Avocado Pesto Toast
This avocado pesto toast recipe is fantastic for breakfast, brunch or any time of day, really! Serve it as-is or add eggs and tomatoes for a complete meal.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I have a couple of friends who don’t love brunch. Blasphemy, right?! I love a late, long, lazy brunch when time allows. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I’ll opt for a savory option.
There’s so much room for creativity with standard vegetarian breakfast ingredients: eggs, toast, veggies, tortillas, beans, etc. The possibilities are endless, and I have a few favorite local restaurants that offer creative veggie options.
I’ve been thinking about the standard egg-and-toast brunch option and came up with my own version that is neither bland nor boring. I whipped up an avocado-based pesto in my food processor. It’s infinitely more exciting than a pat of butter (sorry, butter!).
Toast can only be as awesome as the bread used to make it, so use a good one! I love whole-grain toast for its hearty texture and extra flavor.
This simple variation on classic avocado toast is delicious on its own, or you can top it with eggs and a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes, as shown here. Either way, it’s a great snack, breakfast or brunch, lunch or dinner.
Avocado Pesto Toast
This avocado pesto toast recipe is fantastic for breakfast, brunch or any time of day, really! Serve it as-is or add eggs and tomatoes for a complete meal. Recipe yields enough for 4 toasts, or 2 to 4 servings.
Ingredients
Toasts
- ¼ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ⅔ cup (1 ounce) packed fresh basil leaves
- 4 slices of good bread
Optional accompaniments
- Cooked eggs (fried, poached or scrambled, your preference)
- Halved cherry tomatoes (1 small handful per serving)
- Freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and/or flaky sea salt
Instructions
- To toast the pepitas, pour them into a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are making little popping noises and starting to make little popping noises. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- To make the pesto, pit and halve the avocados and scoop the insides into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Add the toasted pepitas and basil leaves and pulse until the pepitas and basil are broken down into very small pieces and the mixture is well-blended. Taste, mix in more salt if the mixture doesn’t taste totally awesome yet.
- Toast the bread, then spread a generous amount of avocado pesto over each slice. Serve as is, or with eggs and/or tomatoes. Sprinkle lightly with freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes (for heat) and/or flaky sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make it vegan: Skip the eggs!
Storage suggestions: The spread yields about 1 ½ cups, so you might have some extra. Leftover spread will keep in a small bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the top in the refrigerator for two to three days; scoop off the top layer before serving if turns brown.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is literally my favorite type of breakfast/brunch. I add smoked salmon to the mix, too — just ’cause.
It’s super customizable, I love switching up toppings!
I notice you like to use these hulled pumpkin seeds a lot, Kate. Could you tell us where you get yours from?
Also, is there an alternative that works just as well?
Thanks. This recipe looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Oh, and I have a request, if such a thing is allowed? Could you share some vegetarian crockpot recipes that aren’t chili? I have a hard time finding many veggie recipes for a slow cooker. My son will not eat chili and honestly I’m getting a bit tired of it. Thanks
Hi Emma, yes, I love pepitas! They are available at quite a few grocery stores now (either in the nuts section or health food section), and all health food stores have them. Check the bulk bin sections, too. They have a distinct flavor but probably the closest thing would be sunflower seeds. Thank you for the crock pot suggestion. I honestly never cook with a crock pot because I prefer the flavor that comes from sautéing onions, garlic, etc. in a soup pot. I just got an Instant Pot and it has a sauté setting so I may use that. I think I’ve heard that my lentil soup turns out well in a crock pot, if you’d like to give that a try.
This looks awesome! I love avocado and pesto and like the idea of not adding oil, but having the healthy fat of the avocado.
Thank you for including the name of the bread as well. Often I see recipes with bread and find myself wanting to use the same bread (love nuts and seed bread) but the author usually just says… “Use your favorite brand!”
I love nut and seed bread, too, and Eureka has some delicious variations. Nothing ruins an avocado toast like bland bread. I hope you try it!
I love that all of your recipes are so simple, but have unique twists like this one! I would have never thought to make an avocado toast variation like this. So creative!
Thank you, Jessie! Too kind of you. :)
Sounds delicious! I might try substituting some preserved lemon for the lemon juice.
Sure! Let me know how it works out, Lee Ann.
Yummm. Your recipes have been killing it lately!
Thank you, Meaghan! I try. :)
I had a fantasy of an avocado-basil mix to spread on toast, and here is your creation. I’ve used up the avocados I had, so will have to wait til next shopping day. Sounds completely delicious!
I hope it lives up to your expectations, Mary! I think it’s delicious.
OMG super amazing recipe! I love it!
Thanks, pal! So kind of you.
Dear Kate, This looks delicious and today is shopping day. I just put basil and avocado on the list. Easter breakfast here I come. Also, I sent you an email at the info@c&k but I don’t think you must have gotten it. There are two places in Boulder that I think are perfect for your cookbook when it comes out. I would be happy to introduce your cookbook to them just because it would be nice to help a person adding so much to my table and life! Let me know how to help you. I believe you have my email. Dhyan from Boulder
Hi, Dyan. Thanks for the note! I’m still working on getting through my email from this weekend, so I’ll be on the lookout for it. :)
This was so good! I used kale instead of basil, and added a splash of water because it was a bit too thick. Can’t wait to have leftovers for dinner.
Yum! Thanks, Barbara.
This looks so good! Love avocado on toast. I need to try this version. :)
You should!
I made this recipe this morning and the result is awesome. It’s my new love of my life, and I cannot get enough of it. It’s so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So kind of you, Megan! Glad you loved it.
Brunch is one of my favorite meals! And this avocado toast looks like the perfect addition!
Same here, Kelly! It’s one of those little joys in life. I hope you try the toast!
Hi Kate!!
I made this for a group last night (tripled the recipe for 12 people and had left overs) and it was fantastic. The eggs (I hard boiled them then chopped) really took it over the top. I’ll be really glad to keep this in my back pocket for easy breakfast/ lunch/ dinner. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
You’re welcome, Maggie! I’m so glad everyone liked it.
Dear Kate, this is so delicious! I’ve never tried recipes including avocado before because I wasn’t sure I would like it, I can be a picky eater.
The only thing I added to the mixture is two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and one tablespoon of water to make it even more creamy. At the end I added a fried egg on top, just like you suggested, and it is definitely already one of my favourite breakfast and/or dinner options! Thank you for the inspiration! :)
You’re welcome, Ana! I’m so glad you tried this one.
This is a stellar avocado toast recipe, tried it with poached eggs and it was excellent!
Yum!
I wish I could attach a photo of how beautiful this came out. This breakfast is delicious! It’s easy to make, and the different flavors are incredible. I may never make pesto other than like this again! Even my insanely picky husband (who has never eaten an over easy egg in his life) loved It!
There’s so much awesome in this comment! Thanks a million, Meghan. This made me smile. :)
Easy and delicious!
Thanks, Melanie. :)
On a bit of a kick with your recipes:) But this one is INCREDIBLE. So easy, so tasty, and add ons can make it a substantial dinner for my hubby:) Thank you!
Yes! This one is so easily customizable. I love getting creative with whatever I have on hand.
My avocado paste turn brown after half an hour in the fridge why & how to protect it turning brown in the future & is it fine to use this brown avocado paste
LOVE this recipe! This is now one of my favorite quick meals or snacks to put together on the run. I like to top it with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish with basil :)
Yum! Sounds delicious, Colby.
Fabulous! Forgot to make bread ate pesto on tomato slices. Will repeat this meal over and over.
Sounds good, Connie!
This is so quick, easy and delicious! I topped mine with roasted broccoli and a little parmesan.
Thanks for sharing, Susan! Sounds tasty.
Kate,
I love your recipes and your blog. You keep inspiring me with new ways to cook healthy food. Don’t think I’ll ever have a food blog, I’m more into websites and writing, and learning about food and cooking.
Thank you, Joan!
I have a few recipes I come back to over and over. This is definitely one of them — it’s delectable, easy, and loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids.
Great to hear! Thanks, Doug.
Subbed the pepitas with pistachios and basil with cilantro – OMG!!
Subbed the pepitas with pistachios and basil with cilantro – OMG!!
This recipe is so delicious and easy to make. It is a welcomed addition to my egg whites and rye bread in the mornings.
Sounds like a wonderful combination, Katherine!
This was so delightful! Very fresh and tasty, thank you for the recipe :) I added some Texas Pete hot sauce on top with a tomato.
Sounds great, Liz! Thank you for your review.
Have you tried freezing the leftover spread and using a different day?
I haven’t. Let me know if you try it!
This sounds like such a delicious combination!
I was surprised by your opening statement about Black Lives Matter. I recognized some of the authors. Thank for going a step further and listing the titles of their books. I am also excited about your Spring recipes. Aloha.
This was delicious. It’s a new go-to lunch for me (and I have problems finding a lunch that I like as much as hummus or peanut butter toast)! I really appreciate how much work goes into every recipe you put out; it really shows – I’ve made more recipes of yours than I can count and none have let me down.
I’m glad you loved it!
I toasted low carb bread(When pigs fly bread) put avocado and fresh from my garden cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar…. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for posting recipes love this!
Worked out lovely! I didn’t have enough basil leaves, so I also mixed in some parsley, spinach and the leaves from a couple tarragon sprigs, and then added some avocado oil to the pesto. Had one slice of pesto toast with a fried egg on top and another slice paired with some roasted red pepper feta spread we had on hand. Delish.
Hi Kate: I love your recipe for avocado toast, above, and can’t wait to try it. My simple recipe is also delicious. Mash avocado, add lemon juice, red pepper flakes or hot sauce and ground pepper, all to taste. Spread on toast, then top it with sliced banana and a drizzle of honey. It really is delicious!