Avocado Toast (Plus Tips & Variations)
Avocado toast is a delicious and simple breakfast, snack or light meal! Learn how to make the BEST avocado toast with this recipe, plus fun variations.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
We’re going back to basics this summer, so let’s talk about avocado toast! Creamy avocado spread onto well-toasted bread is one of my favorite quick meals. Actually, it’s one of my favorite meals in general. It’s so delicious, I’d call it one of life’s simplest pleasures.
As usual, I have strong opinions on what makes the best avocado toast. So today, I thought I’d share my basic recipe, with my best tips and favorite variations.
If you are a stranger to avocado toast, you’ve been missing out and we must remedy this situation immediately.
If you’re well-familiar with the joy of avocado toast, I hope you find some helpful tips and some fun new ways to change up your toast. Onward!
How to Make the Best Avocado Toast
1) Pick great avocados
You want ripe but not over-ripe Hass avocados. Look for avocados that yield a bit to a gentle squeeze, but avoid using avocados that are mushy or stringy on the inside. If you run into any bruised or brown bits when you cut them open, scoop those out and discard before mashing the rest.
2) Buy good bread and toast it well
I think sturdy, thick-sliced, whole grain bread make the best avocado toast. Golden, well-toasted bread offers a sturdy base and a crisp, shattering contrast against the creamy avocado.
3) Mash your avocado separately
Mashed avocado is more creamy and luxurious than sliced avocado (think guacamole vs. plain avocado). But don’t mash it on the toast! You risk poking holes in your toast or smashing it. Cut your avocados in half, remove the pit, scoop the flesh into a bowl or onto the side of your plate, and mash it up with a fork.
Mashing a lot of avocados at once? Use a potato masher or pastry cutter instead of a measly little fork.
4) Don’t forget the salt
You’ll want to mix in at least a pinch of salt per avocado half. Bonus points? Finish your avocado toast with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Avocado Toast Bonus Tips
Here are a few easy ways to take your avocado toast up a notch. Pick one or a few!
- Add garlic: Lightly rub a peeled raw garlic clove over the top of your toast before adding the avocado, or mix a tiny pinch of garlic powder into the avocado.
- Add fresh leafy herbs or your favorite herbed sauce: Chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill or parsley are all good with avocado. So is a drizzle of pesto, zhoug sauce (spicy cilantro sauce), or chimichurri.
- Put an egg on it: I love to top my avocado toast with a fried egg for extra protein (example here). You can do a poached egg or scrambled egg if you prefer.
- More extras: Quick-pickled onions or radishes or jalapeños, your favorite hot sauce, or a sprinkle of sliced cherry tomatoes.
Avocado Toast Variations
Here are my official favorite avocado toast variations, shown from top to bottom.
Everything Bagel Avocado Toast
Add a generous sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning to your avocado toast. Make your own with my everything bagel blend recipe, or buy it at Trader Joe’s or Amazon (affiliate link). These seasonings tend to be salty, so be careful not to oversalt your avocado.
Loaded Avocado Toast
Mix chopped fresh radish, green onion, jalapeño (seeds and ribs removed) and toasted sunflower seeds. Sprinkle generously on your toast.
Tomato-Basil Avocado Toast with Balsamic Drizzle
If you have great tomatoes on hand, this is delicious. Top your avocado toast with sliced tomato, add a light drizzle of high-quality thick balsamic vinegar or designated balsamic glaze, and some torn fresh basil leaves.
Cafe Gitane-Style Avocado Toast
This NYC café supposedly started the avocado toast trend. Spread a thick layer of mashed avocado over your toast, spread it so it’s smooth and mounded, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes and flaky salt.
How do you like your avocado toast? Let me know in the comments, please! I really want to know. ♥
If you find yourself with extra avocados (lucky you), try my guacamole, avocado dip, avocado salad or any of these recipes.
Watch How to Make Avocado Toast
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast is creamy, crisp and so satisfying. It’s a delicious and simple breakfast, snack or light meal! It’s best consumed immediately, since the avocado browns over time. Recipe as written yields 1 slice of basic avocado toast; multiply as necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 slice of bread (I like thick-sliced whole-grain bread best)
- ½ ripe avocado
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: Any of the extra toppings suggested in this post
Instructions
- Toast your slice of bread until golden and firm.
- Remove the pit from your avocado. Use a big spoon to scoop out the flesh. Put it in a bowl and mash it up with a fork until it’s as smooth as you like it. Mix in a pinch of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon) and add more to taste, if desired.
- Spread avocado on top of your toast. Enjoy as-is or top with any extras offered in this post (I highly recommend a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you have it).
Notes
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free bread. My assistant Megan recommends Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Bread, which she buys at Natural Grocers.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate,
Love all your vegetarian ideas for Avacado toast. What would you suggest for serving these at a cocktail NY party. We are the beginning house of a progressive dinner! I do not want to fuss trying to keep warm! I can make them 60 min before arrival of guests! Thanks
That would be interesting! I would be careful how long you let the avocado sit out as it can start to turn brown when exposed to air.
I love my avocado toast with a dash of truffle oil.. I had this at this speakeasy in LA called “Alley Lounge”.. and I used to go there just for their avocado toast ❤️
Thanks for sharing!
Delicious!! How healthy is it?
Thank you, Rob! There are a lot of great health benefits to avocados and having a variety of whole grains in your diet.
The garlic powder tip was absolutely amazing! It was unlike any avocado toast I’ve made before ;)
Great to hear!
When I was a kid in the 70s I used to eat avocado sandwiches- just avocado on bread. Probably white bread, but hey. You could call it a precursor to the now hip avocado toast.
I adore avo-toast. Not only is it delicious but it has incredible stick-to-your-ribs power. I can go almost all day on it. My most basic spices are onion powder and salt.
Great article.
I love it, Lolly! Thanks for your comment.
I drizzle a little whole grain mustard on top and swirl it around. Or top it with capers. Or a little paprika. Or spicy sprouts. Or basil-infused olive oil. Or…
I love this recipe and its variations!
Just purchased your cookbook after having it on my ‘to buy’ list for months and absolutely love it!
Thanks for your support, Debra! I’m so happy to hear it.
This recipe is great; the toast was delicious.
Thank you. Tried your Epic Tacos and many pancake recipes as well Love this website as well as your cookbook.
Thank You.
Thanks, Usha! I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Mix avocado with roaster red pepper hummus
Sounds like and interesting combination! I might need to try it. Thanks for the review, Stacy.
All of these combinations are good. I love to add 1/2 fat garlic cream cheese with avocado and a sliced hard boiled egg. 275 Calories (only one piece of wheat toast) for a very filling breakfast.
Thank you for sharing, Traci!
Avocado toast is the best. Eating some now while using your site to meal plan our week.
I made a mexican dish 2 weeks ago and used cojita cheese and now have been putting it on EVERYTHING to use it up. Today is avocado on seeded wheat with a splash of balsamic, a twist of Himalayan salt, a twist of tri-color peppercorns, and crumbled cojita.
I love all the variations
I love the variations you have, Eva! Thanks for sharing.
My go-to avocado toast- I spread a layer of hummus, a little horseradish, the smashed avocado with a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkle of hemp hearts. SO GOOD. Love your blog and book so much, Kate!
Thanks, Katie!
I keep hearing this is a new craze. I’ve been making this for about 50 years!
Me too Jim, you must be a Southern California resident…..don’t remember where I first had this but probably a Mexican friend or restaurant. Love cold avocado soup too, make it frequently. This is making me hungry for toast, the good green kind…..
That’s awesome, Jim! Some of us are still catching up. :)
I’ve been eating this stuff for over 50 years, nothing new here. But I do one step more that I’ve never seen posted. I do the well toasted bread, with a tiny slather of butter before putting on the mashed avocado (I know, gilding the lily) and then pop back into my toaster oven for a few seconds. Warm avocado is pure bliss! Just be careful, it gets hot very quickly.
Thanks for sharing, Lea!
Hass is not always in season- “Bacon” avocado is excellent
Thanks, Albert!
My favorite avocado toast recipe consist of a thick cut of whole grain bread, toasted well. Then comes the avocado, I prefer to smash mine on the bread so it’s still a bit chunky. I start with my toppings; thinly sliced sweet mini peppers, chopped scallions and grape tomatoes quartered. To top it all off, I finish with a pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of red chili flakes. Enjoy!!!
Thank you for sharing, Patricia! I appreciate the review.
Haven’t had avocado toast before, but I’m certainly going to try it after reading your recipes! I did think of another add – maybe a bit of Muffaletta would be a good topping…I’ll give that a try after I have your toppings first.
Bj
Let me know what you think, BJ!
I love avocado toast with thick whole grain toast, avocado spread, pico de gallo, an over medium fried egg, and fresh ground pepper! Delicious
Sounds delicious, Stacy! Thank you for your review.
Takes a little more work, bit once in a while I will fry my egg in my bread. Egg in a Hole Avacado toast! I make it for my houseguests and they are always floored.
I love that, Christina!
Hello Sunshine! I just mash my avocado, add about tsp of garlic granules (I love garlic), add a small pinch of pink salt, top it onto my toast, and then top it off with a well done garlicky fried egg onto the toast. So yummy!
Sounds delicious, Jen! Thank you for sharing.
I! LOVE! AVO! CADO! TOAST! I get teased at work for eating it so often as if it is a fancy expensive meal?? It is 2 ingredients and costs like 1.50$ to make. But I digress. I made a blend of salt, pepper and chili powder that I usually put on it, with cilantro if I have it. My favorite combo of all time is nectarine and basil but I also love tomato balsamic or everything bagel like you mentioned! I also don’t specifically mash them but I do kind of slide the edge of the knife around the edge to scoop it out and it ends up mashed. Not sure how to describe it but it cuts down on the utensils used :) Great tips!
I love the excitement! Thanks, Laura!
Kate – You reminded me of a lunch dish I used to make – at least thirty years ago! Mashed alvarado’s with salt & pepper; I placed the alvarado in a pita bread, added cream cheese, feta cheese, a little bit of mustard, sliced radishes and mustard sprouts. Was wonderful. Thank you for your recipes. I will try them soon plus will make my pita bread recipe I used to make so often for the luncheons I used to have.
That sounds great, Maryann!
My daughter treated us to Easter Sunday Avocado Toast last year. What a spread! She made 4 variations: grapefruit slices, orange slices, cherry tomatoes with thick balsamic vinegar, and just avocado with sea salt and pepper. All were delicious! Try it with fruit. Wonderful flavors!
My new favorite addition is a sprinkle of lemon-pepper. Though I am dying to get my hands on some of that everything bagel seasoning. <3
It’s so good!
What an amazing discovery, toasted bread topped with guacamole. And the idea that one might sprinkle salt on top, blows my mind. Gives me confidence that your generation really can solve the problems of the day. Oh, I like tea with my avocado toast, and could really use a recipe for tea water and please don’t leave any details out.
Thanks for sharing, Bob!
I grind some rock salt, black pepper and chilli flakes over the avocado, and add a small sprinkle of either lemon juice or white vinegar, depending on what I have on hand. I mash it all up together and slather on well cooked toast. So simple that it hardly counts as a recipe, but so delicious
Thanks for sharing, Jaz!
I use most of the same things you mention, but one thing I include is smoked salt. It really adds some flavor.
Thanks for sharing, Martin!
Girlllll this post is FIRE! I think if someone cut me open all they would find is ago toast hahaha. LOVE the everything but the bagel seasoning. Eggs are great as well – my favorite are poached or 6-minute eggs. I also have found it’s fun to add the sweet to the creamy by topping with fruits such as blackberries, strawberries, or pom seeds. Feel free to check out my insta @willtravelforfitness. I’m always cooking up a new avocado toast combo!
As a sidenote – I personally like my avocado spread a little chunky so I mash it with a fork but not until creamy.
…although a newbie to the Avocado toast phenom(I SOOOOO don’t ‘do’trends), I like adding egg salad (w/chopped green olives and a modicum of a special seasoning salt),topped with crumbled crunchy bacon…have at it,y’all…:)!
I make avocado Toast.I mashed my avocado up mix in 1\2 lemon juice. From lemon with nutritional yeast and blueberries mased up in and mix it until I spread it on whole-grain toast.this my number breakfast breakfast number one is lemon water with apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper powder
Thanks for sharing, Rodney!
During the summer we have lettuce, cucumbers, beefsteak tomatoes and bell peppers from our little garden. I like to slice the tomatoes, cucumbers & peppers very thinly, shred the lettuce and top the avocado toast with these yummy garden-fresh veggies.
Thank you for sharing, Annette! You can’t beat fresh garden produce!
My slightly odd mix of avocado with cottage cheese! Vogels bread (here in New Zealand) toasted to a good crunch, spread with avocado which is liberally sprinkled with garlic powder (no salt) and chilli powder, then topped with cottage cheese and generously coated with lots of freshly ground black pepper. This has been my breakfast for many years..my favourite meal of the day.
Thanks for sharing, Marion!
Hi! I mash 1/4 cup Chick Peas and blend with mashed avocado. Sprinkle with a tad of garlic powder and sea salt. Yum!
Thanks for sharing your favorite way, Gina!
I like to add a few drops of lemon juice before mashing, so the avocado stays nice and green
Thanks for sharing, Hilde!
This is really good if you sprinkle with a little “Everything but the bagel” seasoning on top!!
Delicious, Suzi!
I mixed in the avocado with fresh garlic, lemon and sea salt. added the tomato, then Balsamic Glaze. Loved it, so good and easy. Thanks
You’re welcome, Fran!
I like yeast extract with my avocado toast! The tastiest one is VITAM-R, not too salty
Thank you for sharing, Barbara!
Great article! Thanks for the extra tips about method and toppings!
You’re welcome, Rebeccas.
These topping are great I also like Pico De Gallo or salsa
That sounds delicious too, Vanessa!
Avocado Toast topped with the Everything Bagel Seasoning and Tomato is to die for
I agree, Zeprina!
I slice a ciabatta sandwich roll in half (lengthwise!) and use the flat bottom half for a specialty “toast.”
Yes! Sounds perfect. Thanks for your review, Andrea.
Top avocado with sliced strawberries, no sugar needed. Sweet, creamy and crunchy.
That sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing, Belinda.
Love avocado toast! I’m from Los Angeles, and I like my avocado toast on Dave’s Good Seed bread. I squeeze a generous portion of lemon juice into my mashed avocado, along with salt and pepper. After spreading it on my toast, I top it with fresh cherry or grape tomato halves, feta cheese, a touch of kosher salt and a few more drops of lemon juice. Divine!
That sounds delicious! Thank you for your review, Kathy.
If using only half the avocado,you should keep the pit in it so that it will not turn brown. A Mexican friend taught me this and said you should always leave the “ mother” with the avocado. This works with guacamole also. After preparing it, put the pit inside and it will not turn brown.
Thanks for sharing, Jerrie!
I make a similar version, only I mix it into a spread: in a bowl, mash one ripe avocado, add one clove crushed garlic, lemon juice , salt, pepper and olive oil, all to taste. Should make two toasts (if you can hold off “tasting.”)
Thank you for your review, Karen!
My favorite Avocado Toast recipe is made on a grainy bread. In a bowl, I squeeze 1/2 a fresh lemon into one mashed avocado. Add some freshly ground salt. Spread on toast. Sprinkle w a little feta and top with a fried egg. It is so delicious that it turned me into an avocado toast lover!
Thanks for sharing, Dale!
I just happened to have some balsamic glaze in the fridge so I tried the tomato and balsamic variation — amazing!! I didn’t have basil on hand but it was still delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Sarah!
Love your avocado toast. I just found Mestemacher rye (OMG!) I spread a layer of humus on first then cover it with the smashed avocado and top with grape tomatoes sliced in half if I have them. I recently adopted a vegan lifestyle have lost 20lbs in 4 weeks. YAY for me! I found this website on my journey, got your book Love Real Food this past Sunday and am thrilled. The bread mentioned above was found while researching WFPB documentaries on FMTV by Dr. Eselstyn’s wife using it in a recipe. Found the bread at Whole Foods. Thank you Katheryne for your commitment to this lifestyle.
That sounds great!
Love your Avocado Toast. I make mine on toasted Mestemacher Rye (OMG!) with a layer of Garlic Humus, topped with smashed avocado and sliced grape tomatoes if I have them. Soo Good. My 11 yr old granddaughter is in love with this. I make it for her before her 2 hr soccer practice 3x a week I started the Vegan lifestyle 5 weeks ago, lost 20 lbs…YAY for me. Found your website recently and just got your book “Love Real Food” this past Sunday; Amazing recipes with beautiful photos. In my research of WFPB diet documentaries on FMTV (Food Matters), I found Dr. C. Esselstyn’s wife making a recipe with Mestemacher Rye and found it at Whole Foods along with several other varieties. If you haven’t tried this heavy moist bread, you don’t know what you are missing. It’s almost 7″ long and about 1/4″ thick.Thank you so much, Katheryne, for your commitment to bringing these healthy recipes to us..
Thanks for sharing your variation!
I love your suggestions, I’ve used drained Pico de Gillo with chopped bacon and boiled eggs. Yummy!
Smashed avo on whole grain toast is absolutely delicious and full of fibre which fills you up! I have it for lunch most days at the moment. A squeeze of lemon juice and cracked pepper makes it perfect. Vegemite or peanut butter added is also pretty good.
Not a whole lot of flavor however just did the basic avocado recipe. Need the extra herbs and seasonings and I’m sure it would be better.
I’m sorry you didn’t love my suggestions. This ones is so versatile to change it to what you lie.