This Ice Cream Hack Makes Leftover Candy Corn Surprisingly Delicious

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Candy corn's history hails back to when many Americans were farmers, and at this point its ties to Halloween are inescapable. Yet, the candy can be super divisive. It seems like you either love the kernels of feed corn-shaped sugar and corn syrup, or you loathe them. If you bought too much candy corn to fill jars for seasonal decorating or to stuff goodie bags, we have a solution that avoids waste and charms your loved ones — perhaps even the candy corn-averse. 

Turning your candy corn into ice cream might be just the step that makes this popular autumnal treat actually palatable to haters. We're no stranger to weird frozen confections — remember when we covered ambergris ice cream, which is perhaps made from whale poop? — but we'd argue that candy corn ice cream is not that "out there" and actually introduces a sweet and creamy taste of Halloween magic into your frozen treats.

As for how to make it, you can use your favorite recipe for homemade ice cream; the particulars aren't exact. Infuse the whole milk in your recipe will be with candy corn by heating the two ingredients low and slow to make the candy melt and turn your milk a brilliant shade of pumpkin orange. Once the milk is infused with the taste and color of the candy, mix your custard as you normally would and churn it up in your home ice cream machine, like this well-rated one by Cuisinart. Serve the ice cream in a bowl as-is, covered with chopped pieces of candy corn, or get really creative and make a fancy Halloween treat!

Candy corn ice cream can be the star of your Halloween party if you use it creatively! How about homemade ice cream sandwiches with dark chocolate cookies (which will make a beautiful contrast with the orange ice cream), rolled in some festive sprinkles? Or some fried ice cream — how it's made ensures it doesn't melt — that's ghoulishly colored on the inside? You could even set up a DIY sundae bar with whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and tons of trick-or-treat candy to pile on top. We bet your guests would go crazy for warm brownies with this ice cream crowning them, too. How about making tall, icy milkshakes with this delicious ice cream? Or making your own waffle cones, dipping them in melted chocolate, and topping them with perfect scoops of ice cream? The possibilities are near-endless!

Whether you end up with leftover candy corn and put it to good use or purposely buy too much so you can make a festive dessert that is perfect for your spooky Halloween activities, we think that candy corn ice cream will make believers out of those who previously weren't fans of the treat. Melted down from its controversial, waxy candy form, the delicious flavor comes through, making a dessert that will draw enthusiasm from former complainers.