Persimmon Toast
My crispy grilled persimmon toast is topped with juicy sliced fruit, ricotta, a blend of sweet honey, balsamic reduction, and crunchy pistachios. It takes less than 10 minutes for me to make it so that I can whip it up for a quick breakfast or snack.
This is such a fun toast to make, and I can cut it up into smaller pieces and serve it as a bite-size appetizer. I like to serve it this way for brunch with my easy dragon fruit smoothie, which everyone likes because of its pretty pink color!
Table of contents
I knew that I would eventually discover the perfect toast!! I used to make it the same way, but with figs, and one day, by accident, I didn’t have figs on hand but had persimmons. WOW, a new start was born. This toast just blew my mind and my taste buds; now I almost have it every morning!
Why you will love this recipe
- Because it is easy: It is so simple to just grill the bread and slather on some cheese and fruit. Just like making any kind of toast but it tastes so much better. It is surprising to me to see how many people have never had persimmons before and nice to be able to introduce them to such a delightful taste.
- I can make it in minutes: This toast takes me about 10 minutes to make. I just grill the bread and top it with the rest of the ingredients. That’s all there is to it!
- It is so versatile: I serve it for breakfast to the kids sometimes and I also like to eat it for lunch with a smoothie. But these adorable little toasts also make perfect appetizers when sliced into pieces or made on smaller bread or crackers.
- Healthy and fun: The kids will love it since it’s on the sweeter side. I let them help me make it so they are more inclined to devour them.
What you’ll need to make persimmon toast
- Toasted sourdough bread – I use sourdough bread for this toast because of its unique tangy taste and crunchy crust that holds up well when grilling.
- Ricotta cheese – This soft and creamy Italian cheese spreads easily and pairs well with the fruit and other ingredients. The milky flavor works with both sweet and savory tastes.
- Sliced persimmons – I use Fuyu persimmons because they have a sweet, mild, and creamy taste with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.
- Chopped pistachios – I add these for some crunch and nutty flavor as well as a nice pop of color.
- Honey – To give my toast a bit of natural sweetness as well as to keep the pistachios, toast, and fruit moist.
- Balsamic reduction – Balsamic reduction adds a tangy, sweet, and rich flavor profile to complement the other flavors and enhance the mild taste of the cheese and honey.
How to make it
- Slice: I start with good bread; for this recipe, I prefer sourdough bread; I use a serrated knife to slice it.
- Make the toast: First, I grill the bread on my indoor grill.
- Ricotta: Then, I coat one side in ricotta cheese.
- Toppings: The next to go on is the persimmons, which I top with chopped pistachios, honey, and balsamic reduction.
- Go ahead and eat: Now, it is ready to eat!
Expert tips
More tips to consider
- Another way to make this toast is to mix the honey and ricotta to have honey-infused ricotta. Then, drizzle the balsamic reduction on last.
- Be sure to check that the persimmons are ripe before buying them. They should be slightly soft at the top and bottom of the fruit.
- I recommend Fuyu persimmons because they are the sweetest.
- To keep the toast from becoming soggy, make sure it is grilled or toasted all the way and let it cool.
- Also, coat it in ricotta before adding the fruit and balsamic vinegar.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- No ricotta: For a different flavor, sometimes I use cream cheese instead of ricotta. The spreadable whipped kind is perfect for this recipe.
- Instead of cheese: In fact, instead of using cheese, Greek yogurt gives this persimmon toast a wonderfully sweet and creamy taste. I have used plain and vanilla, but I think other flavors would be fun to try as well.
- Add more fruits: To make this toast even more flavorful, I add other fruits too. Mango is one of my favorites but the kids like it when I add sliced bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, or figs.
- Veggies are good too: Some of the veggies that go with persimmons are avocado, spinach, carrots, turnips, and sweet potato.
- Make it spicy: When I serve my spicy food lovers, I like to sprinkle on some red pepper flakes and a bit of hot sauce.
Serving suggestions:
Persimmon toast can be served alone or with other dishes and drinks. Here are some of my ideas.
- I love to serve this toast with a side of my gooey homemade fried apples. They are so easy to make in less than 30 minutes and have a buttery sweet and sticky glaze.
- Of course, toast always goes great with some eggs. Whether they are scrambled, sunny-side-up, or boiled, my persimmon toast complements any egg dish.
- For a nice filling beverage on the side, my chocolate cherry smoothie is always a big hit with chocolate lovers. It tastes like dessert, but it is actually quite healthy.
- This toast can even be a dessert. I have served it with some caramel sauce on top and even with ice cream on the side. Everyone loves it that way. Especially the kids.
- When serving this toast as an appetizer, I often make it with chips, dip, and butternut squash brie. It only takes a few minutes to make and has crunchy walnuts, tangy cranberries, and deliciously sweet squash.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Persimmon toast is best served within a few hours because it will get soggy after that. Until then, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
It is probably because they are not ripe. Persimmons have high levels of tannins, which create a very sour taste and make your mouth pucker when they are not ripe. As they ripen, the tannins break down to make the fruit sweeter. It is best to check for ripeness before buying them. They should feel soft at the top and bottom by the stem and base. But certain varieties of persimmons have to be completely soft before they are sweet.
Like the persimmons, they may just not be ripe enough. If pistachios are not ripe, they will not taste good. When they are too young, they taste bitter. They may also be rancid or spoiled. This could be from not being stored properly, causing them to mold or become rotten. Another problem may be that they were infested by navel orangeworms. If they lay their eggs in the nuts, the pistachios will be damaged and taste bitter.
If the bread is not allowed to cool properly after it is toasted, the condensation can build up underneath. This can leak back into the bread and make it damp. If the bread is too fresh, this can also make it too soggy. Using too many wet and liquid toppings can also soak into the bread. I suggest grilling or toasting the bread well first and then topping it completely with a layer of ricotta before adding the fruit and drizzling on the balsamic glaze and honey.
Persimmon toast on crunchy, grilled sourdough bread, topped with fluffy ricotta, honey, ripe persimmon, balsamic reduction, and pistachios.
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1 large Fuyu persimmon ripe
- 4 tablespoons ricotta
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
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Wash the persimmon and thinly slice it. Take a tiny bite to make sure it's sweet.
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Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and grill the bread slices on both sides.
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Spread two tablespoons of ricotta cheese per bread slice.
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Top with persimmon slices.
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Drizzle the honey and balsamic reduction over the fruit.
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Top with chopped pistachios. Serve.
Recipe Video
6 Comments
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Amber Myers
I have never had this before. I will have to give it a try! It looks delicious.
Tara Pittman
This toast sounds delicious. I will be making it soon.
Christy G
I’ve never had this toast before. I’ll have to try it but I don’t buy a bunch of bread. It goes bad since it’s only two of us at home.
Everything Enchanting
This grilled persimmon toast looks so delicious! I’ll have to try this recipe ASAP 😋😍.
Marysa
Such a unique and lovely idea for toast! I haven’t had a persimmon in ages, and it would be nice to enjoy on toast. I’ll have to keep an eye out to see if there are persimmons at the grocery store.
Melissa Cushing
I too have never had this before but so want to try it and this toast recipe looks incredible! I am pinning this one 😉