How to Make Avocado Toast As Delish As Your Favorite Brunch Place

Even after avocado toast fades from the Pinterest scene, I’m going to keep on eatin’ it. The simple food ticks all the boxes for me: quick to prep, nutritious, easy to eat any time of day, and infinitely adaptable. (These recipes prove that almost anything tastes better with an avocado.)

Like plenty of popular brunch foods, avocado toast is incredibly easy to make at home. Here are the five essential components of the best avocado toast:

#1: Use a perfectly ripe avocado-even if you have to wait for it

Avocado in its prime will be soft and easy to spread. You’ll more often find rock-hard fruits at the store, as avocados don’t start to ripen until they’re picked. Keep them out on the counter at home to ripen more quickly. You’ll know they’re ready when they’ve turned dark green in color and give slightly when squeezed. Want to speed up the process? Here are a few tricks.

#2: Be choosy when choosing bread

Now’s not the time to grab a flabby slice of sandwich bread from a bagged loaf. Look for a peasant-style crusty bread, which will have a chewy crust and an airy, flavorful crumb that complements that avocado. Grab a rustic loaf from the bakery. Better yet, make your own: We’ve got over 30 non-scary bread recipes anyone can make.

And slice it right: Avocados like a thick mattress of bread.

#3: Customize your consistency

When it comes to avocado toast, there are two camps: Team Mash and Team Slice.

Team Mash digs a spreadable, smooth consistency. Sound like your jam? Then mash up the avocado in a bowl before spreading onto the bread.

Team Slice likes larger pieces, even whole slices, of avocado. (Whether this is a visual or gustatory preference is neither here nor there.) Slice half an avocado thinly and fan the slices over the bread for a pretty presentation.

Can’t decide? Fan sliced avocado across the bread and then run a fork across it, mashing some bits and leaving other pieces whole. Best of both worlds!

#4: Always add salt

Salt brings out the natural flavors in any food-and avocado is no exception. Even a tiny sprinkle will enhance the creamy ‘cado taste. Flaky sea salt will also add a pleasing texture. If you want the simplest avo toast, leave it there. But other seasonings taste great, too. Think: paprika, cayenne, roasted red pepper flakes…

#5: You can change up the flavors

Plain avocado toast is great, but extra toppings take the dish over the top. Here are just a few ideas for topping your toast: thinly sliced radish or other crunchy veg, crumbled or shredded cheeses, bacon, chopped herbs, or spices. Our Test Kitchen cooks’ favorite: a southwestern-style recipe with lime zest, cilantro and chopped chipotle peppers. Go as wild (or as mild) as you’d like!

Now that you know the crucial components to perfect avocado toast, our Test Kitchen has broken down the recipe step by step. Follow along and you’ll be snacking in no time.

Our Best Avocado Toast Recipe

You’ll need:

1 slice hearty bread, toasted

1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1/4 medium ripe avocado, sliced

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Step 1: Layer avocado on toast

Take a single slice of warm, crunchy toast and spread a light layer of olive oil on top. This’ll give your bread an extra boost of flavor. Then add on the avocado slices.

Test Kitchen Tip: To keep any leftover avocado from browning, drizzle with lemon juice before storing in the fridge.

Step 2: Spread

Gently press down on the avocado slices and smear over the bare bits of the bread. (Psst, this is an easy task for kids, too.) Afterwords, drizzle on a touch more oil and top it off with salt. (Love totally mashed up avocado? Mash it up before spreading over the bread.)

It’s seriously that simple. I love using this basic avocado toast recipe for mornings where I need to get out the door quickly, because it requires only a few steps. Interested in other speedy morning meals? Check out our 30 Breakfasts in 30 Minutes. You’ll find sweet and savory recipes that are game changers for the A.M. rush.