Ice Cream Brioche French Toast
Odyssey | Nubya Garcia
In its namesake language, French toast is called “pain perdu” which directly translates to “lost bread,” because it is typically made with day-old bread. But let me tell you, if you have not yet tried this Ice Cream Brioche French toast, it is you who are lost, my friend.
This Ice Cream Brioche French Toast makes use of a practice some restaurants follow, which is to use vanilla ice cream for the batter. I also blend with the ice cream method with the traditional French toast ingredients of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon to get the maximum depth of flavor and the perfect custard texture in the interior. I like the French toast batter to err on the side of more eggs to make it more comforting and hearty.
My Ice Cream Brioche French Toast speaks volumes through the silence that follows when loved ones take their first bites.
Making Ice Cream Brioche French Toast
The bread is a critical component of French toast. I find that a loaf of brioche has the sweetness and fluffiness that complements the French toast flavors well and allows the batter to penetrate rapidly. Challah is also a superb choice.Most any bread will work–even whole wheat varieties can be delicious with this recipe–but I would suggest soaking the bread longer if using a denser variety.
Choose high-quality, premium, full-fat vanilla ice cream. I use a local brand, Sassy Cow. It is the best vanilla ice cream I’ve found that can be purchased in a store due to its full vanilla flavor and pleasant melt texture.
Have the ingredients at room temperature to make the cinnamon less likely to clump, and add it at the last possible moment so as to diffuse it through the batter as effectively as possible.
About the music: Odyssey by Nubya Garcia
Odyssey is an adventurous, dynamic album featuring several vocalists and orchestral arrangements by saxophonist Nubya Garcia. The first track is “Dawn” and features esperanza spalding’s beautiful vocals. This is one of my favorite album-recipe pairings because the first track, “Dawn,” aptly fits for the sun rising as I whip up French toast batter. Nubya Garcia’s airy saxophone leavens the French toast and serves as a great complement to morning cooking of a sweet breakfast treat.
This recipe had the honor of being featured on WORT, Madison’s community radio station, in April 2026. The jazz program Journeys into Jazz was kind enough to host me to talk about the cookbook and this recipe.
On the griddle
Genuine Dad Equipment Recommendation: Electric griddle
Hello, dads and dad-adjacents. Here’s a Genuine Dad Equipment Recommendation* for your kitchen. A nonstick electric griddle is fantastic for precisely controlling heat, easy cleanup, and making foods that feed a family in a flash. It’s also relatively energy-efficient. We use our electric griddle for French toast, pancakes, grilled sandwiches (grilled cheese, grilled PB&J, avocado melts…), quesadillas, and more. Use with a silicone spatula, clean gently, and they last for 10+ years in my experience. In our kitchen, we use the Presto Electric Griddle (Amazon link).
This griddle is superb because of the plastic guard around the edge which is not heated, allowing for a safe edge to grab onto so that the griddle can be held steady while flipping pancakes or sandwiches. As of writing it’s available for $32 which is a steal for such a versatile kitchen gadget that we use several times per week. I can also attest to Presto’s customer service. I once had a griddle fail under warranty and they replaced it with an easy process that was much faster than anticipated.
*Genuine Dad Equipment Recommendations are real, tested recommendations for equipment I’ve used for years in my kitchen. These recommendations are exclusive to Dads Jazz Cookbook. I only recommend products that I have personally found to be durable, high-utility, and nearly essential for my cooking.
Album Pairing: Odyssey |Nubya Garcia
🎵 Listen to the album while you cook or eat 🎵
Cook Ice Cream Brioche French Toast
Ice Cream Brioche French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices brioche
- ½ C vanilla ice cream melted
- ½ C skim milk at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Butter or margarine for griddle
Instructions
- In a bowl that is wide enough to dunk bread slices, microwave the ice cream until it has just barely melted.
- Begin heating an electric griddle to 300° F.
- Add the ½ C milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 3 eggs, and salt to the bowl with the ice cream. Whisk with a fork until combined.
- Add cinnamon and whisk with a fork until combined.
- Spread butter or margarine on griddle.
- Dunk bread, one slice at a time, in the batter, turning over and piercing with a fork to allow the batter to permeate the bread. Place each slice on the griddle once sufficiently saturated. After dunking the last slice, any leftover batter can be slowly poured onto the bread on the griddle.
- Turn the bread after a few minutes and remove from the griddle when the french toast has reached desired doneness. To test for doneness, press on the center of the bread with the edge of a spatula. French toast should have some springiness and not be too firm. Leave slices on the griddle on lowest heat to keep warm before serving, and eat immediately after removing from the griddle.
Notes
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