Cheesy Beans on Toast, or Molletes Mexicanos, are a traditional breakfast dish that incorporates refried beans, white melted cheese, tomato, red onion, and lime.

Growing up, my mom used to make this for me a ton. Think of this as a Mexican bruschetta. This was such a staple in my house- this can be a great breakfast or a snack. Molletes use such common ingredients, especially in my household, so it was easy to put together. We used to eat it mostly for breakfast, but you can enjoy it at any time of the day.
These molletes are absolutely delicious especially if you toast the bread for a while until it is crunchy. The refried beans topped on the crusty bread and garnished with pico de gallo is heaven in one crunch. You could always buy store bought salsa to top on top of the beans, but I recommend making it yourself for the freshest taste.
If you love this Cheesy Beans on Toast, feel free to pair with my Tamarind Tea or try my Frijoles Charros.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Bollilo rolls or a baguette
- Refried beans
- Mozzarella CHeese
- Tomato
- Red onion
- Lime
- Salt
See recipe card for Cheesy Beans on Toast quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line aluminum foil on a baking sheet.
Spread the warmed refried beans on each piece of bread.
Sprinkle cheese on the top and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
Meanwhile in a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, diced onion, juice of ½ lime, and salt. This is your pico de gallo.
Pull out the baked molletes and top with the pico de gallo. Enjoy your Cheesy Beans on Toast.
Substitutions
Refried Beans: You can refry your own beans, but I just bought refried beans from a can.
Cheese: I used mozzarella cheese but you can use any shredded cheese that melts well. Other cheeses to use are Mexican blend, pepper jack and Monterrey Jack.
Bread: I always grew up using baguette bread but traditionally you should use bolillo rolls.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or hot sauce at the end. You could also dice half a jalapeno and add into the pico de gallo.
- Deluxe - add guacamole or pickled onions.
- Kid friendly - kids usually just love the beans and cheese alone!
Check out this Peruvian Ceviche with Leche de Tigre.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Bake until the cheese melts and remove.
Cheesy Beans on Toast
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Cheesy Beans on Toast, or Molletes Mexicanos, are a traditional breakfast dish that incorporates refried beans, white melted cheese, tomato, red onion, and lime.
Ingredients
- 4 bolillo rolls or 1 baguette
- 1 can refried beans
- 1 package of mozzarella cheese
- 1 tomato, diced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line aluminum foil on a baking sheet.
- Spread the warmed refried beans on each piece of bread. Sprinkle cheese on the top and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Meanwhile in a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, diced onion, juice of ½ lime, and salt. This is your pico de gallo.
- Pull out the baked molletes and top with the pico de gallo.
Notes
- For the pico, you can add ½ diced jalapeno and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro!
- If you prefer more of a crunch/less bread, you can always take some of the interior bread out.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 356.3
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 393.0 mg
- Fat: 16.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.2 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 16.8 g
- Cholesterol: 30.2 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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