What Are Ice Cream Bon Bons?
Ice cream bon bons are delicious chocolate-covered ice cream bites. A bonbon, or bon-bon, is a small chocolate candy that can be filled with nut pastes, caramel, or even fruit puree.Why This Recipe Stands Out
The combination of a creamy center and a chocolatey shell is simply irresistible. Here’s why this recipe is a standout:- No Special Equipment: This recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, and the ingredients are incredibly easy to find. You can also use homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream to make it!
- Any Flavor You Want: You can use different ice cream flavors and coatings to customize this recipe to your liking. Plus, they’re just as versatile as this Ice Cream Cake.
- Make-Ahead: One of the best things about these bon bons is that they can be kept frozen for as long as you need and easily brought out for an impressive ice cream treat when friends come calling. Another favorite is these Fudge Popsicles.
- Budget-Friendly: These ice cream bon bons are a fraction of the cost of store-bought ones, just like our 5-Ingredient Protein Bars.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Ice Cream—We used homemade mint chip ice cream as the base for our bon bons, but you can also go for store-bought ice cream.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips—The chocolate chips are melted down and used to coat our bon bons. They add a sweet, chocolatey crunch that compliments the creamy ice cream center perfectly.
- Sugar Crystals—These are used for decoration and add a sparkly, sweet touch to our bon bons.
Substitutions And Variations
This Ice Cream Bon Bon recipe is delicious as it is, but we understand that everyone’s tastes are different. Here are some substitution and variation ideas to make this recipe your own:- Vegan: If you’re following a vegan diet, you can easily swap regular ice cream for a vegan-friendly version. You can also make your own vegan ice cream at home!
- Ice Cream Flavors: While we love the combination of mint and chocolate, feel free to get creative with your ice cream flavors. Try using a easy vanilla ice cream or a creamy chocolate ice cream. If you’re feeling adventurous, a fruity flavor like strawberry ice cream could also work beautifully.
- Different Coating: If you’re not a fan of semi-sweet chocolate, you can experiment with different types of chocolate. Try using milk chocolate or even white chocolate for a different flavor profile. You could also try drizzling bon bons with salted caramel sauce before serving.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Using firmly frozen ice cream, scoop ice cream into small balls and place them onto a parchment or wax-lined plate. Insert a toothpick into each ice cream ball and keep them in the freezer overnight to firm up.
In a bowl set over a saucepan of simmered water, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Stir until smooth. Let it cool just slightly.
Working quickly, hold each ice cream ball by the toothpick and spoon melted chocolate all around it. Place the bon bon on a parchment-lined plate and remove the toothpick.
Sprinkle sugar crystals (or your choice of sprinkles) on top before the chocolate sets. Repeat this process in batches until all the bon bons are complete. Freeze for a couple of hours before serving.
How To Prep Ahead
Ice Cream Bonbons are a fun, tasty treat that can also be prepped in advance. Take a look at our favorite prep-ahead tips for this recipe:- Make Ice Cream: If you want to make the process even more fun, make your own ice cream a day or two beforehand, or buy a good carton of it and put it in the deepest part of your freezer to ensure it is super frozen.
- Entirely Make Ahead: The best part about frozen treats like these ice cream bon bons is that you can make and freeze them for at least two months.
Ice Cream Bon Bons
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins Freeze: 2 hours hrs Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins Servings: 25- 1.5 quart ice cream, your favorite flavor
- ½ – 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1-2 tsp vegetable oil
- sugar crystals, for decoration
Before starting, make sure ice cream is solidly frozen. Using firmly frozen ice cream, scoop ice cream into small balls and place onto parchment or wax lined plate. Put plate back in freezer here and there are you work, especially if your ice cream starts getting a bit soft.
Insert toothpick into each ice cream ball. Leave all ice cream balls in freezer to firm up well overnight.
Melt chocolate and oil in a bowl over saucepan of simmering water, not allowing bowl to touch water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool off a bit, so it’s still melted but not hot.
Working quickly and with small batches at a time, hold each ice cream ball by toothpick and spoon melted chocolate all around it. Set bon bon down on parchment/wax lined plate and remove toothpick.
Quickly sprinkle sugar crystals over top before chocolate firms up. Repeat in batches until all bon bons are complete. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Make homemade ice cream a day or two beforehand, or buy a good quality carton.
- Be sure ice cream is firmly frozen before you start working with it. This will make it easier to scoop into balls and will prevent it from melting too quickly when you add the chocolate
- When melting the chocolate, be patient and stir it regularly. It’s important to remove it from the heat when it’s melted and smooth, and let it cool a bit before using – this will help the chocolate coat the ice cream smoothly, without melting it.
- Don’t skip the step of leaving the ice cream balls in the freezer overnight. This allows them to set solidly and makes it easier to coat them in the chocolate.
- Feel free to get creative with your decorations. Try sprinkling colored sprinkles, jimmies or nonpareils, or roasted chopped nuts.
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Nutrition (per serving)
