61 Breakfast Toast Ideas That Go Beyond Jam and Avocado
For many of us, toast is the great unifier. Comforting and easy, it’s a familiar breakfast go-to that can be enjoyed in countless ways. From cheese and fruit toppings to salty-and-sweet combinations, the possibilities are endless. To help you take your breakfast toast game to the next level, we’ve gathered over 60 inspired ways to elevate your crunchy bread.
The Best Bread for Toast
The type of bread used for your toast should inform your toppings. A sliced loaf or seedy multi-grain is suited to classic toppings such as eggs and slices of cheese, but also pairs well with peanut butter and as a base for avocado toast. Alternatively, go with a rustic sourdough, miche, or an Italian loaf; slice it fairly thick for avocado toasts, rub with half a ripe tomato, Spanish style, or spread with ricotta and top with hearty sautéed greens or figs and honey.
Breakfast Toast Tips
To set yourself up for success, all of your toppings should be ready before you press the button on your toaster. Here’s what that means depending on the ingredients you’re working with:
- Cheese should be sliced or crumbled
- Fruit and vegetables should be rinsed, peeled, and sliced
- Any ingredients that need to be cooked (bacon, sautéed greens, beans, or eggs) should be finished and waiting for the toast; if you’re frying or scrambling an egg, it can be the last thing you do while the bread is in the toaster
- Avoid watery toppings; sauté (don’t steam) greens and fry (don’t poach) eggs unless you carefully blot them dry before placing on toast
- If using the broiler or toaster oven to melt a topping, make sure you’ve lightly toasted the bread first; this way, the bread underneath the topping won’t be soggy
Breakfast Toasts With Cheese
Want to please a crowd come breakfast? Top crunchy toasts with plenty of cheese. Start with soft milk options, like ricotta and chèvre, and layer from there.
Some delicious combinations include:
- Ricotta + lemon + basil + honey
- Ricotta + sliced pears + walnuts + honey
- Ricotta + roasted cherry tomatoes + extra-virgin olive oil
- Soft goat cheese + figs + thyme (try this broiled)
- Thinly-sliced ham + a cornichon or other pickle + slice of Swiss cheese on top (melt)
- Sautéed wild mushrooms + fontina or taleggio cheese (make in a toaster oven or under the broiler)
- Fried egg + chili crisp
- Squeeze of lemon or lime + slices of fresh chile + cilantro leaves
- Bacon slices
- Tomato slices
- Roasted carrots + goat cheese
- Cucumber + salmon roe + shiso leaf
- Fresh pea shoots + thinly-sliced radishes
- Thinly-sliced nori + sesame seeds
- Toasted sunflower seeds + sumac + fresh sprouts
- Cooked corn kernels + cilantro leaves + light dusting of cayenne
- Coconut oil + hot sauce
- Sliced jalapeños + Monterey jack cheese (melted under the broiler)
- Bacon + crumbled blue cheese + halved cherry tomatoes + hard-boiled egg wedges (start with mashed avocado for a Cobb salad on toast)
- Fried egg (or try our Peekaboo Avocado Toast variation)
- Bacon + eggs + spinach
- Smoked salmon + lemon + sliced scallions
- Smoked trout + cream cheese + horseradish + cucumber
- Cream cheese + everything bagel seasoning mix + tomato or red onion slices
- Crisp bacon + maple syrup
- Eggs
- Goldenrod Yogurt + fruit + honey
- Smashed tomatoes + bacon + chopped parsley
- Baked beans + bacon
- Roasted tomatoes + sliced breakfast sausage
- Roasted tomatoes + sautéed mushrooms
- Roasted tomatoes + fried egg
- Orange marmalade + bacon
- Orange marmalade + sliced breakfast sausage
- Smoked trout + grated horseradish + pickled beet or onions
- Salami + grainy mustard + cucumber
- Roast beef + horseradish + crème fraîche
- Smoked fish + juniper salt
- Gravlax + butter + dill
- Shrimp salad + cucumbers + chopped chives
- Anchovy fillets + unsalted butter
- Tomato half (rubbed into the toast) + extra-virgin olive oil
- Serrano ham or prosciutto
- Cannellini or borlotti beans (mashed with olive oil and rosemary or sage) + fried egg or sautéed greens + a shaving of parmesan
- Crisp-fried sage leaves
- Feta cheese + cucumber + extra-virgin olive oil (optional: add sliced tomato)
- Labneh + grapes + almonds
- Coconut oil + banana + coconut flakes
- Ricotta + raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries
- Ripe fig (sliced or smashed) + honey + toasted sesame seeds + flaky sea salt
- Tahini + dark chocolate + agave syrup
- Maple syrup + flaxseeds + pecans
- Sliced ham + dried apricots
- Prosciutto or speck + fresh figs
- Prosciutto + melon drizzled with balsamic vinegar
- Pancetta + figs (broiled)
Melted Cheese Toasts
Kick things up a notch by serving melted cheese toasts. An obvious favorite is sliced cheddar, especially when you send it for a bubbling session under the broiler. To make things more interesting, add a slice of tomato to it—and if you like Marmite, spread the bread lightly with that first.
Some ideas to get you started:
Avocado Toasts
The avocado toasts that have become ubiquitous in cafés across America were originally introduced to us from Australia. Though they seem rich and indulgent, they’re a healthy thing to eat for breakfast or lunch. If you’re a purist, stick with the classic: Either smash or slice a ripe avocado and spread or fan it onto toasted bread. All you need is a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
If you’re looking for more elevated avocado toast toppings and ideas, we have you covered:
Breakfast Classics on Toast
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to the classics. You already know these breakfast toast toppings will work—their components are tried-and-true elements of the meal.
Irish Breakfast Toasts
These Irish-inspired breakfast toasts are delicious any time of the year—not just in March.
Smorrebrod Breakfast Toasts
Try Scandinavian-inspired styles and flavors when loading up your breakfast toasts.
Mediterranean Breakfast Toasts
These European-style toppings are a savory way to start the day.
Breakfast Toasts With Fresh Fruit
Most creamy cheese spreads, including crème fraîche and full-fat Greek yogurt, make a wonderful base for the fresh fruit of your choice. Sweeten as desired and add nuts, seeds, or coconut.
Sweet-and-Salty Breakfast Toast Toppings
Let’s not forget the all-American classic, peanut butter and jelly. Don’t take this sweet-meets-salty combination for granted: For a healthier breakfast version of this toast, top peanut butter with slices of banana and drizzle with honey. Then get creative by sprinkling on toasted coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or cinnamon—or swap out the peanut butter for tahini, banana, honey, and salt.
Some other sweet-and-salty breakfast toast ideas to try:
What are some bread options for making breakfast toast?
A sliced loaf, seedy multi-grain, sourdough, miche, or an Italian loaf.
What should you do with toppings before making toast?
Prepare ingredients by slicing, cooking, or seasoning them beforehand.
What are some cheese options for breakfast toast?
Ricotta, chèvre, soft goat cheese, cheddar, Swiss, fontina, and taleggio.
How can you make avocado toast more interesting?
Add toppings like fried eggs, bacon, tomato, roasted carrots, salmon roe, cilantro, radish, nori, sesame seeds, corn, jalapeños, and blue cheese.
What are some classic breakfast toast combinations?
Bacon + eggs + spinach, smoked salmon + lemon + scallions, smoked trout + cream cheese + horseradish + cucumber, cream cheese + everything bagel seasoning + tomato, crisp bacon + maple syrup, eggs, goldenrod yogurt + fruit + honey.
What are examples of Irish-inspired breakfast toasts?
Irish or Canadian bacon + scrambled egg, smashed tomatoes + bacon + parsley, baked beans + bacon, roasted tomatoes + bacon sausage, roasted tomatoes + mushrooms, roasted tomatoes + fried egg, orange marmalade + bacon, orange marmalade + bacon sausage.
What toppings can you use in Scandinavian-style breakfast toasts?
Smoked trout + horseradish + pickled beet or onion, salami + grainy mustard + cucumber, roast beef + horseradish + crème fraîche, smoked fish + juniper salt, gravlax + butter + dill, shrimp salad + cucumber + chopped chives.
What are some Mediterranean-style breakfast toast options?
Anchovy + unsalted butter, tomato + oil, Serrano ham or prosciutto, beans + olive oil + rosemary/sage + fried egg, crispy sage leaves, feta cheese + cucumber + oil.
How can fresh fruit be used on breakfast toast?
Labneh + grapes + almonds, coconut oil + banana + coconut flakes, ricotta + berries, ripe fig + honey + sesame seeds.
What are some examples of sweet-and-salty breakfast toast ideas?
Peanut butter + banana + honey + coconut flakes, tahini + dark chocolate + agave syrup, maple syrup + flaxseeds + pecans, sliced ham + dried apricots, prosciutto + fresh figs, prosciutto + melon + balsamic vinegar, pancetta + figs (broiled).
