Want to know how to cook toast without a toaster? Make this easy air fryer toast recipe! This air fryer recipe for beginners is perfect for college students, and simple enough for anyone who is busy. You can make plain toast, air fryer avocado toast, air fryer cinnamon toast, or put an egg on it and make it a meal!
TL; DR: Toast bread in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes (top rack for air fryer ovens). You don’t even need to flip it! For more easy air fryer recipes, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!
One of the most frequent questions I get is, “Can you toast bread in the air fryer?” I’m here to tell you the answer is yes! Once you start making toast in the air fryer, you’re going to wonder why you still have a toaster.
Your air fryer is best at quickly cooking frozen foods, making foods crispy (like leftover pizza), and toasting foods. It’s the perfect kitchen appliance for making toasted bread. Plus, large air fryer ovens can toast more bread at once than a typical 2-slot toaster.
My one-ingredient air fryer recipes always seem to be the most popular. They work well for people who don’t like to cook and people who don’t have time to cook. I hope this air fryer toast recipes makes getting breakfast on the table a little easier for you!
Jump to:
⭐ Benefits
Why try air frying bread? Here’s a few reasons for you:
- Makes big batches quickly: Depending on the size of the bread, my air fryer oven can toast up to 8 pieces of bread at a time. If I need to make a lot of toast, the air fryer is much faster than my 2-slot toaster.
- Plant-based: Toast is a plant-based foundation for a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore snacks. (And yes, gluten free and low carb breads are typically plant-based as well.)
- Easy to customize: Have toast for a snack or make it into a meal. Go the fun food route with toppings like Nutella, or keep it healthier with nut butters and sliced fruit.
- Delicious: Almost everybody likes bread, and the same goes for toast. It’s definitely a crowd-pleasing food.
🥘 Ingredients
What do you need to make toast in an air fryer? Here’s your extremely complicated shopping list (haha):
- Sliced bread
- Toast toppings (if desired)
You don’t even need cooking oil spray for this one!
So, the bad news is that most of the bread in the supermarket bread aisle counts as an ultra-processed food. If you’re trying to eat a more nutrient-dense diet, whole grain bread, perhaps made with sprouted grains, is the way to go.
I used Berlin Bakery’s Sprouted Spelt Bread. They also have a sourdough spelt bread that is made of whole grain flour, water, and salt only. It’s a really great option (if you can find it) if you want a minimally processed bread.
Another brand of whole grain bread that I highly recommend are those offered by Ezekiel. These breads are more expensive than most grocery store brands, but they are kept in the freezer. One loaf can last a very long time because there are 20 servings in a package and you can just defrost what you need.
🍽 Equipment
The only equipment you need to make air fryer toasted bread is the air fryer. No parchment paper liners or anything else is needed.
I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven for my air fryer recipes. Feel free to use your Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Power Air Fryer, etc. Instead. Cooking times may need to be adjusted slightly depending on the air fryer you use.
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Toast
Time to learn how to air fry bread! This “recipe” is going to go fast, so you should prep your toast toppings first. Slice the avocado, tomato, or whatever you’re using.
Put the bread slices in a single layer in your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. I can fit four pieces of bread on one of my trays. You might have to cook fewer at a time if your air fryer is small.
️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to cook toast in air fryer? What temp to make toast in air fryer? Air fry toast for a total of 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). Use the top rack position for air fryer ovens.
Do you have bread on the lower rack of the air fryer oven too? It will need a little more time than bread on the top rack. Move it to the top rack and air fry 1-2 more minutes when the toast on top is done.
You may have to adjust cooking time based on how thick the bread is and how dark you like your toast. You can get an idea from the photos of how browned the bread is with 4-5 minutes of air frying time.
🌡️ Leftovers
Leftover toast will get stale quickly. Luckily, stale bread can be repurposed in a lot of ways! Crush it into breadcrumbs, cut it into croutons, or make a panzanella salad.
🍞 Toppings
What are the best toppings for toast? I made air fryer avocado toast with whipped cream cheese, sliced avocado, sliced tomato, and everything bagel seasoning. I also made air fryer cinnamon toast by sprinkling air fryer buttered toast with cinnamon and sugar.
Here are a few more ideas for air fried toast toppings:
- Jam or jelly
- Peanut butter, other nut butters, seed butters
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Fried egg
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Cheese (melt the cheese on the bread for Air Fryer Grilled Cheese)
- Broccoli Sprouts
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). The nutrition information for this toast recipe will depend on the type of bread and toppings you use. There are low-calorie breads available that are only 40-45 calories per slice if you need a light option.
In general, spreadable fats are the most energy-dense toast toppers. This includes items like butter, peanut butter, avocado, and margarine. These high-fat foods will add 50-100 calories per tablespoon to your toast.
Sliced fresh fruit, roasted red peppers, and light whipped cream cheese are some lower calorie toast topping options. I also like to top toast with a fried egg for some filling high-quality protein.
If you’re making toast into a meal (rather than a snack), I would have a few pieces. The toast provides carbs, and I would add some healthy fat and protein to that. Here are a few examples of toasts that can work as a meal:
- Toast + mashed avocado + sliced tomato + sliced turkey + bacon
- Toasted bread + whipped cream cheese + roasted red pepper + thinly sliced cucumber + smoked salmon
- Toast + hummus + smoked tofu + sliced tomato + sliced red onion + alfalfa sprouts
Essentially what we’re doing is turning the toast into an open-faced sandwich. Though toast is usually thought of as a breakfast option, it can definitely work for lunch or dinner as well.
FAQs
Yes, IMVHO an air fryer can replace a toaster and a toaster oven! It can do everything your toaster oven can do (plus more). If you have a small kitchen getting an air fryer and ditching some of your other appliances can save counter space.
IMHO, the best air fryer for toast needs to be able to make more toast than a toaster. Among the air fryer ovens, I love the Kalorik Air Fryer Oven because it has a large capacity and a lot of features, is relatively inexpensive, and makes perfect toast every time! The Ninja Foodi Smart XL Air Fryer Oven is another great option.
To make gluten free air fryer toast, the bread you use must contain no gluten. Here is one option for a bread that is gluten-free (plus Paleo, low carb, and keto). Udi’s and Canyon Bakehouse are two other options for highly rated gluten-free bread.
You can make garlic toast in the air fryer using butter and fresh garlic or garlic powder. Learn to make it with both fresh and granulated garlic with my Air Fryer Garlic Bread recipe. It’s even better than Texas Toast!
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
Want more breakfast air fryer recipes? Here are some more ideas for your morning meal:
- Crustless Keto Mini Quiche (includes air fryer directions)
- Sausage Patties in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Granola
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Join our community! Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter to be kept up-to-date on all of the latest and greatest recipes! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Toast (Toasted Bread Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread
- toast toppings (optional, see suggestions in article)
Instructions
- Place the bread slices in a single layer in your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. I can fit four pieces of bread on one of my trays. You might have to cook fewer at a time if you have a small air fryer.
- Air fry toast for a total of 4-5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Use the top rack position for air fryer ovens.
- Top the toast as desired and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Toast + mashed avocado + sliced tomato + sliced turkey + bacon
- Toast + whipped cream cheese + roasted red pepper + thinly sliced cucumber + smoked salmon
- Toast + hummus + smoked tofu + sliced tomato + sliced red onion + alfalfa sprouts
Angie Watson says
Perfect recipe just got air fryer and the beginner recipes are the best for me living single and not wanting to make large meals
Summer Yule says
Hi Angie, As a new-ish empty nester, I completely agree about needing simple smaller meals! The air fryer is great for that. So happy you're here, and thank you for the rating 🙂
Noreen says
I am a newbie and bought Black and Decker air fryer toaster oven and want to cook eggs and also hash browns and then bacon. Help! Please.
Summer Yule says
Hi Noreen! Here are my posts on the foods you're interested in:
Eggs: https://summeryule.com/fried-eggs-air-fryer/
Bacon: https://summeryule.com/air-fryer-turkey-bacon/
Hash browns (frozen diced): https://summeryule.com/frozen-diced-hash-browns-air-fryer/
Hash browns (frozen shredded): https://summeryule.com/air-fryer-frozen-hash-browns/
Hope that helps! Just keep in mind that air fryer times do vary between brands, so you may need to make adjustments to the cooking times. Let me know how it goes, and thank you for visiting! Summer 🙂
Mary Griffin says
I've tried making AF egg toast but the egg is either over cooked or under cooked. What am I doing wrong?
Summer Yule says
Hi Mary, which air fryer are you using? Here's the directions for how I do it in a Kalorik: https://summeryule.com/air-fryer-breakfast-sandwich/ I've heard that the Ninja Foodi and Cuisinart air fryers cook food faster than usual, so you may need to turn the temp down, cook for less time, or both.