how to make them.
A popular version is the Orea tempura ice cream. Use an Oreo-flavoured version instead of the matcha green tea in our recipe above. We also recommend trying using Filipino Ube or just a plain vanilla flavour.
You can also try replacing the white bread or traditional castella cake with Matcha Castella Cake for a stronger green tea taste.
Changing the dessert's toppings would also make a delicious difference. In South Korea, drizzling it with honey seems to be a crowd-pleaser. Chocolate or strawberry sauce toppings would also add an additional tang to this already tasty dish.
You can completely omit white bread or pound cake and just fry it. However, the oil will need to be hotter than 190 degrees. In addition, you'll need to use a thick tempura batter and act faster to prevent the filling from melting. As this isn't beginner-friendly, we don't do this for our main recipe.
Fried Ice Cream Origins And Types
Although it is unknown where it comes from, it is often considered a part of Asian and Mexican cuisine today. Here are some popular renditions of the sweet treat.
American
Some records point to it being an American invention. Some argue that the fried dessert was first served during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, while others say it was patented in 1894 by a Philadelphia company.
American-style fried ice cream usually uses a bigger scoop and is served as a shared dessert.
Mexican
Meanwhile, south of the US border, Mexicans rave about the fried dessert menu that their national food chain, Chi-chi, offers.
The Mexican variant uses ingredients such as cornflakes, nuts, and cereal to coat the outer layer of the dish.
Chinese
In Asia, there is evidence of Chinese fried ice cream dating back to the 1800s. The Chinese version is prepared by hand and is usually made to a size similar to a steamed bao or mantou.
Korean
Meanwhile, in South Korea today, we can easily find stalls that serve fresh, deep-fried treats in street food markets like the Keunaegi Night Market in Ulsan.
These are usually prepackaged and frozen, ready to be quickly fried when customers order them. This type of tempura ice cream is served with drizzles of honey or a sprinkle of icing sugar.
You can also try making our savoury Korean corn dog recipe. The steps are very similar to this recipe, and it's great to use up that leftover panko.
Japanese
During the 1960s, Japanese restaurants serving tempura created tempura fried ice cream. This was made using Ebi tempura batter, where the name originates.
Apart from this type, there is also panko fried ice cream, which uses breadcrumbs. Today, the most famous version of fried ice cream is the Japanese version of the dessert.
Tempura Ice Cream Vs Mochi
Mochi ice cream must be frozen before being eaten. Meanwhile, the other dessert needs to be fried and served while hot (on the outside). Very often, people mix these two items.
Both Japanese desserts are often compared because they have a soft, sweet filling. Mochi is made from a sticky rice layer around the icy centre. Taro mochi is a perfect treat you can try at home.
Tempura Ice Cream Calories
Depending on the fried batter, toppings, and sauce, an average serving of tempura ice cream could contain over 300 kcal.Share with our other readers, if you tried making our recipe at home. Next up, try our matcha milk tea recipe.
Ruo
Lovely to know I can use airfryer. The deep frying process is always scary for me as the oil may burst
Dia
This is so easy to do and good!
Youre gonna make me fat T_T
but thank youuu