Delicious Hummus Pizza Toasties are Something Special
There’s something wonderfully unexpected about swapping tomato sauce for hummus on a pizza-style toastie 🍅➡️🫓 – and once you try it, it’s hard to go back. These open-faced ciabatta toasties are light, never salty, and completely more-ish, with layers of flavour that build in the best way with every bite.
The hummus and pickled gherkins bring a subtle, unexpected sweetness that catches you off guard in the best way, while mature cheddar and Black Forest ham add just the right hit of savoury saltiness underneath. A finish of creamy avocado 🥑 and a generous crack of black pepper ties everything together – nothing here feels heavy or rich, just balanced and satisfying.
A special word for the Black Forest ham: this isn’t your average deli slice. Thinly sliced Black Forest ham is dry-cured and smoked over fir wood, which gives it a delicate, almost silky texture and a deep, slightly sweet smokiness that regular ham just doesn’t have. Sliced thin, it melts into the toastie rather than dominating it – adding richness and depth without ever feeling heavy-handed. It’s one of those small ingredient choices that quietly elevates the whole dish. ✨
Grilled until the cheese is bubbling 🧀 and the edges are golden, then piled onto a round tray for everyone to help themselves – these Hummus Pizza Toasties are made for sharing, no cutlery required. Simple to make, endlessly satisfying to eat.
Grilled Hummus Pizza Toasties
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta panini loaf sliced into 8 slices, slightly thicker than 1cm
- 8 tbsp hummus
- 16 thin slices mature cheddar about 2 per toastie, sliced thin with a potato peeler
- Mozzarella torn or thinly sliced, to taste
- 8 slices Black Forest ham
- 16 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves 4 halves per toastie
- 2-3 medium pickled gherkins sliced
- ½ ripe avocado sliced
- ½ fresh lemon or lemon juice
- black pepper to taste
Method
- Prep the bread. Lay the ciabatta slices out on a grill tray or baking sheet. No need to oil the bread.
- Spread the hummus. Spread a layer of hummus evenly over each slice, right to the edges.
- Lay a slice of ham over the hummus,
- Add tomatoes and gherkins. Arrange the cherry tomato halves cut-side up on top (this stops them releasing water into the bread), then scatter over the sliced gherkins.
- Layer the cheese. Scatter mozzarella.then layer on the thin cheddar slices.
- Grill. Place under the grill in a cold oven (not preheated) and grill for around 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges of the bread are golden. Ovens vary — check often rather than relying on the timer.
- Rest briefly. Let the toasties sit for a minute or two before topping — the cheese and tomatoes will be very hot.
- Top with avocado. Finish with fresh avocado slices laid over the top just before serving, so the avo stays cool and creamy against the hot melted cheese.
- Finish with a generous crack of freshly ground pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
- The thin cheese slices (cut with a potato peeler rather than grated) melt evenly and are much less likely to blow off or burn than grated cheese.
- Placing tomatoes cut-side up keeps the bread from going soggy.
- If your gherkins are very wet, pat them dry with paper towel first.
- Air fryer alternative: if cooking in an air fryer instead of under the grill, air fry at 180°C (350°F) for around 6–8 minutes, checking regularly, as air fryer models vary.
Other Light Tapas-style Snacks
Thinking of serving a variety of light tapas-style snacks? Here are some more delicious ideas:
- Spicy Pineapple & Mushroom Coconut Cream Quiche
- Brown Butter Cheese Soufflé with Caramelised Pear, Danish Blue & Jalapeño
- Artisanal Pull-Apart Cheesy Garlic Bread – Made From Scratch
- Puff Pastry Pinwheels – Spicy Cheese Bolognese Spirals
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