Maybe, just maybe, we discovered the way to have ice cream for breakfast without the guilt - certainly, you can argue that it has wholesome granola surrounding it, and we all know that's breakfast territory. They come together in no time and are a great way to use those bits of leftover ice cream.
These unique truffles are perfect dessert bites you can always have in your freezer. So unique and delicious!
I think you can never have too many summer recipes; you just can't.
So how about using the leftovers of your favorite ice cream (cheesecake berry ice cream and cinnamon ice cream for me), making them into small truffles and covering them in crunchy granola?
You smiled, didn't you?
I never thought that the word leftover would involve ice cream. Yet here I am.
Steps for making this recipe
- Make ice cream balls the size of walnuts (image above), and freeze them again.
- Have ready plain granola and roll the frozen bites. Make sure the oat mixture sticks as much as you can.
- Freeze them again until you're ready to eat them.
Top tips
- Ice cream: use all those last spoonfuls of ice cream that are left behind. Any flavor will do, literally. Just make sure they are cream-based ice creams (check our easy ice cream recipes), not sorbets; otherwise, they will melt too fast and you won't be able to get the truffle to hold.
- Granola: I use my favorite granola without the added stuff, like almonds, cranberries and the like. Why? Because they are too big to stick to the ice cream truffles.
- Oil: I use olive oil for the granola because I just love that recipe, but you can use regular oil, canola or coconut. The best oil for granola without clumps (which is good for these truffles) is coconut oil. It doesn't clump.
- Freezing: they need to be kept in the freezer, obviously. And you need to take into account the time it takes for you to freeze them after you make them roll in the granola.
Why this recipes works
- Ice cream leftovers are a thing. For some reason, we find our freezers with pots of a few tablespoons worth of this frozen dessert. And just leave them there. Well, here is your answer. Make ice cream granola truffles!
- Granola, you can make it or you can use store-bought. So both ingredients can be in your home at all times and you can be eating these truffles in minutes.
- They're creamy and crunchy and just plain wonderful!
I used leftovers from two of my favorite ice creams: Sweet Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and Espresso Ice Cream.
But you don't have to go the homemade route, just use your favorite flavor.
This can be labeled a non-recipe recipe, which is a complicated way of saying it's just an idea, or that I just had small amounts of different ice creams in my freezer, was about to make some granola, and started playing around with both ingredients.
And bingo, ice cream granola truffles are born, never to leave my freezer again.
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Ice Cream Granola Truffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups creamy ice cream, any flavor as long as they're cream-based, not water-based (no sorbets)
For the granola:
- 1 ½ cups oats
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup olive oil, see notes
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
Instructions
For the granola:
- Preheat oven to 300ºF (120ºC).
- In a large bowl mix oats and coconut.
- In a small saucepan, heat olive oil, maple syrup, and sugar just until dissolved, it doesn't need to boil.
- Add at once to the oat mixture and mix well with a fork or spoon, making sure it coats everything.
- Spread on a baking sheet (preferably with 1-2 inch borders) and bake for 40-45 minutes or so, moving it every 15 minutes, so it bakes evenly.
- It will feel wet, but after that time it will be golden, and some parts will be dried.
- Granola hardens as it dries, but if it's still too wet leave it for 10 more minutes.
- Take it out of the oven, and let it cool, moving it around at first so it doesn't clump. Break down as many clumps as you can as they will not stick well to the ice cream.
- Or you can crush them with a rolling pin later before you coat your truffles.
- Keep in jars with tight lids.
To make the truffles:
- Scoop portions of ice cream (I use a melon baller but a very small ice cream scoop works too, of course) and quickly form them into little balls with your palms.
- Put them on parchment paper or aluminum foil, or a baking tray and freeze the plain truffles again for 3 or 4 hours, or until they are solid hard.
- You can keep them frozen for weeks before coating them with the granola, but make sure you put them inside a covered container, separated in rows with parchment paper.
- Put the cold granola on a plate, wooden board or shallow bowl, and roll the ice cream ball in it, making sure they are well coated. You might need to adhere it with your hands.
- Eat immediately.
recipes for kids says
Icecream my favorite. thanks, for the delicious recipe.
Angie Schneider says
What a super idea! I think I will eat those for my 2nd breakfast since there is granola in them :-))
Family Foodie says
This is a great idea! I love how easy they are and they look delicious! These would be great in the summer.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I love this. So simple! A great twist on traditional bon bons.
Susan says
What a great non recipe! I wouldn't mind have some ice cream truffles sitting in my freezer whenever the craving strikes!
Dina says
cute idea! they sound yummy.
Kim @ Treats and Trinkets says
These are so awesome! And the granola totally makes them breakfast food.
Lora CakeDuchess says
Occasionally I will crave ice-cream (rarely, actually). But this is something I could find myself craving more often. Fabulous fun bites for a hot summer day!
laurasmess says
I can't believe that I almost missed this genius recipe! Yum! I'm a huge fan of granola with ice cream. In Summer, I can be found sprinkling bowls of vanilla ice cream and melted dulce de leche with any granola that I happen to have in the cupboard. So good! The truffle idea is perfect for gatherings though. I can imagine sticking a little popsicle stick into each of these to hand them out as ice cream granola pops 🙂 Thanks lovely!!
Karen @ Lemon Grove Cake Diaries says
Ice cream for breakfast....you are a genius 🙂
urbanbakes says
Hi Paula! I love what you did here! So simple yet I don't think anyone I know has ever done this before. This is one of those things you question yourself, "why didn't I think of that?" And I love granola in my yogurts and parfaits so I know I will love these cute little truffles!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
These are so cute Paula! Granola with ice cream? I won't feel so guilty eating 20 of these. 😉 Very creative!
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
This is such a great idea, Paula! I almost always have lots of random granola on hand, so I need to give these a try!
Emma says
These look delicious! And the brown sugar ice cream looks out of this world.