Avocado Toast Recipe (With Topping Ideas) - Elavegan (2024)

How to make avocado toast: the ultimate guide to preparing this breakfast, snack, or light lunch! Including a basic sliced/ mashed avocado topping and a list of additional avocado toast toppings to take your breakfast game to the next level. Plus tons of tips and FAQs along the way!

Creamy, Nutritional Vegan Avocado Toast Ideas!

For the longest time, I questioned whether to share a post regarding avocado toast (what with it being SO popular). However, I admit I enjoy this simple/fancy toast every other day. More so, I’m often sharing potential avocado toast toppings (like my recently posted pickled red onions, roasted chickpeas, etc). So, it seemed time to share my preferred simple avocado toast recipe and topping ideas!

Enjoy the avocado, sliced or mashed for a creamy, nutritional bread topping packed with heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and several essential vitamins and minerals. Even better, it’s so easy to season and even easier to adapt and ‘upgrade’ with all kinds of sweet and savory avocado toast toppings, whether you want a simple or fancy toast! Better yet, this simple meal takes just minutes and a handful of pantry ingredients to prepare.

Within this post, I’ll take you through how to make avocado toast, what to put on avocado toast (with all my favorite vegan avocado toast toppings), the safe way to cut an avocado, storage instructions, and all my top tips and FAQs for making the best avocado toast recipe. For more easy toast ideas, you might enjoy these 3 healthy breakfast toasts or homemade bruschetta!

The Basic Avocado Toast Ingredients

• Avocado: I use one large avocado for the perfect bread to topping ratio over 4-6 slices of bread.
• Lime juice: Lime or lemon juice will help keep the avocado mash green.
• Seasonings: You’ll need garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin for this simple but flavorful avocado toast seasoning. I also always use salt and black pepper (Maldon flakey sea salt is best).
• Bread: Use the bread of your choice (wheat or gluten-free) for this avocado bread dish. I prefer hearty/crusty pieces like whole grain bread,/sourdough bread, that are at least ½-inch thick. You’ll need around 4-6 slices of bread (more/less depending on the size). You could also use bagels.

Optional add-ins:

There are several ways to adapt the avocado spread with extra flavors and avocado toast seasoning options.

• Red pepper flakes: (Optional) To add a hint of spice, if preferred.
• Garlic: Rub a fresh garlic clove against the toasted bread, or even mash roasted garlic in with the avocado.
• Nutritional yeast: A pinch of nutritional yeast will add a savory, cheesy/nutty flavor.
• Za’atar: Add a pinch to (or over) the avocado spread.

Vegan Avocado Toast Toppings:

If you’re wondering what to put on avocado toast, the options are certainly plentiful. Whether you want something nice and simple or a fancy breakfast toast, there are several toppings to choose from:

• Roasted chickpeas
• Pickled red onions (I love to make smashed avocado toast with chopped tomato, crumbled vegan feta, cilantro, and pink pickles).
• Tomatoes: Sliced, halved, or roasted. Optionally with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. PLUS vegan mozzarella for ‘avocado Caprese toast’
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Vegan cream cheese spread beneath the avocado spread/slices
• Basil pesto
• Cucumber slices (optionally with dill)
• Scrambled tofu
• Fresh Herbs: Dill, parsley, basil, cilantro, green onion (scallions), etc.
• Greens: Microgreens and leafy greens like arugula and baby spinach.
• Radish slices
• Jalapeño slices OR a drizzle of hot sauce
• Vegan feta crumbled over the top, optionally with a sprinkle of seeds.
• Roasted sweet potato chunks
• Other roasted vegetables: Like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, mixed Mediterranean vegetables, zucchini, etc.
• Add pear slices and crushed walnuts with a drizzle of maple.
• Add berries or banana slices and a drizzle of maple/agave for a sweet and savory avocado toast idea
• Nuts/seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp, cashew, almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Marinated tofu/tempeh pieces

Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.

How to Make Avocado Toast?

• First, toast the slices of your favorite bread.

• Meanwhile, slice open the avocado. Using a sharp knife, slice the avocado in half lengthwise, gently twisting and pulling the two halves apart. Then remove the pit by firmly sticking the underside of your sharp knife -not the tip- into it (like hitting a nail with a hammer) and twisting/lifting to remove it.

Don’t attempt to pry it out from the side with your knife. Especially while holding the avocado in your hand, as this can lead to a trip to the ER!

• Then it’s time to prepare your avocado topping in one of two ways: as slices or avocado mash. For the former, I like to peel the avocado first, then make the slices (with the flat-side of the avocado against a chopping board). For the latter, you can also peel the avocado or simply scoop the flesh directly from the skin with a spoon.

If you’re using slices, you can drizzle them with citrus juice and spices. How to mash avocado? Use a fork to gently mash the avocado flesh in a bowl, adding the citrus and spices to it as you mash. Then taste and adjust any seasonings.

• Finally, assemble the avocado toast by spreading/laying the avocado over the top and then optionally topping with your additional toppings of choice (all my favorite options are above).

How to Store Avocado Mash?

Make-ahead/store: Avocado is not particularly meal-prep friendly. However, you can prepare the avocado mash 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container with plenty of citrus juice. It’s also best to top with a thin layer of water or oil (pour it off before using).

If you’ve only used half an avocado, you can store the remaining half flesh-down in an airtight container with an inch of water (to completely cover the flesh- best for 2 days).

Freeze: You can freeze leftover sliced/ avocado mash in an airtight container/Ziplock bag for up to 4 months. Just note that the texture may change upon thawing (so I prefer to do this with mashed avocado only).

FAQs

How to pick a ripe avocado?

There are a few tips I use to choose a ripe avocado. These include:

• Gently squeeze the fruit: It should have a little give (rock hard or mushy means underripe or overripe.
• Look under the stem cap: If it’s hard to remove in the first place, your avocado is likely unripe. If it comes off easily and is green beneath, you’re good to go. If it’s beginning to brown, it’s usually still okay, but the avocado may have a few brown spots. And if it’s brown, the avocado is likely overripe.

The color of the fruit can also help. But as this varies between avocado species, this is a little harder to set as a ‘rule.’

How to ripen an avocado?

Whether you’ve ended up with rock-hard avocados that you hope to use within the next couple of days or a ‘not quite ripe’ avocado you hope to use that very day, there are ways to encourage the ripening on the avocado at home.

‘Natural’ method: Place the avocado either in a fruit bowl beside ethylene-producing fruits (apples, bananas, pears, and apricots) to ripen over several days. Or in a bag with them (to ripen over 1-2 days).

‘Cheat’ method (aka QUICK): Wrap the fruit in foil and bake it in the oven at 200F/90C. The amount it takes to bake will vary on how hard it was (15-30 minutes is usually enough). Once soft, use it immediately or allow it to chill first. Just note that heating avocado changes its flavor, which some people dislike.

What to do with overripe avocado?

While they may not look appealing, this doesn’t mean they’re ‘spoiled.’ If they taste and smell fine and don’t contain mold, there are still several ways to use them, such as in smoothies and sauces, to make chocolate mousse, added to brownies/cake, etc. You can also use it for non-edible uses like making hair and face masks.

What are the calories in avocado toast?

This is highly variable based on the bread you use and the size of your avocado. For example, ½ a large avocado (for between 2-3 slices of avocado toast) usually contains around 160kcal. Meanwhile, a slice of ‘regular’ bread is 90-95 kcal (110 kcal for a “Bagel Thins”). So that’s around 125 calories per slice (if making two slices on regular bread.)

Is avocado toast healthy?

I believe so, yes, as long as eaten in moderation. Avocado is a high-calorie, high-fat food. However, they contain only trace amounts of saturated fat. Instead, it’s mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which may actually help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol/ increase ‘good’ cholesterol and will help keep you fuller for longer. Combining that with the fact that they’re packed with antioxidants, fiber, and LOTS (Around 20 in total!) of vitamins and minerals makes for a great addition to meals.

How to make toast without a toaster?

You can use your broiler (it toasts quickly!), bake it (for around 10 minutes at 350F/177C, flipping halfway), dry fry it (no oil) in a skillet on the stovetop, or use a grill pan/George Foreman style grill.

How to mash avocado?

For small amounts, a fork will work well. For larger batches, you could use a potato masher or similar tool.

Recipe Notes and Top Tips

• Make sure the avocado is ripe enough: This is especially important when making avocado mash. Your knife should easily cut through the avocado flesh. Read the FAQs for how to ripen avocados at home (a slow and quick method).
• Extend the shelf life: If your avocado is ripened and you aren’t ready to use it, move it to the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.
• Buy avocados cheap: Farmer’s markets often have great deals on avocados, and you can store any leftovers in the freezer (mashed or whole!) for between 4-6 months.
• Use good bread: I recommend using a sturdy loaf and love options with whole grains/seeds. Avoid ‘soft’/ sweet bread.
• Adjust the texture: Mash until slightly chunky or super smooth, based on personal preference. You could even use a blender for super-smooth avocado mash/puree.

More Simple Avocado Recipes

• Avocado Basil Pesto
• Mexican Avocado Salad
• Creamy Kale Avocado Pasta
• No-Bake Avocado Kiwi Cheesecake
• Chocolate Avocado Cake
• Avocado Chickpea Pizza
• Vegan Chocolate Mousse

If you try these vegan avocado toast ideas, I’d love a comment and★★★★★recipe ratingbelow. Also, please don’t forget totag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebookwith@elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.