When it comes to cooking, my origin story is far from linear. It’s hard to pinpoint a time in my life when I wasn’t in the kitchen. I was lucky—inspiration was everywhere. My mom was the master of quick and easy, post-school snacks. Think: carrot and hummus toast and masala quesadillas. They served as an entry point for recipes that served as more of a guide than hard-and-fast, written rules. And this spicy corn toast? I’ve had the basic formula memorized for years.

These were the homemade snacks my brother and I got to choose from when we got home from school. (Lucky, I know.) More often than not, my mom had the ingredients prepped and ready to go for us to assemble on our own. (Again: lucky.) As a result, we very quickly learned how to cook these dishes and snacks for ourselves. And so, this corn toast recipe is my little love letter to the always craveable, always satisfying afternoon snack.

Spicy Corn Toast Ingredients

Afternoon toasts don’t need to be boring. There are countless ways to spice up your everyday avocado toast—and hello, it’s time ricotta toast had its moment. And to add to your summer toast repertoire, this spicy corn toast is here to celebrate the season in all of its sunshine-soaked glory. With sweet kernels of corn, melty cheese, crunchy bread, and a kick of spice, this toast takes the warm-weather flavors over the top. Oh, and did I mention it all comes together in 15 minutes? Incredible, I know.

The ingredient list for the no-recipe recipe is pretty short, but they all come together to form the perfect bite.

Sourdough. I love a good quality sourdough from the market when I can grab it. But use whatever bread you have on hand.

Corn. Fresh, frozen, or canned, any version you have works.

Bell peppers. I like using both red and green bell peppers.

Jalapeño. I’ve used fresh and/or jarred pickled jalapeños. Both work perfectly, it just depends on what you’re craving.

Cheese. The meltier the better. Mozzarella, cheddar, or another melty option works best.

Garam masala. You can find this in most grocery stores in the spice aisle.

Red chili powder. This is optional, but I like the extra kick of heat.

Cilantro. The freshness of the cilantro is a must, but I also like adding chives or green onions when I have them.

Limes. A big squeeze of lime juice over your toast at the end helps bring out all the flavors.

How to Prepare This Corn Toast

This is the ultimate make-ahead snack. My mom would chop all the peppers and toss them with the corn and spices to keep in the fridge in an airtight container. Then, when the toasts were ready to assemble, she would add a bit of cheese. That’s it!

To prepare the toasts, line a sheet tray with parchment for easy clean-up, and place on your sliced bread on top. Pile each piece of bread high with the corn topping and add extra cheese on top so it gets nice and melty. You can air fry, broil, or bake to your desired doneness. Sometimes I like a melty gooey toast, but I also occasionally like to toast it a bit longer so the cheese on top gets extra crispy. Toast to your heart’s content!

Tips for Serving

Trust me, this corn toast is delicious on its own, but my brother and I have developed a few iterations that are just as tasty.

Top with a blend of mixed herbs or mint chutney. Finely chopping herbs like dill, cilantro, and green onions with a ton of lime or lemon juice makes this extra addictive. Plus, the herbs’ freshness plays so well with the melty cheese. A mint chutney is also perfect here. And a heavy squeeze of ketchup is also incredibly delicious on this toast.

Serve with avocado and lemon. Thin slices of avocado with a big squeeze of lemon make this toast a bit more hefty. It’s the perfect easy lunch or simple dinner. I’ve even topped it off with an egg and a side salad for a delicious AM meal. The options are endless.

Keep scrolling for the recipe!

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