This super simple, 5-ingredient Strawberry Toast is a. A toasted piece of crusty bread is slathered with lightly sweetened mascarpone cheese, topped with juicy fresh strawberries and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
I'm someone who relishes good bread. I'm also a big fan of all berries (especially perfectly ripe spring strawberries) and most cheeses. And my favorite condiment? Anything made with vinegar. This delightfully easy breakfast dish combines all of those things into a gee dang masterpiece.
Sliced strawberries are macerated in the lightest coating of honey to coax out all the lovely juices. Soft mascarpone is tinged with a hint of sweetness. Balsamic vinegar is reduced down to a treacly agrodolce syrup. And then all of those things are loaded onto a lightly toasted, thick crusted, big-bubbled, piece of sourdough bread. It's transcendent.
Jump to:
What is a Strawberry Tartine?
You know how foreign languages make even the most banal things sound super sexy? Well tartine is one of those words. Basically French for "open faced sandwich" or “yummy stuff on toast,” tartines can be sweet or savory, large or small. Often eaten as either a breakfast or lunch, these snacks run the gamut in terms of flavors—including this strawberry toast/tartine.
At Marché, our tartines were mostly sweet and focused on fresh fruit. Peach toast with ricotta and honey for summer, pears & camembert for fall, roasted grapes & goat cheese for winter. This strawberry mascarpone toast has always been my favorite, and it is so easy to recreate at home.
Why I Love This Easy Breakfast Toast Recipe
- Marché Copycat - While Nashville's favorite brunch spot is no longer with us, this fan-favorite Margot McCormack brunch recipe is a snap to make at home!
- Quick & Easy - Even though the balsamic vinegar does take awhile to reduce down to a thick syrup, it’s mostly hands off—you just need to check on it and give it a periodic stir. Otherwise, just toast some bread, stir honey into mascarpone, and slice some berries. All in, you’re looking at 10 minutes of active prep time, max.
- Bright & Balanced - It’s amazing what flavor you can coax out of just 5 basic ingredients. This strawberry toast has it all—sweet and tart, warm and cool, juicy and creamy. It’s the perfect breakfast if you have a sweet tooth. And, while sweet strawberries and balsamic vinegar may sound like a weird combination, they're actually a pretty classic combination!
Ingredients & Substitutions
All you need are five simple ingredients to make the best darn strawberry toast you’ve ever tasted:
- Good Bread - Preferably crusty on the outside, stretchy on the inside, and lightly toasted. I tend to reach for rustic sourdough ciabatta, french bread, or artisan whole grain bread.
- Mascarpone Cheese - This creamy, mild, lightly sweet cheese offers the perfect balance for the sweet-tart berries and vinegar syrup. Cream cheese is the closest (albeit more tart) approximation, though slightly looser ricotta cheese or whipped cottage cheese can also step in.
- Honey - I love the floral complexity honey brings to the table, especially for such a sunshine-y spring dish. Feel free to sub maple syrup, agave nectar, granulated sugar, or sweetener of choice.
- Fresh Strawberries - When strawberry season is at its peak, these bright red berries are usually pretty cheap—I can get a pound from my local Aldi for $2.39 right now (March 2025)! They should be fragrant (sniff the clamshell they come in); if not, opt for defrosted frozen sliced strawberries, which will be sweeter than ones that don’t have a detectable aroma.
- Balsamic Reduction - If you're feeling lazy, certain stores actually carry ready-made balsamic reduction. Otherwise, all you need is balsamic vinegar, a small saucepan, and some patience. In a pinch, pomegranate molasses will also do the trick.
How To Make Strawberry Toast, Marché-Style
As promised, this fruity tartine comes together in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Make Balsamic Reduction. Feel free to use store-bought, but if you have just a bit of time, a small pot and some balsamic vinegar on your hands, you're just a few easy steps away from this magical elixir. The directions couldn't be simpler: pour balsamic vinegar into a sauce pot. Put the pot over low heat. Simmer until thick and syrupy. That's it. NOTE: If you want a sweeter balsamic reduction, add a drizzle of honey, agave or maple syrup to taste.
Step 2: Sweeten Mascarpone. Add softened mascarpone and some honey (or the sweetener of your choice) to a small bowl. Mix until well combined. Easy, right?
Step 3: Macerate Berries. Rinse your berries well. Stem and slice them. Drizzle them with a bit of honey and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. You're almost done!
Step 4: Assemble. Take a thick-ish slice of your crusty bread and toast it just enough to warm through and give it some texture. (If you're feeling extra indulgent, give it the golden brown butter and olive oil fried bread treatment from my Beans & Greens on Toast.) Slather on a generous swoosh of sweetened mascarpone. Pile the berries and their accumulated juices on as high as your heart desires. Drizzle with some balsamic vinegar. Dig in. Enjoy every last bite!
Optional Variations
While this ripe strawberry tartine à la Marché is pretty perfect just the way it is, there are plenty of opportunities to make it all your own. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Higher-Protein - Make a lovely strawberry cottage cheese toast for an extra boost of muscle-building protein. I recommend taking a page from my berry cheesecake overnight oats recipe and blitzing the cottage cheese until smooth.
- Cheaper - Mascarpone can be tough to find and a bit on the pricey side. To keep your grocery budget on target, try making strawberry cream cheese toast instead. I like to mix an 8-oz block of cream cheese with ¼ cup of heavy cream to help soften the tangy edges, but that’s totally optional.
- Different Cheese - You can also take a page from my peach toast recipe and make strawberry ricotta toast instead.
- Different Vinegar - You can make reductions out of any of your favorite sweet vinegar varieties. Fruit vinegars would be especially great here!
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - You can go in a few directions here. Either:
- Swap in your favorite plant-based spreadable cheese,
- Use dairy-free milk and eggs or flax eggs to make vegan french toast as your toast base and omit the cheese, or
- Use your favorite nut butters (e.g. almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter) in place of cheese. This will have more of a grown-up PB&J vibe, but it’s delicious.
- IF YOU ARE A STRICT VEGAN, make sure to also check the label on your bread and opt for a vegan-friendly sweetener (e.g. maple or agave) in place of honey.
- Mix-Ins & Add-Ons - Feel free to get creative here! I kept our strawberry toast recipe very basic, but you’re welcome to add extra layers of yumminess. Here are a few ideas:
- Herbs - Try adding a tablespoon of chopped fresh mint, fresh basil, or anise-flavored fresh tarragon to the bowl when you macerate the berries.
- Lemon - Mix some lemon zest into the sweetened mascarpone and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the berries while they macerate for an added pop of brightness.
- Vanilla Extract - Try adding a splash to the mascarpone mixture for richer, warmer flavor.
Expert Tips
- Spectacular Strawberries - When you’re shopping for strawberries, make sure to give them a sniff. They should smell perfume-y sweet—like strawberries! Other indicators of quality include a uniformly bright red color and smooth skin. Just remember: smell and taste go hand in hand, so if you can’t smell the berries through the holes in the clamshell, you probably won’t be able to taste them either.
- Serving a Crowd? The best way to make a bunch of toasted bread is using the oven. Simply arrange the racks to the middle and lower-middle position, place a baking sheet on the lower rack, and preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place the bread slices between every other set of slats to hold them upright (like a standard toaster), using the sheet below to hold them in place. Bake for 4-6 minutes, then use tongs to flip and continue to bake another 4-6 minutes, or until they achieve the right level of color for your liking.
Storage Instructions
The recipe card below is for a single strawberry tartine, so you shouldn’t have leftovers. That said, if you’re scaling it up to feed a crowd or are just getting a jump on meal prep for the week, here’s how to store things:
- Macerated Berries - Ideally, you shouldn’t let the berries macerate too long, or they’ll become extra soft and syrupy. Feel free to transfer any leftover strawberry mixture to an airtight container in the fridge and try to get to it by the next morning. If you can’t get to them within that time frame, don’t fret—it’ll be a great addition to your next bowl of ice cream. (So will the balsamic reduction.)
- Sweetened Mascarpone will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. While you technically can freeze it for up to 2 months, it tends to get a bit gritty.
- Toast should only be toasted when you’re ready to serve, as the added heat on the exposed center can cause it to dry out. In a pinch, save any leftover slices in an airtight zip-top bag at room temperature for up to a day. Don’t refrigerate bread or toast—it can make it go stale quicker.
- Balsamic Reduction should keep well in a squeeze bottle in the fridge nearly indefinitely. I’ve kept some on hand for upwards of 3-4 months and never had an issue. Use your best judgement.
- Assembled strawberry toasts can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a day, but ideally you won’t assemble them until you’re ready to eat!
Serving Suggestions
I personally like to whip up a strawberry toast as a quick breakfast or midday desk snack—all that berry sweetness is a great way to ensure it’ll be a good day. Seriously, it’s impossible not to smile when you eat one.
This easy recipe is also fantastic if you’re hosting a weekend brunch—it’s the perfect appetizer for Mother’s Day, Easter, and regular ol’ Sunday Fundays. Wondering what to pair it with? Try:
- A make-ahead ham and swiss breakfast strata is an excellent savory follow up to the strawberry-balsamic sweetness. The fact that it’s meal-prep-able makes it a great option for entertaining.
- Breakfast poutine is also fun, especially when spring weather still has chilly mornings. Roasted potato wedges are topped with squeaky cheese curds, make-ahead mushroom gravy, and a fried egg for a meal that can conquer even the biggest hunger.
- For another Marché throwback, make this big-batch vanilla almond granola—it’s the same recipe we used at the restaurant. Served over a bowl of yogurt with a strawberry tartine on the side, it’s a dreamy way to start the day.
- And, if you’re anything like me, no morning meal is complete without plenty of coffee. I particularly like serving this strawberry toast alongside my spicy Mexican mocha to hit the final (fiery) flavor button.
FAQs
Y'all, my favorite part about tartines is how simple they are. You are free to use any fruit that you'd like! While strawberries are one of my all-time favorite fruits, you can easily swap in any other berries that you've macerated or, try making the equally famous Marché style peach tartine. Alternatively, make a savory toast like my mushroom tartine with whipped goat cheese, easy avocado tartine, or beans and greens on toast!
“Healthy” and “good for you” are phrases that will mean different things to different people, so I turned to my friend Megan over at The Oregon Dietician to get her professional RDN’s take. Here’s what she said:
“Fresh fruit is a great source of nutrients—strawberries have a good amount of fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants known as anthocyanins just to name a few. Mascarpone cheese is pretty calorie- and fat-dense, but does offer a bit of protein and calcium.
Bread can also vary pretty widely in terms of nutrition—I recommend sticking to slow-fermented options like sourdough or whole grain breads for gut health. Just read your labels, because a lot of store-bought bread has a bunch of artificial junk and added sugar.
Finally, honey and balsamic vinegar are both great sweeteners if used in moderation—they have a lower glycemic impact than table sugar and are both good sources of nutrients. Overall, this strawberry toast is pretty well balanced—just make sure to incorporate more protein and fiber for lunch and dinner, and keep an eye on your added sugar throughout the rest of the day.”
I certainly think so! If you tend to get hungry pretty quickly, consider pairing it with some high-protein greek yogurt to tide you over till second breakfast, elevensies, or lunch. 😉
If you tried this "recipe" for a Marché Style Strawberry Toast with Mascarpone and Balsamic Reduction, please be sure to rate and review it in the recipe card below!
If you tried this recipe and loved it, be sure to rate and review it below! For more inexpensive and delicious recipe inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter!
Strawberry Toast with Mascarpone and Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 Slice Crusty Bread lightly toasted
- ¼ C Mascarpone
- 2-4 teaspoon Honey divided, to taste. Or sub maple syrup, agave nectar, powdered sugar, or sweetener of choice.
- 8-10 Strawberries sliced
- 2 teaspoon Balsamic Reduction
Instructions
- Pour plain balsamic vinegar into sauce pot. Put pot over low heat. Simmer until thick and syrupy—20 or so minutes, depending on how much you make. If you're feeling lazy, certain stores actually carry balsamic reductions already made.NOTE: If you want a sweeter balsamic reduction, add sugar, honey, agave or maple syrup to taste.
- Mix 1-2 teaspoon honey and mascarpone until well combined.2-4 teaspoon Honey, ¼ C Mascarpone
- Rinse your berries well. Stem and slice them. Drizzle them with a bit of honey (1-2 tsp), stir and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.8-10 Strawberries, 2-4 teaspoon Honey
- Take a thick-ish slice of your yummy bread and toast it just enough to warm through. Slather on a generous swoosh of sweetened mascarpone. Pile the berries and their accumulated juices on as high as your heart desires. Drizzle with some balsamic reduction. Dig in!1 Slice Crusty Bread, 2 teaspoon Balsamic Reduction
Notes
- Nutrition values are very approximate and will vary based on the size of the slice of bread you choose. For reference, this is based on a 185 calorie slice.
- No mascarpone? No problem! Mix together 8 oz of softened cream cheese with ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix until well combined. Your "mascarpone" is ready to use!
- Macerated Berries - Ideally, you shouldn’t let the berries macerate too long, or they’ll become extra soft and syrupy. Feel free to transfer any leftover strawberry mixture to an airtight container in the fridge and try to get to it by the next morning. If you can’t get to them within that time frame, don’t fret—it’ll be a great addition to your next bowl of ice cream. (So will the balsamic reduction.)
- Sweetened Mascarpone will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. While you technically can freeze it for up to 2 months, it tends to get a bit gritty.
- Balsamic Reduction should keep well in a squeeze bottle in the fridge nearly indefinitely. I’ve kept some on hand for upwards of 3-4 months and never had an issue. Use your best judgement.
- Assembled strawberry toasts can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a day, but ideally you won’t assemble them until you’re ready to eat!
Comments
No Comments