It's amazing how delicious this strawberry honey butter toast is and with just a few ingredients! Ready in a cinch, this dessert toast is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.
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What makes this recipe special
As much as I dislike social media, I'll admit that sometimes it inspires new recipe ideas. Just the other day, I saw a video of someone enjoying honey butter toast from Arome Bakery in London. The thick slice of toast had a crispy, crunchy coating, and a beautiful golden hue. It seemed like such a simple dessert but I knew I wanted to try it.
Since I'm not visiting London anytime soon, I decided to try making my own version with a summer twist - adding strawberries to the mix! This strawberry honey butter toast might not taste the same as Arome Bakery, but boy is it good. Top a slice with vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, and strawberry sauce and you have one amazing treat. And for more strawberry treats, check out my strawberry whoopie pies, strawberry poppy seed rolls, and strawberry buttermilk scones!
Ingredients
- Strawberries: The star ingredient of the recipe, strawberries provide a sweet and tangy flavor as well as a vibrant color to the honey butter. When cooked down, they create a luscious sauce that complements the richness of the butter and the sweetness of the bread.
- Honey: Honey adds natural sweetness to the strawberry sauce, balancing out any tartness from the fruit. It also helps create a syrupy consistency when combined with the strawberries.
- Butter: Butter forms the base of the strawberry honey butter, providing a creamy texture and rich flavor. When combined with the strawberry puree and honey, it creates a luxurious spread that adds moisture and richness to the toast.
- Brown sugar: Adds depth and caramel-like sweetness to the strawberry honey butter.
- Brioche bread: Brioche bread has a soft and tender texture with a rich crumb, making it ideal for this recipe. Make sure to use thick slices of bread, at least ½-inch thick, preferably 1-inch thick.
Substitutions and variations
- Bread: You can use milk bread or any other thick white bread for this recipe.
- Strawberries: Experiment with other fruits and substitute the strawberries with raspberries, peaches, or pineapple.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook strawberry sauce
What's great about this strawberry honey butter toast is that it's very easy to prepare. All you have to do is make strawberry butter and spread it on bread. Simple enough, right?
Start by making the strawberry sauce which will added to the butter. In a medium saucepot, combine the quartered strawberries with honey over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the strawberries are softened.
Gently mash the strawberries with a fork while simmering to help them release their juices. Make sure to also stir the pot occasionally to prevent the sugars from burning.
Once the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes later, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool completely. You can also prepare this step up to 5 days in advance.
Step 2: Make strawberry honey butter
After the strawberry mixture has cooled, puree it until smooth in a food processor or Vitamix. Measure out 6 tablespoons of the strawberry puree, setting aside the remaining sauce for later use.
Then, in a food processor combine the 6 tablespoons of strawberry sauce with softened butter and brown sugar. The butter must be softened or it will not emulsify with the other ingredients properly.
Pulse the mixture together until smooth and well combined, forming the strawberry honey butter. You can also choose to make the butter ahead of time, up to 5 days in advance. If preparing the butter in advance, let it sit at room temperature before using it.
Step 3: Prepare toasts
Now it's time to make the toast. Prepare the bread by cutting and removing the crusts. If you're able to find a brioche loaf or milk bread loaf, slice the bread into 1-inch thick slices.
Then, spread the strawberry honey butter on all sides of each bread slice, including the edges. Arrange the prepared toast on the lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake the toast in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, remembering to carefully flip the toast over halfway through the baking time.
Step 4: Bake and enjoy
Remove the toasts from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. As they cool, the sugar hardens, giving the toasts a crunchy shell.
Top the bread with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries. For extra strawberry goodness, drizzle the reserved strawberry sauce on top.
My goodness this strawberry honey butter toast is addicting! It almost reminds me of creme brulee with the crunchy sugar crust. The outside of the bread has an amazing crispy shell while the center stays wonderfully soft.
As for the flavor, I especially love the strawberry flavor which adds a lovely tangy. Although it is on the sweeter side, I can easily devour an entire slice and be perfectly satisfied.
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The strawberry honey butter can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Let it soften at room temperature before spreading it on the bread. It's best to spread the butter on the bread and bake right before serving.
- Store: Transfer the toast to airtight containers and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. The toast can soften over time so it's best enjoyed fresh, however, you can reheat the toast in the toaster oven to regain some of the crispy texture.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries for the strawberry sauce but I recommend using fresh berries to serve with the toast. Adjust the amount of honey depending on the sweetness of the strawberries.
Feel free to get creative with your toppings! You can add a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or even a drizzle of chocolate sauce for extra indulgence.
It's best to enjoy the toast fresh for optimal texture and flavor. The toast will become soggy if frozen and lose the lovely crunchy texture.
More strawberry dessert recipes
Looking for more strawberry desserts? Try these:
Recipe
Strawberry Honey Butter Toast
Ingredients
- 2 cups quartered strawberries (300 grams)
- ¼ cup honey (85 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup softened butter at room temperature (113 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- 8 slices 1 inch thick brioche bread or milk bread
- vanilla ice cream for serving
- fresh berries for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine strawberries with honey in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until strawberries are softened and liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool completely.
- Puree strawberries until smooth. Measure 6 tablespoons (80 grams) of the puree and set aside the remaining.
- Combine 6 tablespoons (80 grams) strawberry sauce with softened butter and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse together until mixture is smooth.
- Cut and remove the crusts from the bread. Spread strawberry honey butter in an even layer on all sides of the bread, including the edges. Arrange toast on prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake toast for 18-20 minutes, carefully flipping over toast halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve strawberry honey butter toast with vanilla cream and top with fresh berries. Drizzle reserved strawberry sauce and serve immediately.
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