The Sweet Hack To Transform Fruit Roll-Ups Into An Ice Cream Treat

Fruit Roll-Ups were the "it" food for school lunchroom trades in the '90s. The bright, multi-colored rolls of perfectly chewy, fruit-flavored gummy leathers are undoubtedly still a hot commodity for the elementary school crowd today. While they may remain a relic of childhood nostalgia for many, Fruit Roll-Ups have crossed over into the new millennium and onto adult radars. 

In a series of viral videos on social media, Fruit Roll-Ups have been transformed from soft fruit leathers to crunchy ice cream coatings in a matter of seconds. If you ever tried eating gummy bears in ice cream as a kid, you've probably nearly broken a tooth trying to chew them. Fruit Roll-Ups will harden like gummy bears, but since they're ultra-thin sheets, they will harden into a shatteringly crisp pouch that's perfect for holding a scoop of ice cream. 

To execute the hack, simply unravel a roll of Fruit Roll-Up until you have a flat square. Place a scoop of your favorite ice cream in the middle of the square, leaving about a half-inch perimeter of exposed Fruit Roll-Up. Then, fold the sides of the Fruit Roll-Up around the ball of ice cream. The ice cream will instantaneously convert the gummy fruit leather into a glass-like coating that will make an audible crunching sound when you bite into it.

Fruit Roll-Ups make perfectly self-contained individual ice cream snacks that take less than a minute to prepare and around the same amount of time to eat! Plus, with a variety of both Fruit Roll-Up and ice cream options available, you have endless possibilities for whimsical combinations. There are many different Fruit Roll-Up flavors, including strawberry, blue raspberry, tropical fruit tie-dye, green apple, watermelon, and more. They also come in variety packs.

You can use up a whole box for a colorful, effortless dessert tray to whip out of the freezer at your next backyard barbecue. Stick to a tried and true scoop of vanilla ice cream for a rich and creamy filling reminiscent of a creamsicle. Chocolate ice cream, meanwhile, would pair well with strawberry or blue raspberry Fruit Roll-Ups, while coconut or banana ice cream would be the perfect filling for tropical fruit tie-dye. 

If you want even more textural contrast, try using ice creams with mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or frozen fruit. Or, if you want a healthier, dairy-free dessert, fill Fruit Roll-Ups with sorbets. A scoop of homemade lemon sorbet would taste good inside a watermelon Fruit Roll-Up, as would a scoop of cranberry sorbet enveloped in a sour apple wrap.