Avocado toast doesn’t need a recipe. If it does, we’ve already gone wrong.
At its core, it’s bread + avocado + usually an egg. That’s it. The reason people keep coming back to it isn’t because it’s complicated. It’s just endlessly adaptable. For instance, you can change the bread, change the egg, add one indulgent topping, and suddenly it feels like a completely different meal.
Think of avocado toast less as a dish and more as a platform. Here are a few of my favorite ways to build it.
The Classic, Done Right
Crusty sourdough · smashed avocado · crispy bacon · poached egg · red pepper flakes
This is the version that popularized avocado toast.
Thick-cut sourdough gives you structure and chew. The avocado gets lightly smashed, then simply seasoned with salt. Bacon should be properly crisp. A poached egg brings richness, and then red pepper flakes add just enough heat.
It’s familiar, satisfying, and hard to mess up—as long as you don’t rush the bacon or overcook the egg.
Soft, Savory, Indulgent
Whole grain toast · avocado · pancetta · soft scrambled eggs
This one is all about texture.
Instead of mashing the avocado, you can slice it cleanly so it sits on the toast in layers. Pancetta adds salt and fat without the full crunch of bacon.
What Are Soft Scrambled Eggs?
Soft scrambled eggs are cooked low and slow, stirred constantly, and pulled from the heat while they look slightly underdone. They should be custardy, creamy, and just barely set—not fluffy, not browned, not dry.
Bold and Fully Committed
Rye toast · avocado mash with chili crisp · pork belly · sunny-side-up egg · crushed cashews
This is avocado toast with opinions.
Rye brings depth and a little bitterness that plays well with rich toppings. The avocado gets mashed with chili crisp—oil, crunch, heat, all doing the heavy lifting. Pork belly adds serious richness, and a sunny-side-up egg keeps the yolk front and center.
Finish with crushed cashews for texture and a subtle sweetness that balances the heat and fat.
Notes from the Kitchen
Avocado toast doesn’t need reinvention—it needs intention. Good bread matters. Start with the fundamentals, then build. Avocado toast is simple by design, but the best versions are thought out. It’s all about the harmony of flavor, texture, and contrast. Using just a few components that each pull their weight.
Start with the bread.
Bread is the foundation. A crusty sourdough brings tang and chew and absolutely stands out as part of the dish. Whole grain adds nuttiness and structure. Rye is bold and opinionated. Soft white bread, on the other hand, fades into the background and lets the toppings do the talking. Decide whether you want the bread to be a supporting player or part of the flavor conversation.
Avocado isn’t just avocado.
Yes, ripe avocado is creamy and rich, but seasoning is what makes it shine. Salt is non-negotiable. From there, lemon juice adds brightness, black pepper adds bite, and chili flakes or chili crisp bring heat. You can mash it smooth, leave it chunky, or slice it thin—each changes the final texture.
Eggs are the upgrade.
I’m firmly in the soft-egg camp. Runny yolk adds richness and acts like a built-in sauce. Soft-scrambled eggs bring a custardy texture that melts into the avocado. Poached, sunny-side up, jammy—this is where personal preference really shows.
Add crunch on purpose.
Avocado is soft. Eggs are soft. You need contrast. Crispy bacon, pancetta, toasted nuts, fried shallots, or even seeds can bring that crunch that keeps the toast from feeling one-note.
Great avocado toast hits multiple notes:
- Rich: avocado, egg yolk, pork belly
- Heat: chili flakes, chili crisp, pepper
- Acid: lemon juice, pickled elements
- Fat: eggs, cured meats, avocado
- Texture: crunch against creaminess
