Homemade Drumstick Ice Cream Cones

Made with a sugar cone, vanilla ice cream, a thick chocolate coating, and a sprinkle of nuts, Copycat Drumstick Ice Cream Cones are the perfect treat to cool down with on a hot day!

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 is also a million times better!

In fact, the BEST part about making these ice cream treats at home is that YOU get to pick the ingredients. This means you can make this treat allergy-friendly and accommodate just about any dietary restriction.

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

• Ice Cream Cones: Use sugar cones for a more authentic Drumstick Ice Cream Cone. If needed, select gluten-free sugar cones to keep this treat gluten-free.
• Ice Cream: Use your favorite ice cream, you can use homemade vanilla ice cream, store-bought vanilla ice cream, or no-churn ice cream. Don't limit it 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. Sprinkles work in place of nuts if you are nut-free.

How to Make Drumstick Ice Cream Cones

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 at the end of the treat.
• Fill the ice cream cones with 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.
• At this point, you can stir in ½ tablespoon of melted coconut oil into the melted chocolate. This makes your chocolate a lot thinner and will cause the chocolate to set up immediately on your ice cream, sort of like Magic Shell.
• Pull the ice cream cones out from the freezer and coat them with the melted chocolate by using a spoon to spoon the chocolate over the ice cream. If you dip your ice cream into the melted chocolate, it can cause the chocolate to seize up.

• Immediately sprinkle chopped peanuts, or other desired toppings, over the chocolate before it sets up.
• Place the cones immediately back into the freezer and freeze for another 15-30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

Storage

Once the drumstick ice cream cones are made and the chocolate has hardened, transfer the ice cream cones to an airtight container. They can be stored for 2 weeks in the freezer. After 2 weeks, I find that the ice cream cones begin to lose their texture, although they are still safe and enjoyable to eat for up to 2 months.

Dietary Modifications

• Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips AND dairy-free ice cream.
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free ice cream cones and check your ice cream to ensure it is gluten-free. Some varieties of ice creams, such as cookie dough, can have added sources of gluten.
• Nut-Free: Skip adding nuts to the chocolate coating, and instead add sprinkles if desired. It is also important to carefully read over the ingredient label on your ice cream to determine if your ice cream is nut-free.
• Egg-Free: Use egg-free ice cream, such as my recipe for No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream. Most sugar cones are egg-free, but be sure to check the ingredient label to ensure there has been no cross-contamination. And be cautious using waffle cones, as some brands are made with eggs.

More Delicious Summer Treats

• Cherry Crumb Pie
• Blackberry Crisp
• Blueberry Crumb Bars
• Peach Crisp
• Peach Cobbler

If you enjoyed these Homemade Drumstick Cones, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

This post was originally published in 2015 but was updated in 2020.