Everyone knows the classic toast combinations: avocado with a fried egg, maybe peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and banana. Or maybe, you’ll opt for a simple spread of butter on top of your bread. While these are delicious combinations and I’ll happily devour my morning avocado toast any day, there are times where I’m tired of the same concoction. 

Thus, this led me to experiment with different toast combinations throughout the year. You can add quite literally anything on top of toast — it’s a canvas for a wonder of ingredients ranging from sweet to salty. 

I’m here to tell you my favorite gourmet toasts I’ve tried. Pro tip: I found sourdough works the best as the base for all of these as the flavor is mild and the texture compliments toppings perfectly when toasted. 

Hummus, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, feta and extra virgin olive oil 

This combination was inspired by my trip to Greece last summer — I basically took a Greek salad and laid it on top of a bed of hummus and toast. The medley of vegetables creates a refreshing bite, and it’s the perfect pairing of ingredients. 

Pesto, roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar

I decided to create a twist on one of my favorite meals, caprese salad, when making this toast. Roasting the tomatoes in the oven is optional, but it truly makes a difference if you have time to do so. Pairing all these ingredients together truly can’t go wrong as it’s a traditional pairing in many Italian dishes. 

Ricotta, pear, honey and walnuts

Ricotta is a versatile, spreadable cheese that’s great with salty or sweet dishes. I personally love making it sweet and adding some fruits, honey and nuts on top. Pears with ricotta is such a good combination since the sweetness of the pears and honey compliment the mild cheese well. The sprinkle of walnuts on top is a game changer if you want a bit of texture in your bite. 

Cottage cheese, peach, cinnamon and honey 

Cottage cheese has recently had its moment on the internet, and I’m all here for it. Like ricotta, it’s versatile, and you can make it sweet or savory. It tastes great with all types of fruits but I noticed that peaches compliments this soft cheese best. Adding honey on top sweetens it, and a splash of cinnamon is the ultimate flavor enhancer. 

Brie, apple, walnuts and maple syrup 

I’ve seen many people on the internet pair brie and apples together. Although I was skeptical at first, the pairing is actually delicious! I love them on toast and with a drizzle of maple syrup: it’s the perfect sweet bite. I also can’t help but add walnuts on top of toast because the extra texture always elevates a dish. 

Prosciutto, goat cheese, figs or fig jam and balsamic glaze

For this toast combination, I was inspired by those fancy finger foods people serve at various social functions. Turns out, those fancy bites aren’t just for show, the combinations are actually tasty. I don’t think I would have imagined prosciutto pairing well with figs, but I was wrong — it’s delicious. I’d recommend using fig jam over actual figs if you can for this combination because the texture will be better as the jam is a bit sweeter.