Our 43 Best Christmas Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Presents aren't the only thing to look forward to
One of our favorite things about Christmas morning is the feast that follows (or precedes) gift opening. If you’re wondering what should fill your kitchen this holiday season, we recommend an assortment of sweet and savory dishes for the ultimate Christmas morning feast. Try using leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner to make a porridge or breakfast casserole. With recipes ranging from elegant quiche to an assortment of breads and pastries, our best Christmas breakfast and brunch recipes have something for everyone. With these dishes, people will be looking forward to the feast more than they’re looking forward to the presents. For more Christmas inspiration, check out our Christmas and Holiday Guide.
Rice Pudding with Raspberry Coulis
Lighter than most rice puddings, and not as sweet, this Swedish specialty is eaten both as a dessert and as a breakfast food. Short-grain rice, such as arborio, is essential for creating a deliciously creamy consistency. Get the recipe for Rice Pudding with Raspberry Coulis »
Sourdough starter mixed into classic waffle batter gives a brightness, airiness, and—who knew?—exterior crunch to waffles that non-yeasted batters can’t match. For this recipe by Stephen Jones of Washington State University’s Bread Lab and Jeff Yankellow of King Arthur Flour, be sure to use a starter that’s fully risen and made from equal parts whole wheat flour and water. (If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, use regular whole wheat flour and loosen the batter with up to 1/2 cup more milk as needed in step 3.) Get the recipe for Sourdough Whole Wheat Waffles »
A thick yet fluffy pancake full of creamy bananas, smooth hints of pear, and crunchy pine nuts over a heap of cool crème fraîche. “This is good with any ripe banana,” Mallmann says, so if you have extra-sweet varieties besides the ubiquitous Cavendish available, use them. Get the recipe for Grilled Banana-Pear Pancake »
Roasted Apples and Bacon with Onions and Thyme (Æbleflæsk)
In a classic Danish treatment, sweet red apples are roasted with onions, caramelized in bacon fat, and served under thick steaks of smoked belly bacon. Get the recipe for Roasted Apples and Bacon with Onions and Thyme (Æbleflæsk) »
Polish Cottage Cheese Pancakes (lindivikis)
These old school Polish pancakes are lighter, fluffier, and cheesier than the batter-based standard. Get the recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes With Sour Cream and Dill »
Caramelized brown sugar adds an irresistible layer of sweetness to crispy bacon in this recipe from late chef and food consultant Gene Hovis. Get the recipe for Billionaire’s Bacon »
Soft apples with a hint of tartness balance a bittersweet caramelized crust, spurred on by rich dulce de leche. Get the recipe for Giant Apple Pancake With Dulce de Leche »
An extra-velvety quiche loaded with blue cheese for creaminess in a nutty spelt and whole wheat crust. Get the recipe for Perfect Blue Cheese Quiche With Whole Grain Crust »
Jonathan Brooks of Milktooth bakes these extreme pecan sticky buns atop a caramel sauce made with coconut milk, ale, coffee, and barley malt syrup—the bitterness of the sauce balances the sweet buns. Get the recipe for Sage and Coconut Caramel Sticky Buns »
Brown Butter Skillet Cake with Berry Compote (Kaiserschmarrn)
Essentially torn pieces of pancake topped with oozing lingonberry or cranberry sauce, this dessert is a cinch, even for the baking-challenged. Get the recipe for Brown Butter Skillet Cake with Berry Compote (Kaiserschmarrn) »
Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin of Brooklyn’s Ovenly bakery shared the recipe for these blackberry scones with us, which rely on frozen fruit so you can make them even when blackberries aren’t in season. Get the recipe for Blackberry-Mint Scones »
Fried Egg with Hazelnuts, Chanterelles, Green Garlic, and Blackberries
Chef Jim Christiansen fries his eggs with a splash of water to keep them from burning. Get the recipe for Fried Egg with Hazelnuts, Chanterelles, Green Garlic, and Blackberries
This savory danish with salty country ham gravy is a glorious mash-up of pastry and homey Southern comfort. Get the recipe for Country Ham & Red Eye Gravy Danish »
This classic Israeli breakfast, a dish of Libyan origin, can be served as a main course for any meal of the day. Get the recipe for Shakshuka »
Spreading cream cheese into the layers of dough enhances the richness and moistness of these rolls. This dough may be prepared a day in advance and left to rise in the refrigerator overnight. Get the recipe for Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls »
The recipe for this crunchy french toast is based on the one used at the Lafayette restaurant in the Hay-Adams hotel in Washington, D.C. Get the recipe for Cornflake-Crusted Brioche French Toast »
Ham, eggs, and cheese are natural partners; along with dried mustard, these ingredients combine for some of the finest soufflés around. Light as air and flecked with cheddar and chives, they should be served right out of the oven. Get the recipe for Ham and Cheese Soufflés »
This easy one-pan breakfast is just the thing for a fulfilling breakfast that comes together in the blink of an eye. Get the recipe for Spinach, Beef, and Egg Hash »
These Norwegian wafer cookies, eaten across Scandinavia during the Christmas season, are light and crisp and perfumed with cardamom. They’re made like waffles on a special griddle that imprints an intricate design, and then they’re rolled and filled with whipped cream. Get the recipe for Norwegian Wafer Cookies (Krumkakes) »
Grains of cooked farro add substance and nuttiness to this moist, honey and brown sugar-sweetened quick bread. Get the recipe for Cranberry Farro Quick Bread »
Browned in the oven, this large format pancake makes for a fun alternative to the traditional griddle cakes. Get the recipe for Cranberry Farro Quick Bread »
“Everything” Potato Galette with Lox and Creme Fraiche
Crispy potato galette topped with lox and creme fraiche has all the best parts of an everything bagel. Get the recipe for “Everything” Potato Galette with Lox and Creme Fraiche »
This New Zealand combination of flaky pastry, canary-yellow yolks, and salty bacon has cross-cultural appeal. Get the recipe for Bacon and Egg Pie »
Slightly sweet from the addition of dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts, these sausage patties are perfect next to a stack of pancakes dripping with butter and maple syrup. Get the recipe for Christmas Morning Sausage Patties »
This breakfast treat is a decadent update of the classic cinnamon bun: the chocolate-hazelnut addition of Nutella makes for a gooey finish. Get the recipe for Nutella Buns »
Inspired by the rustic brunch offering at April Bloomfield’s Breslin restaurant in New York, this atypical dish would also make for a nice, simple dinner. Get the recipe for Nutella Buns »
Whole wheat pastry flour makes for a smooth, fluffy pancake. Get the recipe for Whole Grain Chocolate Banana Pancakes »
Nutella Hot Chocolate with Hazelnut Liqueur
Nutella stirred into hot chocolate lends a luxurious texture and great, chocolate-hazelnut flavor. For an extra dose of hazelnut, add a splash of Frangelico. Get the recipe for Nutella Hot Chocolate with Hazelnut Liqueur »
A last-minute addition of baking soda to the batter makes these classic waffles especially airy and crisp. Get the recipe for Yeast-Raised Waffles »
This take on eggs Benedict incorporates a rich red wine sauce. Get the recipe for Brennan’s Eggs Hussarde »
This indulgent pull-apart bread is the perfect savory-sweet combination of nutty, earthy Gruyère, fragrant rosemary, and honey. Get the recipe for Gruyère, Rosemary, and Honey Monkey Bread »
This simple but satisfying casserole bursting with sausage and cheese is an easy favorite for late, lazy weekend breakfasts. Get the recipe for Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole »
Sweet walnut paste is rolled into yeast dough in this recipe, adapted from Toni’s Country Kitchen in Laurium, Michigan. Get the recipe for Croatian Walnut Swirl Bread (Povitica) »
A blend of rendered pork fat and cracklings adds a smoky depth to flaky, yeast-risen rolls filled with a thick prune jam called lekvár. Get the recipe for Rolls with Cracklings and Prune Jam »
Three types of sugar sweeten this recipe for sticky buns swirled with cinnamon and drizzled with pecan sauce. Get the recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns »
Layers of buttery, flaky laminated pastry are swirled around a lightly spiced, pleasantly gooey cherry compote, then brushed with orange liqueur and sprinkled with pulverized pistachios after baking. For an alcohol-free alternative, swap out the liqueur for a mixture of honey and fresh orange juice. Get the recipe for Sour Cherry and Pistachio Danish »
French Baked Toast with Cream and Eggs
This classic French meal of baked, cream-soaked toast and eggs is deceptively simple (and scalable) but lavish. Named for the Alpine region of Bresse, which is best known to the culinary world for its exceptional chickens, the dish is practical country cooking at its finest. As it bakes, the cream soaks into the bread and thickens to a rich sauce right on the platter, resulting in a savory French toast. Get the recipe for French Baked Toast with Cream and Eggs »
In Denmark, the regional rye bread, called rugbrød, is debatably sacred. Many bakeries stock upwards of five or six varieties of the nutty, rich, nutritious loaves. And when crumbs fall off while slicing it for smørrebrød, they’re not tossed. They’re saved (and soaked in beer) for this tangy, earthy breakfast treat. Get the recipe for Danish Rye Bread Porridge (Øllebrød) »
Almond flour and espresso powder give bittersweet edge to these waffles, which are glossed with a decadent sauce of condensed milk, coffee, and dark chocolate. Get the recipe for Espresso Waffles with Mocha Drizzle »
Rich, chewy laminated dough puffs up in the oven to suspend kimchi, bacon, and baked eggs in the center of these savory breakfast pastries. Swap out the kimchi and bacon for any of your favorite savory egg accompaniments, like cooked mushrooms and greens or grated cheese and herbs. For the best texture, be sure to drain or squeeze any extra liquid off cooked vegetables before adding. Get the recipe for Baked Egg Danish with Kimchi and Bacon »
Eggplant and Walnut Frittata (Badimjan Kükü)
This hearty Azeri egg dish—which can be served in small pieces as an appetizer or side, or cut into larger wedges as a main—is loaded with ground walnuts, onions, and eggplant, giving it a nutty, meaty consistency and color. Get the recipe for Eggplant and Walnut Frittata (Badimjan Kükü) »
In this recipe, cracked eggs are infused with grated truffles overnight. Then the eggs are slowly stirred over a double-boiler to produce a velvety scramble. Get the recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffles »
American Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
When making these buttery little biscuits, opt for a true American cheese—fourth-generation Wisconsin cheese maker Sid Cook, of Carr Valley Cheese, advised us to use a 3-year-old extra-sharp cheddar. Get the recipe for Cheddar Cheese Biscuits »
