Do you really need an Ice Cream Cone recipe? Are homemade ice cream cones really worth the effort? Yes! Store-bought cones are fine and all, but crisp, sweet and fresh homemade cones are an extra special way to enjoy your favorite ice cream.

If you can bake cookies, you can make waffle cones.

The difference between cones that you make yourself and the ones you buy in the store is like the difference between packaged cookies and homemade cookies. No comparison!

Tips for making homemade Ice Cream Cones:

This ice cream cone recipe is really more like a pancake batter than a cookie batter. You don’t even need a mixer. The batter is mixed by hand, in one bowl, and it comes together in mere minutes.
The batter will keep in the refrigerator for several days if you want to make just a couple of cones at a time.
To bake the cookies I used a Pizelle/Waffle Cookie Iron. But you don’t need a special appliance to make these cones. You can spread the batter onto baking sheets and bake them in the oven. Your cones won’t have the waffley ridges, but they’ll still taste great.
My Pizzelle maker has two compartments, each one measuring about 5″ across. You can adjust the amount of batter per cone if your waffle cone maker is larger or if you’re making them in the oven and you want to make bigger cones.
Do resist the urge to spread the cookies too thick. More is not always better. The batter should be super-thin so the cones bake up very crisp. You want the cone to crack when you bite it.
If a cookie starts to harden before you shape it return it to the oven for a minute or two to soften and then continue.
You can create ice cream bowls by draping the warm cookies over the back of a small bowl.

Scroll through the step-by-step photos to see how to make homemade ice cream cones:

Once you gather your ingredients, you’re just about done with the recipe.

Whisk the flour into the dry ingredients

Let the batter rest at least a 1/2 hour before baking. It can also be refrigerated for several days.

A cookie scoop is perfect for measuring the batter.

Ready to shape the cones

You can shape the waffle cones by hand. Go back and tweak the shape before the cones is completely cooled.

The recipe makes about from 12-18 waffle cones depending on the size you make them (you might mess up a few, I did).

If you don’t need that many cones you can either make half the recipe, or store the batter in the refrigerator and make as many cones as you want for that day. Since there is no leavening in this batter, it also freezes very well.

I tried freezing the baked cones but they ended up getting soggy. It’s best to make as many cones as you’ll eat within a few days or refrigerate/freeze the remaining batter for later.

You can also drape the warm cookies over the back of a small bowl to form edible ice cream dishes. Another option is to leave the cookies flat and just enjoy them as a cookie, or use two cookies to create an ice cream sandwich!

If you’re a chocoholic, you might like these Chocolate Waffle Cone Bowls.

Now, all this recipe needs is a big ole’ scoop of ice cream. How about some Homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream?

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please consider leaving a 5-star review.

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4.53 from 86 reviews

Ice Cream Cone Recipe

By: Eileen Gray

Is it really worth the effort to make your own ice cream cones? Yes! Pre-made cones are fine and all, but crisp, sweet and fresh homemade cones are an extra special way to enjoy your favorite ice cream.

Prep Time10

Bake Time1 30

Additional Time30

Total Time2 10

16 cones

Ingredients

4 oz brown sugar (½ cup)
4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
2 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon table salt
4 oz whole milk (½ cup)
2 oz unsalted butter (¼ cup, melted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 oz all purpose flour (1 cup)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together4 oz brown sugar, 4 oz granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/8 teaspoon table salt, 4 oz whole milk, 2 oz unsalted butter 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
Whisk in 5 oz all purpose flour until combined. The batter will look like pancake batter.
Set aside the batter for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Return the batter to room temperature before making the cookies.
If you have a pizzelle/cookie iron, preheat that. If you don't have a pizzelle iron, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and preheat the oven to 350 °F.
If using the pizzelle iron bake the cookies according to the directions for your model. Remove the cookie from the iron and set it on a work surface. Pour another cookie and while that bakes, wrap the first cookie into a cone shape. Continue working with two cookies at a time. While one is baking, form the other into a cone. As the cones cool continue tweaking the shape until they are set.
If baking the cones in the oven, work with 2 cookies at a time on each baking sheet. For each cookie, spread two tablespoons batter to a 5-6″ circle. Bake one sheet of cookies until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. While the first set of cookies is baking, spread the cookies onto the other sheet. Remove the first sheet from the oven and put in the second sheet. While the second sheet is baking form the cones from the first sheet. Continue working with the sets of cookies until all the batter is used up. (see note)
Cool completely. Store at room temperature in a tightly covered container.