Ice Cream French Toast

Confession: I love the idea of a fun breakfast for my kids, but I’m not a morning person. I love pancakes, waffles and omelets, but I can’t seem to find the time or energy to make them, unless it’s breakfast for dinner. That’s where ice cream French toast comes in. Made with just three ingredients, plus butter for the pan, it’s an indulgent breakfast that’s pleasantly quick and easy.

To make it happen, recipe creator Tyler Smith had the brilliant idea of dunking bread into melted ice cream. Sound strange? Classic French toast uses a custard of milk, sugar and eggs—the same ingredients found in ice cream—to soak sliced bread. As a bonus, your kids can help dip the bread in the melted ice cream, and you don’t have to worry about raw egg on their busy fingers. Bookmark this ice cream French toast treat for your next birthday, holiday breakfast or ho-hum Wednesday.

Ingredients for Ice Cream French Toast

• Challah bread: Challah is an enriched bread, made with eggs and butter or oil, so it’s soft and slightly sweet. This is a great way to use up day-old homemade challah, since slightly stale bread is more absorbent and can soak up even more ice cream.
• Vanilla ice cream: Ice cream acts as the custard in this recipe, replacing the traditional mix of eggs, milk and sugar. Regular vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream work here, but for the richest flavor, look for ice cream rather than frozen dairy dessert; the latter will have more air or oil, so when you melt it, it won’t have the right texture.
• Ground cinnamon: A classic French toast seasoning, cinnamon gives the dish a cozy, familiar taste.
• Butter: Cooking the soaked bread in butter adds flavor, keeps the bread from sticking and encourages a lovely brown crust.
• Toppings (optional): Most French toast accouterments work well here. A drizzle of the best maple syrup, a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and fresh berries are classic and elegant. You can also treat it like dessert and top it with sprinkles and whipped topping.

Directions

Step 1: Make the ice cream base

Place the ice cream in a large rectangular microwave-safe dish and microwave on low power for 60 seconds. Stir and repeat until the ice cream has liquefied. Stir half the cinnamon into the melted ice cream, and set the dish aside.

Step 2: Slice and soak the bread, transfer to skillet

Slice the challah bread into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low-medium heat. One by one, dunk the slices of bread into the ice cream, making sure they are fully coated.

Transfer the bread to the skillet.

Step 3: Cook the French toast

Cook for three to five minutes per side. When the cream of the ice cream starts to evaporate, this should be about the time to flip. Repeat with the remaining bread.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t crowd the pan. This will make the toast steam rather than brown, resulting in soggy French toast.

Step 4: Cool slightly, top and serve

Let the French toast cool on a rack for two to three minutes to keep the crust from getting soggy. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and serve with maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, berries, sprinkles or whipped topping.

Ice Cream French Toast Variations

• Change the ice cream: Vanilla’s delightful, but why not try caramel, chocolate or pumpkin? Stick with a smooth ice cream, as chunks of cookie dough or brownie would burn in the skillet.
• Spice it up: Replace the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice or augment it with a dash of nutmeg, cardamom or cloves.
• Make a single-serve version: You can scale this recipe down to a small bowl of melted ice cream and make just a few slices as a treat for yourself.

How to Store Ice Cream French Toast

Store leftover ice cream French toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. As it sits, it will soften, but reheating it will crisp it right back up.

Can you freeze ice cream French toast?

Freezing ice cream French toast is a great idea, and the texture won’t be affected. Freeze cooled slices of cooked French toast on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet until firm, about one hour. Then, transfer them to a large, airtight, freezer-proof container or bag and return to the freezer. This way, they won’t stick together and you can easily grab a single slice or two at a time. The frozen French toast will keep for up to two months.

How do you reheat ice cream French toast?

I like to reheat French toast in a skillet with a little butter so it gets crispy again. Simply heat butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook the bread for a few minutes on each side. If the toast begins to darken too quickly, lower the heat and flip more frequently. In a pinch, you can use the microwave, but the toast will be soft.

Ice Cream French Toast Tips

What other types of bread can you use for ice cream French toast?

You can use almost any kind of soft bread, such as sandwich bread, brioche, milk bread, potato bread or gluten-free bread, to make ice cream French toast. In general, it’s better to slice the bread yourself, since thicker slices can absorb more ice cream and won’t fall apart. But you can use plain sliced sandwich bread if it’s what you’ve got in the pantry. Simply reduce the cooking time by a minute or two so the toast doesn’t burn.

What should you serve with ice cream French toast?

You can serve ice cream French toast alongside other classic brunch recipes, such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and fruit salad, or just play up the toppings and let it be a meal unto itself. Lean into breakfast flavors and set out bowls of bacon bits, jam, jelly, fresh fruit or raisins. Or, steer toward the dessert angle and top as you would ice cream, with nuts, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips or cherries.

Watch How to Make Tyler Smith’s Ice Cream French Toast

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