Red Bean Paste Is The Ingredient You Need To Totally Elevate French Toast

French toast is a well-loved breakfast dish, and it just takes one look at the ingredients to see why. Delicious bread soaked in a custardy mixture of milk and egg, and seasoned with a bit of vanilla or cinnamon. Add some maple syrup on top and you've got a delicious morning treat. Believe it or not, you can make this dish even more delicious by bringing in a popular Asian ingredient, red bean paste.

This paste, found in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine, works great as a filling for a stuffed version of French toast. In many ways this recipe draws inspiration from a Japanese dish called "ogura toast," which combines red bean paste and margarine spread across a piece of toasted bread. It reportedly got its start at a coffee shop in the Japanese city of Nagoya. This dish has grown in popularity, so much so that you'll find countless online videos of people making and enjoying red bean toast and ogura toast.

While some may be unfamiliar with this ingredient, red bean paste is a great complement to the flavors of French toast. It brings an earthy quality to your breakfast, which balances out its sweetness. Red bean paste pairs well with a bit of cream cheese or mascarpone cheese to make the ultimate filling for stuffed French toast.

The paste is made from adzuki beans that are cooked down in water with sugar. They are then mashed into a paste that can be chunky, smooth, or a combination of the two textures. This earthy yet sweet concoction has been compared to sweet potatoes in terms of flavor. It's used in a variety of desserts in China and Japan, and it's a popular filling for cakes that are served at special celebrations. These sweetened beans are also used as a dessert topping and in porridges as well. In Japan, the paste is often used as a filling for mochi desserts.

While it's probably not on the shelves of your local supermarket, red bean paste is readily available online and at Asian food markets. It's sold in different kinds of packaging, from cans to plastic bags to plastic containers. Be sure to shop around as the price can vary widely. A tub of koshian red bean paste, which is a smooth style, can cost nearly $10 per pound at specialty retailers, but you may be able to find it for closer to $5 on a site like Amazon.

You'll also see red bean paste referred to as anko, and sold in a jar mixed with butter. Wherever you find red bean paste, definitely pick some up to try because you'll have plenty of uses for it even if you're not a big French toast fan. Besides making a great filling for a tasty breakfast or brunch, it's delicious on ice cream and mixed with yogurt.