DIY Gluten Free Chocolate Dipped Cone
One of my favorite summer treats prior to going gluten free was the classic Drumstick ice cream cone! Ice cream, chocolate, the crunch… the perfect treat for a summer afternoon! Recently I decided I wanted to try to make a gluten free version at home after finding Joy Gluten Free Sugar Cones in KY. It took a few tries but I perfected it this afternoon! Check out the recipe below!
Ingredients
Vanilla Ice Cream
Peanuts (I used unsalted but salted are generally easier to find and would work too)
Recommended Supplies
Paper Plate or Paper Towel
Small Spoon (Like you’d use for eating ice cream out of a cup)
Small pinch bowl big enough for the top of an ice cream cone to dip into but not too shallow. (I have a set from Pampered Chef that I purchased years ago and I can’t seem to find the same set online anywhere else. But a small Tupperware or Rubbermaid plastic container would also work.)
Small plastic baggy
Butter knife
Directions
If your ice cream is rock solid, let it sit for a few minutes to soften.
Prep your area because ice cream melts fast and the shell hardens quickly and it all becomes a mess in an instant. (I have never made this and NOT made a mess of myself or the counter, or my shirt or all three… LOL) So get your paper plate ready by placing it under where you’re working to catch anything that drops.
Place a few peanuts in the small plastic bag and zip closed. Use the handle of the butter knife to crush the peanuts (hold the knife horizontally not vertically). Don’t crush them into too small of pieces because it ends up as mostly peanut dust instead of little chopped topping.
Open the baggy and set aside.
Hold the cone at an angle and pour the Magic Shell topping into the cone while turning it to coat the inside evenly. A little goes a long way - you can take your time with this part.
Allow the topping a moment to spread and harden.
Begin filling the cone with the vanilla ice cream. Use the small spoon to pack it down and create a nice little dome on the top of the cone. It will quickly begin to melt so you don’t want to dilly dally. (It’s okay if it doesn’t turn out perfect the first time, it took me several tries to make it actually kinda resemble the real thing, but hey - even ugly cones are still edible, and really yummy!!)
Fill the small pinch bowl with the magic shell topping and dip the domed part of the cone, turning it to cover the sides of the ice cream.
Top with a few chopped nuts as the shell is hardening. Enjoy!
Notes
Joy Gluten Free Sugar Cones are by far the best gluten free sugar cones (or ice cream cones/cups in general). Gluten free items are notorious for crumbling and Joy GF Sugar Cones hold up soooo much better than other brands. They’re still fragile so don’t go incredible Hulk on your cone but they’re better than any other I’ve tried. I’ve had the best luck finding them in KY at Kroger stores in the ice cream aisle. Here in NYC, they’re supposedly sold at Fairway but I can only find Edward & Sons, Let's Do Organic, Gluten Free Sugar Cones and I’ve not been impressed.
I prefer using a small spoon over an ice cream scoop because it gives you more control when working with a small cone.
I prefer using Halo Top ice cream (or other low calorie ice cream) because the magic shell topping alone contains a shocking number of calories. But I had some Trader Joe’s vanilla ice cream in the freezer so I used that today.
Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional and while I share what ingredients work for me or what I choose to eat (at my own risk) while dining out, I advise you do your homework when choosing ingredients and places to eat. I highly encourage everyone to do their own research when it comes to the products they cook with or restaurant’s procedures. I do not have celiac disease but rather a gluten-intolerance and I’m not an expert on gluten or other food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, or food allergies. I simply share the ingredients I have found work for me, the places where I’ve dined and my personal experiences.