The Throwback Ice Cream Bread TikTok Is Actually Loving

From '50s cat eye makeup to '70s disco jumpsuits, the trendsetters of the 21st century love a good fashion throwback — but these days people are even going retro in the kitchen. Lately, TikTok has been absolutely obsessed with whipping up vintage recipes like colorful and sweet angel sherbert and old-fashioned candy-inspired butterscotch pie (per TikTok). But while many treats from yesteryear are now being enjoyed by snackers of today, few are quite as unusual and loved by TikTok as user @bdylanhollis' ice cream bread.

Of course, putting ice cream into an oven to allegedly bake it into warm homemade bread does sound more like a recipe for a mess than for a delicious treat. But TikTok is here to assure you that (unlike tuna and Jell-O pie per BuzzFeed) this dessert is far from an offending vintage snack. According to @bdylanhollis, the ice cream bread recipe not only works but makes a treat that is "perfectly sweet and soft and marvelous." Here's how you can transform your favorite frozen dessert into a deliciously sprinkle-filled baked good.

A recipe TikToker @bdylanhollis discovered from a 1978 cookbook, to prepare your own loaf of ice cream bread you'll need flour, baking powder, full-fat ice cream, and (for a little extra fun) sprinkles. After allowing your ice cream to soften, you should stir in your remaining ingredients before pouring the ice cream mixture into a greased bread loaf pan. Then, once you add on the sprinkles and bake your dessert for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, you can cut and enjoy a slice of thick ice cream bread.

But when you start munching on your seemingly physics-defying treat, aside from being grateful that it doesn't take six hours to make like ice cream pie, you may find yourself wondering how this recipe actually works. Considering that ice cream already features ingredients like fat and dairy, by using, room temperature, full-fat ice cream as the dessert's base, half of the baking work is already done for you. This is why this treat not only bakes well despite featuring so few ingredients. In fact, other variations of this retro recipe like one from Ben & Jerry's use only self-rising flour and ice cream. However, as simple as this recipe may be, there are a few tips and tricks to know if want to successfully bake up delectable ice cream bread.

Perhaps the most important thing to know about ice cream bread is that you can't take the easy way out and simply melt your ice cream in the microwave. According to Ben & Jerry's, melting your ice cream with this kitchen tool will disrupt its molecular structure and, by extension, the ice cream bread's quality. And the same outlet also notes that you need to ensure you avoid over-mixing your ingredients. After your flour and ice cream are mixed into a lump-less batter, you need to stop stirring.

With all that serious stuff out of the way, here are some fun ice cream bread-making tips for you. For one thing, you don't have to limit yourself to using only vanilla ice cream. Instead, you can try out the recipe with any full-fat ice cream flavor. And, if you're looking for inspiration, users in the TikTok video's comment section had some tasty ideas including coffee, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream bread. As for serving and eating this ice cream treat, like all bread, you can spread delicious toppings on your dessert. For example, Ben & Jerry's recommends adding a dab of your favorite ice cream flavor to the baked good. And one TikTok commenter even suggested using ice cream bread as an irresistible base for French toast (which at least one YouTuber has tried). So, while seemingly impractical, this vintage TikTok recipe will help you make a versatile and beautiful treat.