Everyone needs a homemade Drumstick Ice Cream Cake when nostalgia hits in the heat of summer. This recipe deconstructs all the components of my favorite frozen dairy dessert and prepares it as a multi-serving sliceable snack.

a square slice of Drumstick Ice Cream Cake with chocolate and chopped nuts on top.

No bake Drumstick Cake Recipe

Our easy Drumstick Ice Cream Cake recipe requires no cooking! It’s perfect for beginners (or little helping hands) because it’s literally made with spreadable layers that come from a package or a container.

This simple summer dessert recipe starts with a sugar cone crust covered with chocolate and is piled high with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. It’s topped with more chocolate magic shell and chopped peanuts so that it tastes just like the original Drumstick dessert.

What Is a Drumstick Ice Cream Cone?

The iconic Drumstick cone is a frozen ice cream treat that typically consists of a sugar cone filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with a chocolate covering and nuts. The bottom of the cone is often coated with chocolate to prevent leaks and add extra flavor. These can usually be found in your grocery stores ice cream aisle.

Ingredients Notes

Sugar cones: For this recipe, the larger waffle cones will work just as well as the small sugar cones. No matter which one you use, you will need a total of 3 cups of coarse crumbs.
Unsalted butter: Used to coat the cone crumbs when making the crust.
Chocolate fudge magic shell: I used store-bought Smucker’s brand, but feel free to use your favorite or make your own magic shell chocolate syrup from scratch.
Vanilla ice cream: I made my cake with containers of Edy’s ice cream. Use your favorite brand of plain vanilla ice cream for this recipe. I would not use French vanilla as it tends to have more of an off-white or pale yellow color, and the flavor is not as close to the original drumstick ice cream cones.
Salted caramel sauce: I find that using a store-bought brand of salted caramel sauce with a thick consistency tends to freeze and hold its place better in this frozen drumstick dessert recipe. I used Mrs. Richardson’s brand, but you can use your favorite or make your own salted caramel sauce from scratch.
Dry roasted peanuts

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

eating a square slice Drumstick Ice Cream Cake chocolate and chopped nuts.

How to Make Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

Crush and Coat The Cones: Pulse the sugar cones just until coarse crumbs are formed. Drizzle in the melted butter and continue to pulse just until all the crumbs are coated.
Create The Crust: Press the coated cone crumbs into the bottom of a baking dish. Spread the chocolate magic shell over the sugar cone layer. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
Soften and Spread the Ice Cream: Spread the softened ice cream over the hardened chocolate layer and return to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Spread The Sauce: Spread the caramel sauce over the ice cream layer and return to the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Add The Last Ice Cream Layer: Spread the 2nd layer of ice cream over the hardened chocolate layer and return to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Cover The Cake: Spread the chocolate magic shell over the second layer of ice cream and top chopped peanuts.
Serve: Freeze for a minimum of 8 hours or up to overnight before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Press the coated cone crumbs into the bottom of a baking dish. Spread the chocolate magic shell on top. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream evenly on top. Repeat layer. Spread the chocolate magic shell and top with chopped peanuts.

Serving Suggestions

This drumstick ice cream cake is best served frozen. Remove the 9×13 dish from the freezer for 3-5 minutes to allow the ice cream to thaw just enough to slice and serve easily. Once sliced, serve the pieces immediately to prevent the ice cream from melting too much.

I love no-bake desserts during the spring and summer seasons when it’s too hot to heat up the house with an oven. Perfect for warm-weather gatherings, potlucks, and parties.

Drumstick Ice Cream Cake in a casserole dish with a few slices cut out.

Tips & Variations

Crush Your Cones: If you do not have a food processor, you can add the sugar cones to a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin or meat mallet. You do not want large pieces; however, you still want the sugar cone crumbs to have some texture. You can then add the coarse crumbs to a large bowl and stir in the melted unsalted butter until the crumbs are completely coated with the melted butter.
Soften To Spread: While the sugar cone crumbs are freezing, I recommend removing your container of ice cream from the freezer and setting it on the counter at room temperature to thaw and soften to a spreadable texture. You can transfer the softened vanilla ice cream to a large bowl and use a rubber spatula to stir the thawing ice cream to create a uniform consistency that can be easily spread.
Cover Quickly: For the final chocolate layer, make sure to work very quickly once you remove the ice cream cake from the freezer, as the chocolate fudge magic shell will harden fast once it hits the frozen ice cream.
Tasty Toppings: To mimic the classic drumstick toppings, crushed peanuts, more cone pieces, a drizzle of melted peanut butter, or more caramel can be added to the top of your cake.
Prepare A Drumstick Pie: Feel free to assemble your cake in a springform pan and freeze until firm. You can then slice and serve it like a piece of ice cream pie.

Proper Storage

To Store: This drumstick ice cream cake can be stored in the freezer, covered with aluminum foil, for up to one week.

a slice of Drumstick Ice Cream Cake on a white plate topped with chopped nuts.

Other Easy Ice Cream Treats

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a slice of drumstick ice cream on a plate.

Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

Drumstick Ice Cream Cake contains all the important components of the classic Drumstick treat! This frozen dessert is a cool and refreshing summer snack that serves 12 delicious slices.

Print Rate Pin Save

Prep Time 1 45

Freeze Time 8

Total Time 9 45

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups coarsely crushed sugar cones from 18 cones
▢ ½ cup unsalted butter melted
▢ 21.75 ounces (3 7.25-ounce) bottles chocolate fudge magic shell, divided (1 – 7.25 ounce bottle to top the crushed sugar cone layer and 2 – 7.25 ounce bottles to top the vanilla ice cream) (Smucker’s brand used)
▢ 3 quart (2 1.5-quart) containers vanilla ice cream Edy’s brand used
▢ 16.6 ounces salted caramel sauce Mrs. Richard’s brand used
▢ ½ cup dry roasted peanuts chopped

Instructions

To a food processor, add the sugar cones. You may need to break them up slightly before adding them to the bowl of your food processor to allow all the sugar cones to fit inside the bowl with the lid on. Pulse the sugar cones for 30 seconds to 1 minute or just until coarse crumbs are formed. You do not want large pieces however, you still want the sugar cone crumbs to have some texture.
Once the crumbs are a coarse consistency, with the food processor running, slowly drizzle the melted unsalted butter into the bowl of the food processor just until all the crumbs are evenly coated with the melted butter.
Transfer the butter coated sugar cone crumbs to a freezer safe 9×13 baking dish and press them into an even layer into the bottom of the dish.
Pour one of the 7.25 ounce bottles of chocolate fudge magic shell evenly over the sugar cone layer. Using an offset spatula, spread out the chocolate fudge magic shell to evenly cover the sugar cone crumbs in a thin layer.
Place the 9×13 dish into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to allow the sugar cone, and chocolate fudge magic shell, to firm up before adding the remaining layers of the drumstick ice cream cake.
While the sugar cone crumbs are freezing, remove one of the 1.5 quart containers of vanilla ice cream from the freezer and set it onto the counter, at room temperature, to thaw and soften to a spreadable texture. You can transfer the softened vanilla ice cream to a large bowl and use a rubber spatula to stir the thawing ice cream to create a uniform consistency that can be easily spread.
Spread the softened vanilla ice cream evenly over the hardened chocolate fudge magic shell layer. Return the 9×13 dish to the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the vanilla ice cream layer to harden.
Remove the 9×13 dish from the freezer and pour the salted caramel sauce over the frozen vanilla ice cream layer and, using a small offset spatula, spread it into an even layer. You want to cover as much of the frozen vanilla ice cream layer as possible before it starts to melt and blend with the salted caramel sauce. Return the 9×13 dish to the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
While the salted caramel layer is freezing, remove the second 1.5 quart container of vanilla ice cream from the freezer to thaw to a spreadable consistency.
Once the vanilla ice cream is softened, and the salted caramel sauce is firmed up, spread the softened vanilla ice cream evenly over the salted caramel layer using a small offset spatula to smooth the ice cream to an even layer.
Return the drumstick ice cream cake to the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the second layer of vanilla ice cream to harden.
Remove the drumstick ice cream cake from the freezer, working very quickly as the chocolate fudge magic shell will harden very quickly once it hits the frozen ice cream, pour the remaining 2 – 7.25 ounce bottles of chocolate fudge magic shell evenly over the second layer of vanilla ice cream.
Top the chocolate fudge magic shell with the chopped dry roasted peanuts.
Return the drumstick ice cream cake to the freezer for a minimum of 8 hours, or up to overnight, to allow the vanilla ice cream layers to firm up completely before slicing and serving.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

To Store: This drumstick ice cream cake can be stored in the freezer, for up to one week, covered with aluminum foil.

Tips:

If you do not have a food processor, you can add the sugar cones to a large heavy duty zip top plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin or meat mallet. You do not want large pieces however, you still want the sugar cone crumbs to have some texture. You can then add the coarse crumbs to a large bowl and stir in the melted unsalted butter until the crumbs are completely coated with the melted butter.
While the sugar cone crumbs are freezing, I recommend removing your container of ice cream from the freezer and setting it onto the counter, at room temperature, to thaw and soften to a spreadable texture. You can transfer the softened vanilla ice cream to a large bowl and use a rubber spatula to stir the thawing ice cream to create a uniform consistency that can be easily spread.
For the final chocolate layer, make sure to work very quickly once you remove the ice cream cake from the freezer as the chocolate fudge magic shell will harden fast once it hits the frozen ice cream.
Crushed peanuts, more cone pieces, a drizzle of melted peanut butter or more caramel can be added on top of your cake to mimic the classic Drumstick toppings.
Feel free to assemble your cake in a springform pan and froze until firm. You can then slice and serve it like a piece of ice cream pie.