German Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe: Oma's Spaghettieis

by: Gerhild Fulson  /  Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying spaghettieis (spaghetti ice cream), you're in for a delightful surprise.

This whimsical dessert, which looks like a bowl of spaghetti but is entirely sweet, has been a favorite in Germany since its creation in 1969. It was invented by Dario Fontanella, the son of an ice cream maker who owned Eis Fontanella, a popular ice cream shop in Mannheim, Germany.

Dario had the clever idea of pressing vanilla ice cream through a spätzle press to create the look of spaghetti noodles. The result was both fun and visually stunning, instantly becoming a hit with kids and adults alike!

In the recipe below, creamy vanilla ice cream forms the noodles, a sweet strawberry/orange sauce stands in for marinara sauce, Ferrero Rocher chocolates are the “meatballs,” and a sprinkle of shaved white chocolate or coconut shreds adds the final touch of "Parmesan."

It’s a fantastic dessert for gatherings and a wonderful way to bring a bit of German-inspired fun into your home.

Oma's Tips & Tricks

• Keep it Cold: Make sure everything is as cold as possible—plates, spätzle press (or potato ricer), and ice cream. This helps the ice cream hold its shape longer, especially as it’s being pressed into spaghetti-like strands.
• Choose Creamy Ice Cream: Vanilla gelato, the creamy choice often used in Germany, works wonderfully. Avoid ice creams that are icy or hard; a rich, creamy texture helps achieve those perfect “noodles.”
• Get Creative with Toppings: If you don't have Ferrero Rocher chocolates, try small truffles or chocolate-covered nuts as your “meatballs.” And if white chocolate isn't your favorite, a sprinkle of shredded coconut adds a nice touch.
• Serve Quickly: This dessert tends to melt fast, so have everything prepared and ready before you begin pressing the ice cream.

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Fun Variations to Try

• Pesto Twist: Swap the strawberry sauce for a green kiwi or pistachio sauce to make a “pesto” version. Blend kiwi or pistachios with a touch of sugar, and drizzle it over your ice cream noodles for a fresh twist.
• Chocolate Lover’s: Use chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla and top it with a warm chocolate sauce. Garnish with dark chocolate shavings, and you have a deliciously indulgent “chocolate spaghetti.”
• Berry Bonanza: Mix things up by using a variety of berries in the sauce—strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries all add unique flavors and colors.
• Fruit Salad Style: Top the ice cream noodles with small, diced fruits such as mango, pineapple, or peach for a tropical, colorful spin.

Spaghettieis is a delightful way to surprise guests and make dessert extra special. It’s perfect for family gatherings, birthdays, or even just a fun weekend treat. Plus, it brings a bit of German tradition to your table in the most playful way.

Enjoy making it and watch everyone’s face light up when they realize this "spaghetti" is actually dessert!

How to Make the Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe

As always, start by gathering your ingredients.

In this case, make sure everything is SUPER cold. Ideally, keep items in the fridge/freezer even as you make the dessert. Pull things in and out as you need them. 

Start with a scoop of whipped cream onto the ice-cold plate.

If you wish, you can omit the whipped cream and just do spaghetti ice cream, but it's a lot of ice cream, and having that dollop of whipped cream in the center actually makes the dessert seem lighter than it is.

Put the frozen ice cream into the freezing cold spätzle press and press to create the strands of spaghetti to cover the dollop of whipped cream. 

Cover the whipped cream completely. You can see here that the ice cream is starting to melt a bit because I was taking too long to both make the dessert and grab photos at the same time. And, I had bright lights on and it was a hot day. 

This amplifies my comments about keeping everything as cold as you can for as long as you can :)

Pour the cold strawberry sauce over the 'spaghetti', sprinkle the white chocolate shavings or coconut shreds over top and add the 'meatballs'.

And, SERVE IMMEDIATELY!

Yes, I waited a bit to get the photo set up and you can see the ice cream already starting to melt.

At least when you order this in a restaurant, you'll know that it's freshly made! This is one dessert that can't be made ahead of time.

Thankfully, it's easy to prepare. With the fruit sauce made ahead of time, and everything waiting in the fridge or freezer until it's needed, this is a fun dessert to make and to serve. 

Ready to make this Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe?

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Print Recipe

German Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe: Oma's Spaghettieis

Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe: Vanilla ice cream pressed into spaghetti strands, topped with strawberry sauce, chocolates, and white chocolate shavings—a playful German treat! It's spaghettieis, just like they serve in Germany.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time none

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 - 10 oz (227 - 283 g) fresh strawberries, quartered
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) orange juice
• 3 tbsp (39 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 3 - 4 cups (450 - 600 g) vanilla ice cream
• FERRERO ROCHER chocolates (optional)
• white chocolate shavings or coconut shreds, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Place 4 dessert plates and a spätzle press in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
2. Put the strawberries and orange juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1½ tablespoons (19.5 grams) of the sugar, or to taste, and blend again. Place the strawberry sauce in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Whip the heavy cream, adding the remaining 1½ tablespoons (19.5 grams) sugar, or to taste, until stiff.
4. Spoon a quarter of the whipped cream on each plate.
5. Fill the cold spätzle press with ice cream. Squeeze the press and let the ice cream noodles cover the whipped cream.
6. Pour the strawberry sauce over top. Place a few FERRERO ROCHER chocolates, if using, on the sauce and sprinkle the white chocolate shavings or coconut shreds over top.
7. Serve immediately.

Notes/Hints:

• Use a potato ricer with fairly large holes if you don’t have a spätzle press.
• A creamy ice cream is best. Vanilla gelato is used in Germany.
• Make sure that everything is really, really cold and keep items and ingredients in the fridge/freezer until needed.
• This dessert starts to melt quickly, so have everything ready to go.

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German Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe: Oma's Spaghettieis

By Oma Gerhild Fulson

Spaghetti Ice Cream Recipe: Vanilla ice cream pressed into spaghetti strands, topped with strawberry sauce, chocolates, and white chocolate shavings—a playful German treat!

Ingredients: strawberries, orange juice, sugar, whipping cream, vanilla ice cream, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, white chocolate shavings,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.