The Gooey Ingredient That Turns Regular Peanut Butter Toast Into A Bakery-Level Treat

Peanut butter toast is a peak low-effort, high-payoff breakfast food. A slice of plain toast with butter isn't that filling, but when you add a swipe of your favorite peanut butter brand to the top, you're powered up with an extra dose of protein, fats, and fiber to keep you fueled through to lunch time. However, this simple breakfast can be a little, well, simple. Luckily there are many additions that make peanut butter toast even better, including one nostalgic topping: toasted marshmallows. 

If you grew up in the '90s in New England, chances are you're more than familiar with the iconic Fluffernutter sandwich, which combines creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff between two slices of white bread. Consider toasted marshmallows on peanut butter toast an upscale, open-faced rendition of the Fluffernutter. That said, you don't want to stop with just adding a dollop of Fluff to the top of your peanut butter toast. 

If you're really after flavor, it's time to break out the butane torch to give it a bit of a gourmet touch. Of course, if you don't own one, you could slide the peanut buttered and marshmallow-ed slice into a toaster oven for a couple of minutes until the marshmallows turn golden and soften. 

Toasted marshmallows are just the start of this toast. To go full Elvis, consider layering sliced banana and bacon on your peanut butter layer and adding the mallows. If you want an even more gourmet option, give those bananas the bananas Foster treatment by flambéing them with a little bit of booze; the caramel flavor of the bananas will complement the toasted marshmallows well.

That being said, you could also stick to a more simplistic preparation of toasted marshmallow peanut butter toast (say that five times fast) by adding a complementary sprinkle of sea salt to cut through the sweetness of the marshmallows, a sprinkle of cinnamon for warmth, or a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce for a bitter and rich contrast. 

Another simple way to elevate this peanut butter toast is to swap out the bread. Cinnamon raisin toast would amplify the sweetness of the toasted marshmallows, while a crusty sourdough would offer a tangy juxtaposition to the salty peanut butter and marshmallow. Or, for something similar to white bread but elevated, Japanese-style milk bread has a pillowy-soft texture and sweet flavor.