No, you're not seeing things, the title of this recipe is correct: this French toast is made by literally dipping bread slices into melted ice cream.
I wish I could say I came up with this idea myself, but I didn't. The first time I heard of this was when we were eating at a restaurant called Pickles during a vacation in Seaside, FL. I was thinking about this French toast the other day and couldn't get it out of my head, so I knew I'd have to try to recreate it in my own kitchen.
When you think about it, it's really not that crazy of an idea. A typical French toast coating is made by mixing together eggs and some kind of milk or cream, right? Most ice cream bases start with a lightly-cooked custard of egg yolks and a combination of cream and milk. The difference between the two is that the ice cream base is cooked while the usual French toast mixture is raw, and of course you have the sugar and other added flavorings in the ice cream, making this toast a bit sweeter.
The result is a sweet and indulgent breakfast perfect for those weekend mornings when you want to make something a little extra special. I love the extra "Hmm" factor that using melted ice cream adds to the dish. It'll make people say "Hmm... what's that I'm tasting?" when they bite into it, because it'll taste like a delicious French toast, but juuust a little different resulting from the cooked custard base of the ice cream.
The best part? It only takes 2 ingredients (plus toppings) to whip this together. If you wanted this to be extra special, you could always use your favorite homemade (egg-based) ice cream recipe.
This is so ridiculously easy to make, as all you have to do is empty a pint of vanilla ice cream (make sure you get the good stuff with eggs or yolks in the ingredients list for that true French toast taste and texture) into a saucepan, let it melt, dip your bread, and then toast it! I used vanilla ice cream, but there are lots of flavors out there you could use that would be delicious.
This French toast is sweet enough on its own with some fresh sliced fruit or a smear of butter, though it's also amazing with a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Enjoy!
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Melted Ice Cream French Toast
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 10-12 pieces 1x
Ingredients
- 10-12 pieces of Texas Toast or similar thick white bread
- 1 pint good quality vanilla ice cream*
- Butter, maple syrup, and/or fresh fruit for topping
Instructions
- In a shallow saucepan with a wide bottom, melt the entire pint of ice cream over low heat. Don't allow the ice cream to boil.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle pan on medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Dip both sides of the toast into the melted ice cream mixture and immediately place onto the skillet or griddle. Cook on one side until desired toasty-ness, and then flip the slices and brown the other side.
- Serve warm with your choice of topping such as butter, maple syrup, or fresh fruit.
Notes
* Look for a vanilla ice cream that has eggs or egg yolks in the ingredients list for the most authentic "French toast" flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
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marcie
I've never heard of such a thing but if it involves ice cream and french toast, I'm on board! This would make one very special breakfast!
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
Erin, thanks so much for stopping by my blog 'G'day Souffle.' This French Toast recipe looks so easy and delicious. Maybe add a few strawberries and I'd then be in seventh heaven! By the way, I am now following you on Instagram.
Erin
You're welcome, I love your blog! I've followed you back on Instagram. 🙂
Serge
I did this twice. The first time I dipped brioche bread into melted vanilla ice cream. I found this method used too much ice cream and caused the French toast to be soggy.
The second time I tried it, I simply spread a thin layer of the melted ice cream on brioche bread like butter. I made sure to cover the surfaces of each slice completely but didn't leave room for any of the ice cream to drip off of the bread. It was absolutely perfect this way.
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Girl, you're killing me with this! Melted ice cream for breakfast? Huge yes. Yesyesyes. This is amazing! I'm loving this recipe so much 🙂
Erin
Right?? It's totally crazy but at the same time not so crazy, ha!