Ice Cream French Toast (Printable View)

Thick-cut bread soaked in creamy melted ice cream mixture, cooked to golden perfection with caramelized edges.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 8 slices thick-cut bread (brioche or challah), slightly stale

→ Custard

02 - 2 cups premium ice cream (vanilla or preferred flavor), melted
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
06 - Pinch of salt

→ For Cooking

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ To Serve (optional)

08 - Maple syrup
09 - Fresh berries
10 - Powdered sugar

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together melted ice cream, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
02 - Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter.
03 - Dip each bread slice into the custard, soaking 10–15 seconds per side, then allow excess to drip off.
04 - Place soaked bread on skillet and cook 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and caramelized; add more butter as needed for subsequent batches.
05 - Transfer to wire rack or plate and serve warm, optionally topped with maple syrup, fresh berries, and powdered sugar.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • The melted ice cream creates a custard that's impossibly creamy without any fussy whisking or cream.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a combination of caramelized butter and vanilla dreams, and the whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes.
  • It transforms stale bread into something so delicious that guests always ask for the secret.
02 -
  • Stale bread makes a massive difference—fresh, soft bread will turn to mush no matter how careful you are, so let your bread sit out overnight or use day-old slices.
  • Medium heat is non-negotiable here because the ice cream custard burns easily, and you need those 2–3 minutes per side to develop the color and texture that makes this dish special.
03 -
  • If your ice cream is too soft when you go to dip, pop it back in the freezer for a few minutes—you want it melted but still thick enough to coat the bread properly.
  • Butter the skillet between batches and listen for that gentle sizzle when the bread hits the pan; it's the sound of perfection forming.
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