Ice Cream French Toast (Printable)

Custardy, caramelized French toast made rich with melted ice cream for an indulgent brunch experience.

# What You 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:

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 of butter.
03 - Dip each slice of bread into the custard, soaking for 10 to 15 seconds per side, allowing excess to drip off.
04 - Place soaked bread on the skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and caramelized, adding remaining butter as needed.
05 - Transfer to a wire rack or plate and serve warm, optionally topped with maple syrup, fresh berries, and powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The melted ice cream creates an impossibly silky custard that makes each bite feel like dessert for breakfast.
  • It actually comes together faster than regular French toast because you're not fussing with tempering eggs and milk.
  • Even if your bread isn't perfectly fresh, the richness of the custard prevents any sogginess.
02 -
  • Slightly stale bread is genuinely non-negotiable; use day-old bread and your toast will stay custardy inside instead of turning into a soggy mess.
  • Don't skip the wire rack after cooking because resting the finished slices prevents steam from making them soggy while you finish the batch.
03 -
  • Let your ice cream soften completely at room temperature before whisking it in; if it's still chunky, the custard won't be smooth and you'll get weird icy bits in your toast.
  • Medium heat is your friend here because too-high heat will burn the butter and toast exterior before the custard inside has time to set.
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