What to Make in a Toastie Maker (Beyond Toasties)
Besides toasties, a toastie maker can cook omelettes, eggs, hash browns, quesadillas, pizza pockets, puff pastry turnovers, crumpets, gnocchi, falafel, cookies and, with waffle plates, waffles. Anything that fits flat between the plates and cooks in 3–10 minutes is fair game. The rule is: nothing too wet or runny unless your plates are deep and sealed.
Quick answer: The best non-toastie uses are omelettes (4–5 min), frozen hash browns (8–10 min), quesadillas (2–3 min), puff pastry pockets (5–7 min), crumpets (3–4 min) and, on 3-in-1 machines, waffles (4–6 min). Always preheat, grease lightly for anything without bread, and never leave raw egg or batter unattended.
On this page
Quick ideas at a glance
| Food | Approx. time | Plate type | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omelette | 4–5 min | Sealed / deep fill | 2 eggs max; grease plates |
| Egg in a toastie | 4–5 min | Deep fill | Make a well in the bread |
| Frozen hash browns | 8–10 min | Any | No oil needed; flatten well |
| Quesadilla | 2–3 min | Any | Fold one large tortilla |
| Pizza pocket | 4–5 min | Sealed | Thin tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni |
| Puff pastry turnover | 5–7 min | Sealed | Ready-rolled, cut to fit |
| Crumpets | 3–4 min | Flat or panini | Top with butter after |
| Croissant, reheated | 1–2 min | Flat or panini | Lid resting, not clamped |
| Waffles | 4–6 min | Waffle plates | Thick batter |
| Cookie dough | 3–4 min | Sealed | 1 tbsp per triangle |
| Brownie batter | 5–7 min | Deep fill | Grease well |
| Pre-cooked gnocchi (pan-ready) | 5–6 min | Panini / flat | Toss in oil first |
| Falafel (shop-bought) | 4–5 min | Panini / flat | Press lightly |
| Halloumi slices | 3–4 min | Panini / flat | Pat dry |
Times are for a typical ~750W machine, preheated. Deep fill machines may need a minute longer.
Breakfast
Omelette
Whisk 2 eggs with a splash of milk, salt and pepper and some finely chopped fillings (ham, spring onion, grated cheese). Lightly oil the preheated plates and pour the mixture into the bottom wells, keeping it below the edges. Close gently without latching hard and cook 4–5 minutes until set and puffed. Our toastie maker omelette recipe has quantities for standard and deep fill plates.
Eggs
Press a well into the bottom slice of bread, crack in a small egg, add a little cheese and top with the second slice. Or fry an egg straight on the oiled plates with the lid open. Both methods, plus timings, are in eggs in a toastie maker. Make sure eggs are cooked until the white is fully set.
Hash browns
Frozen hash browns crisp beautifully in a toastie maker in 8–10 minutes with no added oil. Don't over-clamp; let the lid's weight press them. Or grate a potato, squeeze out the water and press it into the wells with a little oil. See hash browns in a toastie maker.
Breakfast toastie
Cooked bacon, sausage slices and cheese, sealed in bread, is the classic. Use cooked meats only. Our breakfast toastie recipe has the details.
Crumpets, croissants and pancakes
Crumpets reheat to crisp in 3–4 minutes. Day-old croissants revive in 1–2 minutes with the lid just resting on top. Shop-bought pancakes or waffles can be warmed through in 1–2 minutes too.
Lunch and dinner
Quesadillas and wraps
Fold a large flour tortilla around grated cheese, beans, peppers or leftover chicken and cook 2–3 minutes. Tortillas crisp faster than bread, so check early.
Pizza pockets
Spread a thin layer of passata or pizza sauce, add grated mozzarella and pepperoni, and seal in bread or a thin layer of pizza dough. 4–5 minutes. Our pizza toastie recipe goes into more detail.
Puff pastry pockets
Cut ready-rolled puff pastry to fit both plates. Lay one sheet on the preheated plate, add a spoonful of filling (cheese and ham, leftover curry, apple), top with pastry and close. Cook 5–7 minutes until golden and puffed. Lightly grease the plates first, as pastry with no bread can stick.
Leftovers
Thick leftover chilli, curry, stew or bolognese make excellent toasties if they are not too runny. Make sure they are piping hot all the way through before eating. Try chilli cheese or a Christmas leftovers toastie.
Halloumi, falafel and gnocchi
Flat or panini plates are good for pressing and crisping these. Pat halloumi dry, toss pan-ready gnocchi in a little oil, and press shop-bought falafel lightly for 4–5 minutes.
Sweet treats
Waffles
If you have a 3-in-1 toastie maker with waffle plates, a thick batter works best. See toastie maker waffles.
Dessert toasties
Brioche or white bread with Nutella and banana, apple pie filling, or marshmallows and chocolate. Try Nutella and banana, apple pie or s'mores. Sweet fillings burn quickly, so start checking at 2½ minutes.
Cookies and brownies
A tablespoon of cookie dough per triangle well cooks in 3–4 minutes into chewy, crisp-edged cookies. Thick brownie batter in deep fill plates takes 5–7 minutes. Grease the plates well and let them cool slightly before lifting out.
What not to put in a toastie maker
- Thin batters and lots of liquid: they leak into the hinge and housing. Only use thick batters, and only in plates designed for them.
- Raw meat or fish: the short, uneven cook may not reach a safe temperature throughout. Use cooked fillings.
- Very fatty foods like raw bacon: fat runs out, smokes and can drip into the housing.
- Whole eggs in shells: they can burst.
- Foil, baking paper sticking out of the plates, or anything metal: foil can damage the coating and paper can scorch.
Watch out: Without bread to absorb it, melted cheese, egg and sugar spill onto the plates more easily. Use smaller amounts, wipe up spills after unplugging, and clean the plates while warm. See how to clean a toastie maker. Never use metal utensils to lift food out.
More ideas
For 40+ combinations, browse our toastie filling ideas, our kids' toastie ideas, or the full recipes section. If you're shopping for a versatile machine, the best 3-in-1 toastie makers and the best toastie makers overall are good places to start.
FAQs
Can you cook raw eggs in a toastie maker?
Yes, as an omelette or cracked into a toastie, as long as you cook them until the white is fully set and keep the amount small enough that it can't leak out of the plates.
Can you cook frozen food in a toastie maker?
Flat frozen foods like hash browns, waffles and potato rosti work well. Bulky items like frozen pizza or chicken nuggets cook unevenly and may not heat through.
Can you bake in a toastie maker?
In a limited way. Cookie dough, brownie batter and puff pastry all work in small quantities. Bigger cakes and bread won't fit or rise properly.
Can I use baking paper in a toastie maker?
Some people use a sheet cut to fit the plates for messy foods. Make sure no paper sticks out of the edges, check your manual first, and never use foil on non-stick plates.