Heart-Shaped Egg-in-a-Hole

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/3/23
Heart-shaped egg-in-a-hole

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 1 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 6 mins
Serving: 1 serving

Eggs-in-a-hole, eggs-in-a-basket, or toads-in-a-hole are a delicious and easy meal to prepare at any time. Our heart-shaped version makes a pretty Valentine's Day breakfast, or simply a special presentation for any occasion. This all-in-one dish has the perfect toast and eggs in just one bite, and is a cute way of preparing traditional eggs and bread.

Kids and adults alike will love these hearts, and they require just six minutes and three ingredients besides salt and pepper. Any slice of bread will do, but we used whole wheat.

This recipe does use a good amount of butter but you can use margarine instead if you need a dairy-free version. Gluten-free bread is also great, but keep in mind that gluten-free bread is less flexible than average wheat bread, and cracks easily, possibly allowing the egg to ooze out of the hole.

Use any preferred egg, but if possible, choose organic and pastured eggs, which means the chickens were fed organic feed but also allowed to range free the way chickens would normally live. This ensures that there are no antibiotics, additives, or hormones involved in the feeding and keeping process. If you're going to have an egg and make it special, might as well go all out with quality, right?

Serve the heart-shaped eggs in a hole with thick bacon, home fries, and fresh fruit on the side for a hearty and loving breakfast. This is best made right before you need to eat it, and doesn't really keep well as leftovers.

Ingredients

  • 1 slice whole-wheat bread

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 large egg

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the center of the bread. 

  3. Heat a medium-sized frying pan to medium heat. Add the butter, and once it has melted, swirl to coat. 

  4. Add the bread to the pan and let it cook on that side until golden. Using a spatula, flip the bread over. 

  5. Crack the egg into the hole in the bread. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 minutes or until the egg has been cooked through. You may also flip the bread over to finish cooking the egg on the other side. Toast up the cut-out bread piece in the pan as well and use it for dipping in the egg.

  6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

  7. Enjoy!

Tips


You can do multiple toast in one pan at the same time, just be sure there is enough room to flip the toast. Use 1 tablespoon of butter per toast for a scrumptious meal.


If you are having trouble removing the cookie cutter from the bread, run the edge of a bread knife along the cutter's edges to help dislodge it.



Variation

You can use white, sourdough, multigrain, or whole-wheat bread. What matters, ultimately, is that the bread you're using has a good-quality crumb that allows you to neatly cut out the heart shape using a cooking cutter.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
256 Calories
17g Fat
14g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 256
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 217mg 72%
Sodium 889mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 162mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)