The 2-Ingredient Ice Cream Bread I Love to Make

Sometimes you need something sweet, and not just something sweet—a fresh-baked good. I often find myself in this situation, without a treat already made and realizing that my favorite bakeries are closed for the day or out of reach. I’ll sometimes lean on a brownie mix (often to make chocolate cookies), but what if I’m not craving chocolate? Then it’s time for ice cream bread.

When I first heard about ice cream bread, I thought it was a typo. Those words don’t go together! Turns out I was wrong. This incredibly easy recipe is made using just two ingredients: self-rising flour and melted ice cream. That’s it! You simply mix the two together, dump the batter in a loaf pan, and bake. It could not be simpler.

Why You Should Make Ice Cream Bread

I’ve already sold you on a key component: ease. It takes maybe five minutes to throw together the batter and stick it in the oven. It’s also tasty! It has a texture similar to a less rich pound cake, with neat but tender slices. It’s also very lighty sweet, perfect if you don’t have a strong sweet tooth. 

If you love sweets, it’s easy to customize to your desired level of sweetness. I like to add lots of sprinkles because I love them, but I have more ideas after the recipe.

How To Make 2-Ingredient Ice Cream Bread

To make one loaf, you’ll need:

• 2 cups (1 pint) melted ice cream (I use vanilla)
• 1 1/2 cups (195g) self-rising flour
• 1/3 cup sprinkles, plus more for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Line the bottom and two longest sides with a strip of parchment paper for a clean release.

In a medium bowl, add the melted ice cream. You can let it sit out to thaw, or you can microwave it (in a microwave-safe bowl) at 50% power, stopping every two minutes to stir, until melted but still cool to the touch.

Add the self-rising flour and mix until no streaks of flour remain. If using the sprinkles, add them and stir just until combined.

Add the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. If desired, top with more sprinkles. Bake until a tester comes out of the center clean, 35 to 45 minutes. The bake time will depend on the size of your pan and your oven—around 35 minutes for a 9x5-inch pan (this will make a squat loaf), about 40 minutes for an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch pan, and about 45 minutes for an 8x4-inch pan. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Customize This Ice Cream Bread

I like desserts that aren’t too sweet, so I tend to keep it simple with vanilla ice cream and colorful sprinkles. To add an extra dose of sweetness and keep it on theme, serve it with a scoop of ice cream!

One easy way to customize the flavor is by changing the ice cream flavor. Note that the flavor tends to be subtle in the final bread, so I like to add an extra ingredient to emphasize it. For example, if you use chocolate ice cream, add 1/2 cup or so of chocolate chips for a perfectly sweet loaf.