Avocado Toast

Choosing the Right Avocado

Avocados are so special. They’re fruits that feel like veggies. They grow on trees but have the texture and richness of butter. They have health benefits but seem indulgent. They’re the treat of the plant world, and we love them.

To choose the perfect avocado for your avocado toast, there are many considerations to keep in mind.

Choosing Your Avocado: Most avocados sold in the United States are Hass avocados, with a bumpy skin that turns from green to black as they ripen. Unripe avocados are green and hard. They usually take about a week to ripen. Firm-ripe avocados are dark green, and the flesh is softer than unripe avocados. The skin of a fully ripened avocado is almost black, and the flesh is very soft. A ripe avocado will yield to gentle pressure when pressed with your finger.

Preparing Your Avocado: A firm-ripe avocado is better if you are serving it sliced . If you are mashing the avocado with a fork, as we recommend in our smashed avocado toast recipe, a fully ripened avocado works best.

Timing: When will you be eating the avocado? If immediately, purchase a fully ripened avocado. If it will be just a couple of days, grab a firm-ripe avocado. If it will be closer to a week, opt for a firm green avocado. To speed ripening, store avocados in a paper bag with apples or bananas at room temperature. Apples and bananas release ethylene gas, which makes avocados ripen faster. To slow ripening, store in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare an Avocado

Avocados are delicious, but preparing them can feel a little dangerous sometimes. Knowing how to properly cut and pit an avocado will keep hands and fingers safe. Here’s how to safely prep your avocado.

Prepare Your Cutting Board

Place your clean, dry avocado on cutting board. If your cutting board tilts or wobbles, place a damp paper towel underneath the board to prevent it from moving.

Halve the Avocado

Hold the avocado steady on one side. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut lengthwise from stem end to base around the pit, turning once to cut all the way around the pit. Twist to separate the two halves.

Remove the Pit

If the avocado is super ripe, use a spoon to scoop out the pit. Otherwise, make one more lengthwise cut through the peel of the side with the pit, and push the edges down to pop out the pit. Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh of the avocado away from the peel.

Cut the Avocado Flesh

At this point, you can slice the halves of the avocado, cut them into cubes, or mash them.

Beyond the Basics

Now that you know how to make avocado toast, are you ready for the fun part? It’s time to get personal with your avocado toast and make it your own.

Our avocado toast recipe calls for thick slices of sourdough bread, but various breads, from whole grain to rye, and even pumpernickel also work well. We also love using split Pillsbury™ Flaky Layers Biscuits and toasted slices of Pillsbury™ French Bread for avocado toast.

For simple toppings, drizzle with lemon or lime juice, honey, yum yum sauce, or aioli. Or top with chili crisp or everything bagel seasoning. Take it up a notch by spreading cream cheese under the avocado and topping with smoked salmon, red onion, capers, and dill. Or as an alternative to the salmon combo, top the cream cheese and avocado with sliced radishes or grapefruit segments.

To make your avocado and toast combo fresh and bright, try topping with sliced jalapeño, habanero or serrano pepper, green onion, and cilantro. Or try sliced cherry tomatoes, baby cucumber, crumbled feta, and banana pepper or pepperoncini rings.

You can also place sliced sharp cheddar cheese on the warm toast, then top with snipped chives and red pepper flakes. For guacamole toast, substitute prepared guacamole for the avocado on top of your toast. Or try sliced cherry tomatoes, basil and chopped, cooked bacon.

Last, but not least, you can't go wrong topping your simple avocado toast with a fried egg and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.