10 Great Bread Spreads To Try

A perfectly timed piece of toast is a beautiful thing. It’s a simple pleasure – a bit of Chorleywood cucina povera, if you will – and something that can provide you with an immense amount of joy. Settling down to a slice, slathered in a layer of butter as thick and rich as a two-pound coin, can make even the bleakest of days a little bit better. There’s more to life than just plain old Kerrygold though. And while the likes of peanut butter, strawberry jam, and marmalade are all well and good in their own right, it’s time that you shook things up when it comes to what you’re putting on your bread.

That’s why I’ve done a lot of long and arduous research to find some excellent spreads that you should be piling onto your bread. Yes, MOB – I booked a ticket to Gluten Airport just for you. These spreads are all excellent additions to your kitchen cupboard and perfect for heaping onto a piping hot slice of toast when you need it the most. Some of them are savoury (hello there, Swedish fish roe!) while others are decidedly sweet and make for a nice end-of-meal treat or sugary pick-me-up.

I hope at least one of these great bread spreads takes your fancy. Oh, and feel free to get in touch with me about your favourite things to spread on toast. I’d genuinely love to know what you’re pairing with your daily bread.

I adore dates and this delicious spread from D8 Made delivers their molasses-y goodness to your gob in the most efficient way possible. It’s also made from nothing but Californian medjool dates and a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt. Which means it’s sort of healthy, right? Regardless of its nutritional value, this date butter is sweet, sultry, and perfect for draping over some slightly burnt toast and enjoying alongside a strong cup of tea.

This super smoky, oniony, and piggy-y relish from eat17 is definitely one for the carnivores out there. Bulked out with bits of actual bacon, it’s a well-textured jam that’s also home to more subtle notes of rosemary, thyme, coffee, and bourbon. Trust me, you won’t need to use a lot of it to get the most out of this complex and punchy little spread. You can pair this bacon jam with some quality cheese or even slather it onto a bacon sandwich if you’re hard enough.

Based on Hainanese kaya, this coconut jam from Borough Market mainstay Mei Mei is made with rich, buttery caramel and fresh pandan leaves. Both the original jam and the luminescent Nonya Kaya version of the jam are sweet yet also ever-so-slightly fragrant – making the perfect antidote to other oversweetened, one-note fruit jams. The suggested way to enjoy this spread (for a proper Singaporean breakfast) is to spread it onto your toast under a thick-as-thieves slab of butter. Honestly, you can’t overdo it on the butter front. Try it out and report back immediately.

Processed fish roe is one of those things that you’ll either be really, really excited about or absolutely appalled by the concept of. Kalles Kaviar – which comes in a cute tube adorned with a very happy young man – is beloved in Sweden and I’d highly suggest getting your hands on some if you’re a fan of fishy food products. Squeeze it on a golden, buttered slice of toast with some dill for a super comforting snack that scratches any savoury cravings you might have. Just make sure you don’t eat it in an enclosed space with someone who’s really not a fan. They won’t let you hear the end of it.

Created by husband and wife duo David and Alison Lea-Wilson in 1997, Halen Môn produces some of the best sea salt in the whole of the UK. That’s why you shouldn’t be all that surprised to learn that their salted butter honey (which contains nothing aside from those three ingredients and a bit of xanthan gum) is very, very good indeed. Be liberal with your servings of this manna but be prepared to order another jar almost straight away. This spread is highly addictive.

Dulce de leche is good stuff. It’s a sweet and creamy spread with a lovely toffee taste that you’ll find piped into everything from doughnuts to cookies and incorporated into a range of desserts found all over the globe. Hugely popular in South America, Havanna Dulce de Leche Caramel is an Argentinian essential and a spread which you should definitely be putting front and centre the next time you’re doing a round of toast. It’s what Biscoff spread wishes it could be.

This fiery pâté from pratt schneiders – an online purveyor of European delicatessen goods started by chums Tom Pratt and Jake Schneider – was made by friend of the deli, Pat Dean. Hence the name: Pat’s Chilli Chorizo Pâté. You can taste all the friendship that’s gone into the creation of this product. Chorizo, pork mince, and a souk of spices like smoked paprika, chilli, and nutmeg all combine for a spreadable and incredibly moreish meat paste. If you’re after something that’s rich, smoky, and spicy all at the same time, then check this spread out. It’s excellent.

Sead Foods’ sesame butter is good. Like, really good. Made from gently roasted sesame seeds, which are then ground on natural stones, this sweet and savoury spread is a tahini that pairs well with just about anything. I’ve included their chocolate sesame version on this list of bread spreads because the simple addition of unrefined cane sugar and organic cacao powder turns it from a great ingredient into the ultimate toast topper. Cover this stuff in a coat of sliced bananas on a simple bit of white bread and your eyes will roll to the back of your skull in pleasure. Or at least that’s what mine did.

Savoury bread spreads are severely underrated and Romanian zacuscă, in particular, is a product that doesn’t get enough love from those who aren’t from the region. This slightly spicy version of the traditional vegetable spread – which is typically made with roasted aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, and onions – comes from Răzvan Idicel, a company based out near Transylvania’s Idicel forest. To this day, this spread is apparently still made by four housewives in a quaint little village. While I’m not certain whether or not that’s true, one thing I’m certain of is that this zacuscă is delicious.

Move over, peanuts – pistachios are here to play. Yes, MOB, if you’re the sort of person that’s always wanted to spread pistachio ice cream on toast, then this ultra-luxurious spread from Sicilian company Fiasconaro is practically made for you. You won’t need more than a few bites to quickly realise that pistachio cream on toast is all you’ve ever needed. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this is all you’ll want to be eating. Buy a jar and immediately thank yourself for investing in your future happiness.