DID YOU KNOW? JULY IS NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH! TO CELEBRATE, AND TO BEAT THE HEAT, I’LL BE BRINGING YOU RECIPES FOR FROSTY, SWEET TREATS ALL MONTH LONG! FROM POPSICLES WITH AN UNEXPECTED INGREDIENT, TO A FROSTY LITTLE ICE CREAM CAKE, STICK AROUND CAUSE THIS MONTH’S SURE TO BE TASTY!

What’s better on a hot summer day than an ice cream cone, you might ask? An ice cream cone that you make yourself, full of chocolate swirl ice cream, a crunchy chocolate shell, and lots of sweet strawberries on top! I’ve always had a place in my heart for those little store-bought ice cream drumsticks, but I find the common vanilla ice cream with peanuts combo a little too dull. Chocolate and strawberry are a natural match, and I doubt you’d have any luck finding a truly excellent chocolate and strawberry ice cream cone in your grocery store freezer case. That’s when this homemade version kicks the ass of every other ice cream drumstick out there. Also, who knew homemade “Magic Shell”-like topping would be so easy to make at home?

strawberry + chocolate ice cream drumsticks

(makes as many as you’d like!)

chocolate shell coating
(makes 2 cups)

8 oz (228 g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped small
1 c (200 g) coconut oil
about 6 Tbs (125 g) light corn syrup

1 quart chocolate ice cream
ice cream cones (I went with classic sugar cones)
freeze dried strawberries, chopped into small bits

To make chocolate shell coating: In a microwave-safe dish, place the chocolate, coconut oil, and corn syrup. Heat on high power for 30 seconds, stirring to combine. Continue heating in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate coating is very smooth. Do not overheat! Leave at room temperature when not using.

Working one at a time, and using a large spoon, drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of the fluid chocolate coating into as many ice cream cones as you’d like to make. Spin them to get the insides evenly coated with chocolate, pouring the excess back into the bowl. Set up in the freezer for 10 minutes or so, until firm.

Working as quickly as possible, fill the chocolate-coated cones with chocolate ice cream, finishing the tops with a uniform rounded scoop. Immediately set back in the freezer to firm up for at least 1 hour.

Pull the ice cream cones from the freezer, and carefully dip the tops of each cone into the chocolate shell coating, making sure to dip past the edge of the cone so all the ice cream is sealed inside. Quickly roll the tops in the chopped freeze dried strawberries. Set the cones back in the freezer to fully set up once again, 10-20 minutes.

That’s it! Feel free to experiment with your favorite ice cream flavor and topping choices. Peanut butter ice cream and crushed banana chips? Caramel ice cream and pretzel chunks? The possibilities are endless.

These are best when eaten within a day or 2 after making, but if you must store them long-term, place the fully frozen cones into a zip-top bag and freeze as long as it takes to eat all of them. I’m guessing it won’t be that long at all!