Barbra Streisand Favorite Food: 12 Cozy Comforts Behind the Legend, From Her Famous No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream to Brooklyn Cheesecake

Barbra Streisand favorite food stories are pure comfort, and fans keep searching for them. The Brooklyn-born star, who shared her life in the 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra, has never hidden her sweet tooth. Her deepest love is coffee ice cream, so much so that her own no-churn version was shared in a 1967 celebrity cookbook. She has also named a deli sandwich, a steamed bun and a few old-school candies among her favorites, and she recalled scrappy childhood dishes made with canned corn and a boxed pancake mix. Below are 12 cozy recipes inspired by those real stories, plus two Brooklyn bakery classics from the borough where she was born. Every dish is simple enough for a weeknight, and each one comes with a short shopping list and easy steps, so you can taste a little of her world at home..

Barbra Streisand Favorite Food: Her No-Churn Instant Coffee Ice Cream

This is the dessert that started it all. As Tasting Table reports, her favorite sweet is a coffee “instant ice cream” that appeared in the 1967 cookbook Singers & Swingers in the Kitchen. It needs no machine at all. Marshmallows melt into warm milk, instant coffee adds the flavor, and whipped cream makes it light and fluffy once frozen. She reportedly liked it best with salty, crunchy pretzels on the side. If you want one Barbra Streisand favorite food to try first, make it this one, because it takes ten minutes of work and tastes like a coffee shop treat..

You will need: 2 teaspoons instant coffee, 1 cup whole milk, 24 large marshmallows, 1 cup cold heavy cream, pretzels for serving.

How to make it: 1. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it steams. 2. Add the marshmallows and stir until fully melted. 3. Take it off the heat, stir in the instant coffee and cool for about 15 minutes. 4. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the coffee mixture. 5. Pour into a loaf pan, cover and freeze until firm, ideally overnight.

Coffee Ice Cream Sundae With Salty Pretzel Crunch

The pretzel pairing is the most fun detail in her recipe story, and it works for a reason. Salt makes coffee taste rounder and sweeter, while the crunch breaks up all that creamy texture. This sundae turns her habit into a soda-fountain moment: scoops of coffee ice cream, crushed pretzels, a thin ribbon of fudge and a few whole twists on top. It is quick, cheap and great for movie night. Kids love building their own, and grown-ups love that it feels a little nostalgic without being fussy. It is the most playful way to serve a Barbra Streisand favorite food at a party.

You will need: Coffee ice cream, 1 cup mini pretzel twists, 3 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Crush half the pretzels in a bag with a rolling pin. 2. Warm the fudge sauce until pourable. 3. Layer ice cream, crushed pretzels and fudge in tall glasses. 4. Finish with whole pretzel twists and a tiny pinch of flaky salt.

Barbra Streisand Favorite Food Twist: Affogato Over Coffee Ice Cream

For a coffee ice cream fan, an affogato is the ultimate two-ingredient dessert. The name means drowned in Italian, and that is exactly what happens: hot espresso pours over a cold scoop and melts it into a silky sauce. Using coffee ice cream instead of vanilla doubles down on the flavor she adores. Serve it in small glasses right after dinner, with a spoon and maybe a crisp cookie. It takes two minutes, feels very fancy, and is the easiest way to end a cozy meal on a high note.

You will need: 2 scoops coffee or vanilla ice cream, 1 to 2 shots hot espresso or very strong coffee, shaved dark chocolate (optional).

How to make it: 1. Chill small glasses or cups in the freezer for 10 minutes. 2. Add one or two scoops of ice cream to each glass. 3. Brew the espresso and pour it straight over the ice cream at the table. 4. Top with shaved chocolate and eat right away.

Barbra Streisand Favorite Food Sandwich: Turkey, Coleslaw and Russian Dressing on Rye

When a late-night host asked for her favorite sandwich during a quick-fire question segment in 2023, she did not hesitate: dark-meat turkey with coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye. It is a cousin of the classic deli Rachel, and it is wonderfully messy. The coleslaw adds crunch and tang, the dressing adds creamy sweetness, and toasted rye holds it all together. Of every Barbra Streisand favorite food on this list, this one is the easiest lunch upgrade. It is also a smart way to use up leftover roast turkey.

You will need: 4 slices rye bread, 8 ounces sliced dark-meat roast turkey, 1 cup creamy coleslaw, 3 tablespoons Russian dressing, butter, pickles for serving.

How to make it: 1. Butter the rye and toast it in a skillet until golden. 2. Spread Russian dressing on two slices. 3. Pile on the turkey, then a thick layer of coleslaw. 4. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve with pickles.

Creamy Corn Soup Like Her Childhood Bowl

In her memoir she looks back on a very humble childhood soup: canned corn warmed up in milk. Nothing more. This version keeps that simple spirit and adds just a few extras for richness, like butter, a little onion and a pinch of cayenne. Blending part of the soup makes it thick and velvety without any flour. It is the kind of bowl that costs very little, comes together in 20 minutes and tastes like a hug on a cold night. Serve it with crackers or warm bread. Few dishes show how simple a Barbra Streisand favorite food can be.

You will need: 2 cans sweet corn (drained), 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup broth, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion (chopped), salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and soften the onion for 5 minutes. 2. Add the corn, milk and broth and simmer gently for 10 minutes. 3. Blend half the soup until smooth, then stir it back in. 4. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne and serve hot.

Golden Corn Fritters From a Pancake Mix

Another memoir memory: she made corn fritters by stirring corn into a boxed pancake mix and frying spoonfuls until crisp. It is a brilliant shortcut, because the mix already has the flour, leavening and a touch of sugar. The result is fluffy inside and lacy at the edges. Serve them with a drizzle of maple syrup for breakfast or with sour cream and chives as a snack. Any plain pancake mix works, and leftover fritters reheat well in a hot oven. It is a Barbra Streisand favorite food memory anyone can recreate for a few dollars.

You will need: 1 cup pancake mix, 2/3 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (canned and drained or thawed), oil for shallow frying, salt.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the pancake mix, milk and egg into a thick batter. 2. Fold in the corn and a pinch of salt. 3. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat. 4. Drop in spoonfuls and fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. 5. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Broiled Chocolate Frosting Cake, Her Freezer Trick

This is one of the most charming kitchen confessions in her book. She would take a frozen chocolate cake and slide it under the broiler until the icing fizzled and turned crackly and crystallized on top. It sounds odd, but it works like a quick brulee. The frosting caramelizes into a crisp shell while the cake underneath stays cold and fudgy. You can do it with a homemade sheet cake too. Just watch it closely, because a broiler moves fast and the top only needs a minute or two.

You will need: 1 frosted chocolate sheet cake (homemade or bakery), well chilled or frozen, vanilla ice cream for serving.

How to make it: 1. Set an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler. 2. Place the cold cake in a metal pan on the rack. 3. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly, until the frosting bubbles and crackles. 4. Let it rest for 2 minutes, then slice and serve.

Barbra Streisand Favorite Food Treat: Scones With Clotted Cream

Scones with clotted cream are on her list of loves, and it is easy to see why. A warm, tender scone split open and piled with thick cream and jam is one of the coziest afternoon treats there is. Clotted cream is richer than whipped cream, almost like soft butter, and you can find it in many grocery stores or make a quick version at home. Bake these on a slow weekend, put the kettle on, and turn an ordinary afternoon into a little tea party.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoons cold butter, 3/4 cup cream, 1 egg, clotted cream and strawberry jam.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425 F. 2. Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. 3. Stir in the cream and egg just until a soft dough forms. 4. Pat 1 inch thick, cut rounds and bake 12 to 14 minutes. 5. Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.

Fluffy Cha Siu Bao, Cantonese Barbecue Pork Buns

Her favorites are not all sweets. She has also named Cantonese cha siu bao, the soft steamed buns filled with sweet and savory barbecue pork. The dough is pillowy and slightly sweet, and the filling is sticky, glossy and rich. They take a little time, but the dough is forgiving and the buns freeze beautifully, so one batch covers many lazy lunches. If you are short on time, use store-bought barbecue pork from an Asian market and focus on the dough. This savory Barbra Streisand favorite food proves her taste goes far beyond dessert.

You will need: 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 cups diced Chinese barbecue pork, 2 tablespoons hoisin, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch.

How to make it: 1. Knead flour, yeast, sugar and water into a smooth dough and let it rise 1 hour. 2. Simmer the pork with hoisin, oyster sauce and cornstarch until glossy, then cool. 3. Knead in the baking powder and divide into 12 balls. 4. Fill each round, pleat to close and rest 15 minutes. 5. Steam over high heat for 12 minutes.

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Chews

Old-fashioned chocolate peanut chews are another treat she has named among the foods she loves, a candy many East Coast kids grew up with. This homemade take is easy: a chewy honey and peanut butter center packed with roasted peanuts, coated in dark chocolate. No candy thermometer is needed. Cut them into small bars, keep them in the fridge, and you have a nostalgic sweet ready for movie nights, lunch boxes or little holiday gift bags. Any Barbra Streisand favorite food list would feel incomplete without them.

You will need: 1 cup honey, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups roasted peanuts (chopped), 2 cups crisp rice cereal, 12 ounces dark chocolate, 1 teaspoon coconut oil.

How to make it: 1. Warm the honey and peanut butter together until smooth. 2. Stir in the peanuts and rice cereal. 3. Press into a lined 8 inch pan and chill for 1 hour. 4. Cut into small bars. 5. Dip in melted chocolate with coconut oil and chill until set.

Chocolate Rugelach, a Brooklyn Bakery Classic

Rugelach are a staple of Jewish bakeries all over Brooklyn, the borough where she was born in 1942. These little rolled crescents have a tender cream cheese dough and a filling of chocolate, sugar and cinnamon that turns gooey in the oven. They look impressive on a dessert tray but are very forgiving to make. The dough can be made days ahead, and the baked cookies freeze well, which makes them a perfect holiday baking project to share with neighbors.

You will need: 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup butter (both softened), 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1 egg for brushing.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese and butter, then mix in the flour. 2. Divide into 4 discs and chill 1 hour. 3. Roll each into a circle, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and chocolate. 4. Cut into 12 wedges and roll up from the wide end. 5. Brush with egg and bake at 350 F for 20 to 22 minutes.

Classic New York Cheesecake for a Brooklyn Finale

No Brooklyn-inspired menu feels complete without a slice of dense, creamy New York cheesecake. This style is tall, rich and tangy, with a simple graham cracker crust and a smooth top. Low oven heat and a slow cool-down are the secrets to avoiding cracks. Serve it plain or with berries. If you love this flavor but want a smaller treat, try these cheesecake cookies too. Either way, it is a sweet way to finish a menu built around a Barbra Streisand favorite food or two.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons melted butter, 32 ounces cream cheese (softened), 1 1/4 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons flour.

How to make it: 1. Press crumbs and butter into a 9 inch springform pan and bake 10 minutes at 325 F. 2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add eggs one at a time. 3. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and flour. 4. Pour over the crust and bake about 70 minutes, until the center barely jiggles. 5. Cool in the turned-off oven for 1 hour, then chill overnight.