How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Cones (Bold Baking Basics)
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
We make our own No Machine Ice Cream on Bigger Bolder Baking so why wouldn’t we make our own homemade ice cream cones? No store bought cones for us thanks very much. Best thing is you don’t need a waffles cone machine or any special equipment to make them.
The cones are made with a vanilla batter that can be mixed by hand and cooked off straight away. There is really no fuss here. Make your batter in advance so when you are ready for your ice cream, you can cook off your cones and they will be ready in minutes.
Once off the heat the cones crisp so you have to roll it fast. So the trick is be ready to roll them. Shape the bottom first and get that nice tight cone shape.
You know when you walk by a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop and you can smell the waffles cones? Well imagine your own kitchen smelling like that…it’s the stuff dreams are made of.
This recipe is one of many in my Bold Baking Basics repertoire. This section is full of essential recipes I want my Bold Bakers to know like How to Make Homemade Food Coloring and Homemade Marshmallow Fluff. For lots more like this click here.
Make sure you SIGN UP for FREE Bonus Features including saving this recipe & more!
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup (4 oz/115g) sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- ⅔ cup (3 ⅓oz/100g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (1oz/30g) butter, melted
- melted semisweet chocolate
- Sprinkles
- Toasted nuts
- Place egg whites, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Stir in flour and butter until fully incorporated and batter is smooth.
- Place a nonstick skillet, cast iron pan or frying pan on low heat.
- Pour 1 ½ tablespoons batter into the warm skillet and spread into a thin even layer. Move it around fast to get a nice round shape. Spread it out roughly 6 inches x 6 inches.
- Place skillet over medium heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until base has set. Flip and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Lift the disc off the griddle and QUICKLY and carefully roll from the bottom of the cone to shape it. Pull out the shape at the top to make it a wider cone. If you can lay the cone onto a clean towel and roll into a cone shape and hold, seam side down for 1 to 2 minutes or until cone cools and hardens. (this must be done quickly as the disc will begin to harden almost immediately after leaving the skillet)
- Tip: Focus on rolling the bottom of the cone first and that makes it easier to shape the rest of the cone. Take care not to roll it tight, you want a night opening on top to fill with ice cream.
- Dip the cones in chocolate and cover in nuts or sprinkles. Set the cones on parchment until the chocolate hardens.
- These cones are best eaten the day they are made. If you have any left over carefully store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
Have you made a recipe? Share photos on my website or across social media with the hashtag #boldbaker.
And don't miss my NEW Bold Baking recipes and tips. Sign up for my weekly email newsletter.
Hi Gemma,
First of thanks for the videos…they have inspired me so much, must have tried almost 9-10 recipes of yours…I tried making these ice cream cones today…even though they turned out perfect I did face a bit of trouble in its uniformity in the sense the first cone was completely different in color than the 3 and fourth cone…Also what do I do if the pan gets too hot..
Hi Ankita,
Thank you so much for your lovely message. I’m thrilled you like my recipes.
So there is a rule in baking and that is the first try ALWAYS comes out different. Just like making crepes, the first is the practice one. Cook on a med/low pan and just make sure you control the heat. Don’t be afraid to stop and let the pan cool if it gets too hot. When cooking on the stove control is very important.
Gemma.
Hi Gemma,
I wanted to make some small cones for ice cream cone cake pops, so should I cook the batter for four minutes or less, if I use 1/2 tablespoon of batter per cone?
Hi Joy!
I would say it will still take you 4 for sure. Just keep a close eye on them 🙂
Gemma.
Fantastic recipe – works perfect. I made cones and bowls (for the kids) and they were a hit.
Yea! This is what I love to hear, thank you,
Gemma 🙂
I saw your egg substitution chart. But can you please tell me which is right for egg whites in this recipe?
Because it is written for cakes, brownies and cookies.
Please tell….
Hi there,
I did not try this! I would need to run a test on this to be sure, and I do not like to put you wrong, but I think I would try a flax egg, or aquafaba.
If you do not know what this is then you need to do your research, today! It will be a great addition to your repertoire!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma
Great recipe. I want to try it. But I can’t use egg white as I’m vegetarian. But I found on Wikihow that you can substitute Agar powder for egg whites. It is written that to replace one egg, mix 1 tbsp agar powder in 1 tbsp water then vigorously whip the mixture, then put it in the refrigerator to chill. Once the mixture is cool, take ot out and whip it a second time. And It is written that it should perform the same function as egg whites and won’t even alter the taste or colour.
So what do you think?
Will it work?
Is this substitute right for your recipe?
Good question Smriti,
I do know of this technique, but I am not sure about it for this recipe. Really what they are saying is that this is a gelatinous substance, and it is! I think I like either a flax egg, or aquafaba for this, I do not know for sure as I have not tried it. If you try it please let me know!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, these ice cream cones look amazing and I’m going to make them this weekend. I have a block of organic dark chocolate in the kitchen that I imagine will go nicely melted onto these cones. Thanks for all your recipes, they’re awesome 🙂
Hi, I think I already responded to this message so hopefully you see it but good luck with your cones!! 🙂
I made this but my batter was thick and hard to spread. What should I do?( I used gluted free flour so that might be why it was so thick)
Hi there,
Yes! I really do not know how to rescue this. If the gf flour has coconut flour as an element, this is really absorbent, and will need more liquid ingredients.
I am sorry, not sure about this one!
Gemma 🙂
I know this is an old post but I just found it when looking for a good homemade waffle cone recipe and based on the star ratings yours was the best one on the first page of google results so I decided it would be the one the try. I only keep unsweetened almond milk on hand so didn’t have whole milk to use. After measuring two tablespoons of the almond milk into my bowl, I remembered I do have heavy cream so used that for the third tablespoon, figuring it would kind of balance things out a bit. I used my electric krumkake iron to bake them, with the temperature setting at 3 and let them go for a bit extra once the ready light came on for a full cook time of about two and a half to three minutes. They turned out perfectly! Now if I actually had some ice cream to go with them… lol But they are delicious on their own as “cookies”. 😊
Hi Leah,
Well done you. This is a tricky thing, and you got it just right. Now you need to get the ingredients for the no churn ice cream, and you are laughing!
Gemma 🙂
My attempt was a disaster I’m afraid. I’m sure it will come with practice though and a new pan. I’ve had a better result with the ice cream though and looking forward to trying the other flavours. Thank you for this great site.
Ah Paula, I am really sorry to hear this. This is a tender thing, not the most robust, or easiest thing to make. Do try it again though, it is good when it is right.
I am happy that you are with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hey Gemma,
What modifications would have to be made in case we are using some other millet flour in the recipe or If we want to make it gluten free?
Required urgently.
Thank u
Hi there,
I cannot recommend using any other flour for this recipe. It is a delicate thing, it needs a flour which has some gluten, and I think millet flour is too coarse for this purpose. You could try a cut down sample of this recipe, this is the only way you will know!
Gemma 🙂
Hey Gemma,
I tried your soft serve ice cream before and it was amazing! I have an upcoming project and I would like to make these cones and the soft serve ice cream, I was wondering if you would have the nutritional information for these?
Thank you for all these amazing recipes!
Love from Singapore, Celine
Hi Celine,
I did not work this out. I am not at my desk for a few days, and I am busy with something else, so will not find the time to do this for you for a few days.
Try to do this yourself, there are ways online!
Gemma 🙂
the cones I make are similar, only called Krum Kakka after the Scandinavian tradition (I’m Welsh and Danish).But to roll my cones, I invested in an inexpensive wooden (or metal if preferred) cone roller. They are inexpensive. about 9 or 10 Canadian dollars via AMAZON.CA or whatever country signature. Also, my fingertips are very sensitive to heat of any kind, so I put my baked flat cone onto a double sheet of parchment paper, insert the cone roller, and then roll the cone…
And MY finger tips don’t get burned.. also I vary the flavouring vanilla, lemon, cardamon, almond(the favourite), also nutmeg (for the daring!) and cinnamon, peppermint, etc… It just makes the ice cream flavour take on an additional treat.. sort of like doubling the taste without any fuss. Some times, for the children, I sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the warm cones.. and shake off the excess. Just for presentation, not especially for taste.. Kids love it messy.
Hi Sandra, this is a great heritage you have! lovely people on both sides, now in canada, and a great name too!
This is a lovely suggestion, thank you. I hope other bold bakers will enjoy reading this, I certainly did, thank you,
Gemma 🙂
hi asifkhan what about a free kitchenaid torrent blender
Hi.
Tried this recipe and instead of batter, got dough instead. Then realized ⅔ cup flour can’t be 150g, it is ≈ 80g. Just wanted to let you know and didn’t want leave name and email.
~ Blessings
Hi there Aiias, I need to go back to this recipe when I get a moment and sort it out, thank you for letting me know, Gemma 🙂
Tks so much Gemma ……as I am a vegetarian I don’t use eggs ….I was really in search of something that would perfectly go with the recipe….my first trial I tried with apple sauce and I was soo so upset and u know we bold bakers don’t quit….and next time I tried using aquafaba ….OMG it turned best and tasted fab….tks so much….keep surprising…. Love from India??????
That is so good to hear, I am really happy that the aqua faba worked for you, I have this on my list to demonstrate soon, thank you for letting me know, Gemma 🙂
hi gemma
i’m a newbie here. your recipes are fantastic. so i tried to made these cones, and i did it. it’s crispy and it’s smells good. but when it’s getting cool it’s also started to soft in 15 or 20 minutes. can you give me a solution?
thank you 🙂
They might have softened because your air was too humid.
Hi Gemma, i love all your recipes. They’re just amazing n i make sure i dont miss out on any. I tried to make ice cream cones using your recipe. Followed as per the instructions but then i had a problem of too many bubbles coming after spreading out the batter on the non stick. Any solution to this? Is it because of the pan ? If so let me know. I dont want to give up on this. Thanks!!
Hi Jonelle,
so sorry for my late reply. I am really stumped about the bubbles. I haven’t seen that before. If you mean air bubbles then I would say be careful not to over mix the batter because that incorporates bubbles. Just a light mixing is all it needs.
Apologies again for my late reply and I’m glad to have you as part of the community.
Best,
Gemma.
If you turn down the heat, it might help too.
I believe too vigorous heating makes bigger bubbles.
Is that weight measurement correct for the flour? 150 grams seems to be way more than 1 cup (not 2/3 cup).
Hi Steven,
Cup measurements are funny things, the weight of the substance changes according to the ingredient, for instance i cup ap-flour = 150g = 5 oz.
1 cup cocoa powder = 120g = 4oz. Think about it! it is about volume. You need to choose your method of measurement and trust it to be right,
Gemma 🙂
I think the point is the recipe looks like it needs to be edited to show 2/3 c of flour is approximately 100g instead of 150. I tried this with the 150 grams because I was trying my best to be exact and it was too much. It was still delicious, but I’m sure it could have been better!
you are right, I busted edited the recipe.
Thanks for letting me know 🙂
dat crunch thooo!!!??
HI GEMMA
I am a new to your youtube channel and website and after watching one video i subscribed right away.I made the very easy and delicious desert tacos and they were scumsious. I love all your recipes and hope to see more soon.
ps waffles is just like my puppy!!Waffles is adorable!!!!!
Hi there,
Thank you for your very kind comments. Waffles is happy too! We are making doggy ice cream soon too, your puppy may like that too,
Gemma 🙂
Hello Dear
Gemma Stafford
I am a beginner at your website.
I love to learn cooking. Thanks God I found your site. The method for cones baking is very simple & interesting. Do you cook Asian foods? Like Biryani, Karahi Chicken rice etc?
Thank you for the video.
Hi there,
Welcome to our site, I am happy to have you with us. I specialize in baking. A large part of my training was in pastry. I am a trained chef, so I can turn my hand to lots of recipes, and will probably extend my range in time to come. I love Indian/Asian food and have been trying to perfect some recipes at home. Stay tuned for lots to come,
Gemma 🙂
Wow !!! Its looks delicious and sooooo yummy !! I love all your recipes . Can’t wait to try it , can u make something easy and quick microwave recipes from my son …
Hi Uma,
Thank you for your lovely comments.
Take a look at all of the mug recipes here on my website, they are a great choice for kids,
Gemma 🙂
Hi.
I was wondering how you can get the batter so thin and how do you mold them in to triangles when they’re so hot ?
– Sindri
Follow the exact method and measurements of ingredients I’ve posted here. As soon as the cones are cooked and removed from the pan they start to cool, fast. So they are not very hot while you are molding them. Hope this helps.
Thx so much Gemma for the ausome recipe !!the were sooooo delicious !!!! Burnt my hands doing so though so is there any other solution or will I just go threw it to get the cones ???? Thx Aisling #biggerbolderbaking !! #loveyousomuch !!!!!!!!
Use a spatula and be careful.
Hello Gemma, check out i have made ice cones with no machine vanilla ice cream hmmm. Superb recipe. I have send u my pic
Thanks! I’m delighted you liked this recipe 🙂
Hi Gemma, I’m 10 and I love to cook. For this recipe could I use a substitute for Vanilla? Thanks!
Thanks for visiting my website. You can leave the vanilla out. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi, I love your recipies. Can you make something with mangos, actually my father brought a carton of mangos this summer. And I love eating mango.
Check out my mango ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet recipes 🙂
Hi Gemma! Could I bake these cones in the oven?
Hi Tanya,
Yes, but you would need to get them onto a hot surface. They bake so quickly that it is hard to know why you would wish to do it!
Gemma 🙂
HELLO GEMMA!
What substitute could i use for egg whites in this recipe.
(coz i’m a vegan!!)
great question, so as a vegan I’m sure you have seen that you might not always get the exact same results but try the ground fax or condensed milk 🙂
This is so simple and basic because we can shape it into any shape we want & it takes seconds 😀
Yea! that is right, well done George, i am happy that you like this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you I always bake for my family and friends and this is perfect for this summer I have used your recipe for fudge brownies and your brownies in a crock pot and they both turned out amazing so thank you and I will continue using your recipes because they’re fun easy and delicious
Hi Rachael,
thank you for your kind comments and for being with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hey! I tried this recipe. The cones were great and crunchy for the first half hour. But when I went on to use the chocolate and sprinkles, I noticed that they became soggy.
Any idea why? Can I fix these?
Hi Sarandha,
Sorry for my late reply. So soft after 12-24 hours is normal but not in the first half hour. The only thing I can think of is the more color and ‘baked’ they get the crisper the stay. I hope that makes sense and helps.
Best,
Gemma.
You never fail to amaze us Gemma!
I have made these today, some turned out crunchy, others didn’t. So, can I place them in the freezer for a while to harden?
Thanks for your question, Ned. These cones will get harder and crunchier as they cool. If some of them do not, that means they are under cooked. Hope this helps 🙂
Hey Gemma. These came out great! The only issue I had was that they weren’t on solid golden brown but rather a weird pancake look. What did I do wrong? Was it the pan or heat?
Hi there Christian,
did you use a dry pan? this is important for this recipe. Otherwise the thickness of the batter may have been a bit off. That is my best guess!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma!
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I have been searching so many websites for a cone recipe and i finally managed to get one. It was a great success and my family love it. Once again thanks!!!
Hi Diane,
Great! I am happy to have your kind support,
Gemma 🙂
Gemma is there any way to make these very small sized sprinkles at home??????? I tried your sprinkle recipe but they are a bit large in size…… is there any way to make these sprinkles because i am unable to find them in market.
Hi Mashal,
Yes, the dry ice will only be available to some of our bold bakers! it is a pity, because it is fun.
The small sprinkles would be a challenge, perhaps using a grater would do it, but I have never done this, I am lucky to be able to find these easily. I do hope you come up with a solution to suit your needs,
Gemma 🙂
If i get a solution for these small sprinkles then i will definitely share it dear. 🙂
Thank you, that will be great!
Gemma 🙂
AWWWWW that’s soooo great…..I will surely make it. Thank u sooo much Gemma dear 🙂
🙂
Do you have to use whole milk or will like 2% or organic work too? Great recipe.
Hi Shai,
Whole milk is best for this recipe. It adds a little richmness. The cream content of whole milk is less than 4%.
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
These cones turned out really crispy and tastes delicious.
This recipe is mind blowing.
Thanks for the recipe Gemma.
Your recipe is amazing can you show how to make coconut ouster ice cream cones please!
Izzy
Thank you for that suggestion, and for your kind words, I will add this to my list,
Gemma 🙂
Can I add cocoa powder for chocolatey taste?
Hi there,
Yes you could try this, not too much s it will unbalance the recipe, but do try it with one portion,
Gemma 🙂
Hi gemma
Your recipe is great but is there any need to grease pan so that the cake batter might not stick.
Thanks for the recipe gemma
Hi gemma,
Your cone recipe is great but is there any need to grease the pan so that the cone batter might not stick.
Thanks for the recipe
Hi Seline,
It really is a great one! I cannot resist the coffee flavor, thank you for letting me know,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Romesa,
No! do not grease the pan. The pan does need to be a good, non worn, non stick pan. If you grease it the cones will be greasy, it is a very light batter,
Gemma 🙂
These turned out great. I had to make a couple before I got them just right. Low heat until a nice golden brown makes them really crispy. I also used tin foil formed into a cone the hold the shape until they cooled.
Hi Chantel, well done you. Baking is all about taking notice of what is happening through the process, and learning from it. That is how you become a really great cook! Good job 🙂
Gemma 🙂
Can you use a gluten free flour to make these?
Hi Kirsten,
I think gluten free flour will work well in this recipe. Good luck 🙂
I made these tonight, they turned out tasty and crunchy as they should. I dipped them in chocolate and put my homemade red velvet ice cream in them. Thank you for showing us how to do it without any special equipment, you make me look like a cooking star!
Hi Melanie,
you are a star! I am sure your family already knew this. Post your pictures here too now to encourage all the other bold bakers.
Gemma 🙂
Thankyou so much Gemma for the recipe. I made your Nutella icecream and the cones it worked out so good. I didn’t had any egg whites so I added the buttermilk it tasted so good????
Hi Maheen,
I am really happy to hear this, well done you to try it out,
Gemma 🙂
Hi gemma, thank you so much for this recipe! I was waiting for it for long . Can I use a non-stick pan to make the cones?
I’m delighted you like them Samira. For sure use a non- stick pan. And have a thin edged spatula also.
Good Luck 🙂
Hi Gemma! Thanks for sharing so many great recipes. I will make these ice cream cones for my family. I love baking very much. I learned so many things from reading and watching YouTube. Specially when I see your channel, I was attractive to watch everyday 🙂
Thank you!!!!!!
I’m really happy Jessica that you like these cones. Thank you for being part of the community. Make sure you share your photos on the website when you bake something.
Best,
Gemma.
What can be used instead of egg whites? Can anything be substituted?
Replacing the egg in this recipe might not give you the same result as my cone but you can try. Here is my list of egg substitutions 🙂 https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/
thankx for the recipe.
i had searched the whole net finding a ice cream cone recipe but the ingredients were not available over here. in ur recipe the ingredients are simple. So, THANKU!!
I’m really thrilled you like my ice cream cones. Get them ready for Thursday because I’m making soft serve ice cream 🙂
Hi Gemma, since Fathers day is this sundayI wanted to make him a fruit tart. Can you have a recipe for that because that is one of his favorite desserts and I could always trust you in recipes. So can you please make a fruit tart?!?!?!?
Hi there,
I do not have a recipe for fruit tart on the website, my recipes are planned some time in advance. Do check out other options here, such as the strawberry cheesecake, which is no bake and delicious,
Gemma 🙂