Korean Toast with Red Bean Paste and Cheese Recipe
These warm toasts with creamy red bean paste and melty cheese are an intriguing mix of sweet and savory flavors, very popular in Korean cafés. In Korea, similar sandwiches are eaten as a late breakfast or as a sweet-and-salty snack with coffee. For a Polish palate, it’s something between cheese toast and a dessert sandwich with jam, only more filling.
This recipe brings a popular Korean café classic into your home kitchen, combining familiar toast and cheese with an unexpected sweet red bean filling. The contrast of creamy, slightly sweet beans and salty, melted cheese creates a unique flavor that’s comforting yet different from everyday sandwiches.
Chef's tips
Mash the beans thoroughly so the paste is smooth and easy to spread—larger pieces can make the sandwich fall apart while frying. Adjust the sweetness to your taste by adding sugar gradually and tasting as you go. Fry the toasts over medium heat so the bread has time to brown and crisp without burning before the cheese melts.
How to serve
Serve the toasts cut diagonally, café-style, with coffee or latte and a small side of fresh fruit or a simple green salad. They work well as a late breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack instead of cake. For a more dessert-like version, dust the finished toasts lightly with powdered sugar before serving.
Ingredients
- toast bread preferably white, thicker slices - 6 slices
- canned red beans weight after draining - 240 g
- sugar for sweetening the paste - 2 tablespoons
- butter for the paste and for frying the toasts - 30 g
- milk to loosen the paste - 2 tablespoons
- yellow cheese well-melting, e.g. gouda, slices - 3 slices
- salt to balance the sweetness of the paste - 1 pinch
- vegetable oil for frying the toasts together with the butter - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Drain the canned beans in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a small pot or saucepan.
- Add the sugar, a pinch of salt, 15 g butter, and the milk to the beans. Heat over low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently and mashing the beans with a fork or potato masher until you get a thick but spreadable paste. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk.
- Remove the paste from the heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly. In the meantime, prepare the slices of toast bread.
- Spread an even layer of bean paste on 3 slices of bread. Place a slice of yellow cheese on each, then cover with a second slice of bread.
- Heat 15 g butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place the toasts in the pan and fry for 3–4 minutes on one side, gently pressing with a spatula, until the bottom is golden and crispy.
- Carefully flip the toasts and fry for another 2–3 minutes, until the other side is browned and the cheese inside has melted.
- Transfer the ready toasts to a board, wait a minute for the filling to cool slightly, then cut each toast diagonally and serve warm.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
When I first tried this combination of sweet red bean paste and cheese, I was surprised by how well it worked—especially with hot coffee. If you’re curious about Korean flavors but don’t want anything too complicated, these toasts are a great, approachable starting point.
