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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Starters & Light Bites / Easy Melba Toast

Easy Melba Toast

Published on February 17, 2021 by Helen Best-Shaw 12 Comments
Last Updated on June 8, 2021

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Restaurant-quality Melba toast is so easy to make at home with this one-ingredient recipe!  

A close up of slices of crisp brown curved melba toast, with a serving of pink beetroot dip on one slice.

Everything You Need To Know

  • Easy Melba Toast 
  • What is Melba Toast? 
  • What Bread Should I Use For Melba Toast?
  • How to Make Melba Toast 
  • Easy Melba toast recipe – hints, tips and questions 
    • Can I use brown / wholemeal bread? 
    • Can I use Sourdough bread? 
    • Can I use gluten free bread? 
    • Can I make Melba toast ahead? 
    • What do I do with all the crusts? 
  • More dips and chips
  • Easy Melba toast
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Easy Melba Toast 

Melba toast is the best thing since sliced bread and it certainly is the best thing to do with sliced bread! Delicious with dips, cheese or soup, it is light and low in fat.   

Accept no boring packet substitutes. Effortlessly impressive, light and crunchy, Melba toast takes moments to make and is so much better than dull shop-bought crackers for serving dips or paté. That delicious, elegant curve makes it perfect for scooping a soft dip or mousse. 

I’ve been making this for parties for years. Once you are in the rhythm of it, you can easily make buckets of Melba toasts. Homemade Melba toast will always impress and is far more economical than buying crackers.

The fact that it is made from the one ingredient most of us have in the house all the times means that you can always rustle some up at no notice. No cheese crackers? No problem! 

What is Melba Toast? 

Melba toast is a finely sliced piece of bread, double toasted, so that it’s crispy all the way through without any soft middle. 

It was invented by the legendary Auguste Escoffier, head chef at London’s Savoy hotel, for Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba. The story is that Dame Nellie was unwell and wanted a light, easily digestible snack. She was quite the inspiration, as Peach Melba was also invented for her. 

What Bread Should I Use For Melba Toast?

Slices of white sandwich bread, ready for toasting.

The best bread to use is plain, medium sliced soft white bread. Toastie or sandwich bread is ideal because you want the slices to be as square as possible. This means there is less waste when you trim the crusts off. 

Thinly sliced bread can be hard to split, and thickly sliced bread is just too thick. You want lovely light crispy crackers, so go for something in the middle! 

How to Make Melba Toast 

Making melba toast - five slices of white bread that have been toasted golden brown, roughly arranged on a wooden board.

Step one – Switch on your grill/broiler to medium to warm up.

Toast plain white bread in the toaster until just golden.  

Toast is cut into squares and then halved into triangles.

Step two – Cut the crusts off each slice to form a square, and then cut each slice diagonally into two triangles. 

Pro Tip

You can use a cookie cutter here to cut any shape you want. I like the classic simplicity of triangles, and there is less waste. 

Making melba toast - pieces of toast are being carefully cut into two halves, the cut being made through the centre of the slice. This gives two pieces, each toasted on one side and soft on the side that was the centre of the slice.

Step three – Use a serrated knife to split each slice through the middle. It is easiest to do this when the bread is still warm from the toaster. I find I can easily prepare two slices of while the next two slices are toasting in the toaster. 

Making melba toast - brushing the bread crumb off the sliced open toast.

Step four – Use your fingers to gently rub each slice to remove any crumbs, so your Melba toast is as thin as it can be. This is why you want to use a medium or thin sliced bread. 

Slices of melba toast, before and after grilling. Before, they're white and soft. After, they're crispy and golden brown.

Step five – Grill, untoasted side up, until  your Melba toast crackers are golden brown and the edges have curled up.  

Pro Tip

Do not take your eyes off the toasts while you are grilling them as they can burn within seconds. Most grills/broilers will have hotspots, so as each piece is cooked remove it and keep juggling the other pieces around. 

A top down picture of slices of melba toast on a rustic wooden board. Next to the toast is a small blue dish of pink beetroot dip.

Easy Melba toast recipe – hints, tips and questions 

The best way to make Melba toast crackers is to get a production line going, trimming and splitting while the next 2 or 4 slices are toasting, depending how fast you can work.  

When grilling/broiling the Melba toasts you MUST watch them carefully, as they burn very fast. 

Can I use brown / wholemeal bread? 

Absolutely – although I prefer white bread. I don’t recommend seeded bread because it is harder to split each slice in half neatly.  

Can I use Sourdough bread? 

Yes, although it is slightly harder to cut neatly, and the finished slices might have holes in, which makes it harder to scope up your dips! 

Can I use gluten free bread? 

Absolutely. Pick your favourite brand and make in exactly the same way as regular Melba toast. 

Can I make Melba toast ahead? 

Yes. It will go stale, however, if you keep it too long. I usually make it the day before I need it. Make sure the toasts are completely cool after grilling (warm toast will produce condensation and you do not want the entire batch to go soggy). Then store in an airtight box.  

What do I do with all the crusts? 

I have a policy of waste not, want not and try never to throw any food away. Dry the crusts out under the grill as with the toasts, allow to cool and crush to crumbs either in a plastic bag or in a coffee or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container and use within a few days, or freeze. Use them in any recipes that call for regular or panko breadcrumbs. 

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from other blogs 

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More dips and chips

If you love these Melba toasts then you can also make easy homemade tortilla chips from wraps. 

Some of my favourite dips 

  • Whipped feta
  • Tahini dressing
  • Burger sauce
  • Hot cheese dip
  • Goat’s cheese hummus
Tried this recipe?If you try this recipe please tag #FussFreeFlavours on Instagram or Twitter. It is amazing for me when for me when you make one of my recipes and I really do love to see them. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thanks for reading Fuss Free Flavours!
A close up of slices melba toast on a rustic wooden board. A serving of pink dip is on one slice, garnished with parsley.
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4.92 from 12 votes

Easy Melba toast

This simple recipe explains the technique for light and delicious Melba toast; light and crunchy and perfect with dips or cheese. Fuss free and effortlessly impressive for entertaining.
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time5 mins
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Ingredients

  • 2 slices plain white sandwich bread

Instructions

  • Switch on the grill. (USA - the broiler)
  • Toast the bread until just pale golden.
  • Carefully split each slice through the middle with a serrated knife.
  • Rub the uncooked side of each slice to remove crumbs .
  • Place the toast slices, uncooked side up, on a baking tray. Grill until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them as they cook, as they turn from golden to overcooked very quickly.
  • As each Melba toast is coked remove from under the grill and rearrange the others.
  • Allow to cool and enjoy with your favourite dips.

Notes

The best way to make Melba toast crackers is to get a production line going, trimming and splitting while the next 2 or 4 slices are toasting, depending how fast you can work.  
When grilling/broiling the Melba toasts you MUST watch them carefully, as they burn very fast. 
Can I use brown / wholemeal bread? 
Absolutely – although I prefer white bread. I don't recommend seeded bread because it is harder to split each slice in half neatly.  
Can I use Sourdough bread? 
Yes, although it is slightly harder to cut neatly, and the finished slices might have holes in, which makes it harder to scope up your dips! 
Can I use gluten free bread? 
Absolutely. Pick your favourite brand and make in exactly the same way as regular Melba toast. 
Can I make Melba toast ahead? 
Yes. It will go stale, however, if you keep it too long. I usually make it the day before I need it. Make sure the toasts are completely cool after grilling (warm toast will produce condensation and you do not want the entire batch to go soggy). Then store in an airtight box.  
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Course: Aperitif, Baked Goods
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Melba toast
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Filed Under: Baking, French, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Starters & Light Bites Ingredients: Bread

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Melanie

    5 stars
    Gosh, this reminds me of my Grandmother. I was fascinated to watch her make this. Brilliant. Such a good thing to make, and so versatile.

    Reply
  2. Helena

    5 stars
    What a great idea. I hadn’t even considered how easy this was, and how much better it is to make your own. Delicious with pate.

    Reply
  3. Esther Bridges

    5 stars
    I had no idea of the origins of Melba toast. How interesting. It has always been popular in our family, and with it being so easy to make you should always make your own. Far better when fresh.

    Reply
  4. tammy

    5 stars
    Who knew Melba toast was so easy to make? I really didn’t. I have learnt something new today. Brilliant.

    Reply
  5. Florrie

    5 stars
    I much prefer this method of making your own and having it fresh. So easy to make and very cost effective.

    Reply
  6. Wendy M

    5 stars
    Deliciously crispy and great with soup. A lovely low cal alternative to usual bread.

    Reply
  7. Gemma

    5 stars
    Easy to follow instructions for making the perfect melba toast. I hadn’t realised just how easy.

    Reply
  8. Sadie Porter

    5 stars
    Melba toast was often served with kippers when I was younger. Great to make your own and so easy too.

    Reply
  9. Polly Sanderson

    5 stars
    Crazy how good this simple toast is. Had it with baked Camembert and it was just fabulous.

    Reply
  10. Karmel

    5 stars
    Crispy and far better than shop bought. So very versatile and easy to make.

    Reply
  11. Paul W

    5 stars
    Love this stuff, crispy and light and good with cheese. Really easy to make your own.

    Reply
  12. Jermaine

    4 stars
    I have such a bad sense of timing that my first TWO batches burnt! My fault entirely. But the third go was successful enjoyed it with soup. Thanks, Helen.

    Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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