Homemade Drumstick Ice Cream Cones are a delicious DIY version of a classic frozen treat! Made with sugar cones, vanilla ice cream, and thick chocolate coating and a sprinkle of nuts, these Chocolate Covered Ice Cream Cones are the perfect treat to cool down with on a hot day!
Because you get to select the ingredients for these Ice Cream Cones, you can make them suitable for your needs–meaning you can enjoy a classic summertime treat even if you need to be Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, or Vegan-Friendly.
My favorite childhood treat was a Drumstick Ice Cream Cone.
The contrast between the creamy, soft ice cream, and the rich chocolate coating with crunchy nuts–PERFECTION!
Drumstick Ice Cream Cones are a perfect treat to make at home. Not only does it save you a few pennies, but the quality of the ingredients are also a million times better!
And while the process is extremely simple with VERY LITTLE hands-on time, you do have to exercise a bit of patience in between steps–all good things come to those that wait, right?!
Key Ingredients
The BEST part about making drumstick cones at home is that YOU get to pick the ingredients. This means you can make this treat allergy-friendly and accommodate ANY dietary restrictions.
- Ice Cream Cones: Use sugar cones if you can and you can purchase organic, generic, or gluten-free.
- Ice Cream: Use your favorite ice cream. Don’t limit to just vanilla ice cream either, you can use any variety you like. And if you need your ice cream to be dairy-free, select your favorite dairy-free variety.
- Chocolate: Use any chocolate you like. Either cut up a chocolate bar or use chocolate chips. Again, use dairy-free chocolate if needed. Another great option for these drumsticks is to use Homemade Strawberry Magic Shell from Go Dairy Free, in place of the chocolate for a strawberry version of this treat.
- Toppings: Crush up some peanuts or almonds, or skip nuts altogether. Sometimes I am a rebel and use these all-natural sprinkles.
How to Make Drumstick Ice Cream
Making homemade ice cream cones is the PERFECT activity for kids. The process is easy and super fun–what kid does not like to be in charge of scooping ice cream and sprinkling sprinkles?!
Pro-Tip: Place your ice cream cone into a glass jar to hold it upright while you fill the ice cream cone. Makes the process SO MUCH easier!
- Place a chocolate chip in the bottom of each cone. This keeps the cone from getting soggy from the ice cream, prevents the ice cream from dripping out of any holes in the bottom of the cone, and makes for a nice surprise in the
- Fill the ice cream cones with your desired ice cream, being sure to shape the top scoop to make a perfect dome around the cone.
- Place the prepared ice cream cones on a wax or parchment paper-lined sheet tray and place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until frozen solid.
- Right before removing the prepared ice cream from the freezer, melt the chocolate for the topping. Heat chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on medium-high for about 1 minute to start with. Remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat heating at intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and has a smooth consistency.
- Pull the ice cream cones out from the freezer and dip into melted chocolate. Pro-Tip: Use a spoon to spoon over the ice cream if it is hard to dip the ice cream into the chocolate, this keeps the chocolate from seizing up from the ice cream as well.
- Immediately sprinkle chopped peanuts, or other desired toppings over the chocolate before it set.
- Put cone immediately back into the freezer and wait until the chocolate is set.
- Test your patience. It should only take 10 minutes to set back up, but I prefer to wait 30 minutes.
More Delicious Summer Treats
Homemade Drumstick Ice Cream Cones
Ingredients
- 6 ice cream cones
- 48 ounces ice cream any variety
- 16 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts optional
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and be sure there is room to fit it in the freezer.
- Place one chocolate chip or morsel into the bottom of each cone.
- Stuff each ice cream cone with 8 ounces of ice cream, finishing with a perfect half-sphere on top of each cone (use your hands, if needed.) Place the ice cream cones on the prepared cookie sheet and freeze until solid, about an hour.
- Heat remaining chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl on medium-high for about 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat heating at intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and has a smooth consistency.
- Remove the ice cream cones from the freezer and working quickly, spoon the melted chocolate over the ice cream. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Place back on lined sheet and freeze for another 30 minutes.
- Serve after chocolate has set OR place prepared drumstick cones into a freezer safe container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Use any variety of ice cream cones you like--gluten-free, sugar cones, cake cones, waffles cones, etc.
- While vanilla ice cream is traditional, these cones are delicious with ANY variety of ice cream. Select dairy-free or vegan if needed as well.
- Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips AND dairy-free ice cream if you need Dairy-Free Drumstick Ice Cream Cones.
- The nuts are completely optional and can be left off. Sprinkles are also a fun addition to the cones as well. If using sprinkles, sprinkle on the cones before the chocolate has set up.
- You can add in 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil into your chocolate before you melt the chocolate. This makes your chocolate a lot thinner and will cause the chocolate set up immediately on your ice cream (sort of like Magic Shell.)
- For melting chocolate, using the microwave is the fastest method, but you can melt your chocolate using a double boiler or slow cooker as well.
- To use a double boiler: Place chocolate in a heat-safe bowl that fits over a stock pan. In that stock pan, bring about an inch of water to a simmer, over medium heat. Set the bowl over the pot, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir chocolate occasionally as it softens. Once the chocolate is just about melted, remove the bowl from heat, continuing to stir until all the chocolate melts.
- To use a slow cooker: Place chocolate in a heat-safe glass jar. Place the jar in the slow cooker and then carefully pour water into a slow cooker until the water line reaches halfway up the jars. Be cautious not to get any water into the jar of chocolate. Turn slow cooker on high, do NOT put the lid on the slow cooker, and in about 30 minutes your chocolate will be perfectly melted (no need to stir while the chocolate melts). Check on chocolate after 20 minutes, as all slow cookers vary in temperature.
Drumsticks are my childhood favorite too! I actually still buy them all the time. My son is allergic to dairy and I didn’t realize until now that I can make my own at home for him using your recipe and then subbing it with dairy free chocolate like you recommended. Thank you!
I am so happy you discovered this recipe and your son can enjoy now!
Love this! I remember eating these as a kid, and my girls loved helping me make them! We will definitely be making this again.
I love hearing your girls helped out–such a fun activity (and yummy too!)