53 Christmas Breakfast Ideas for a Merry Morning
It’s worth thinking about Christmas breakfast ideas before the big day comes. If we know anything about Christmas morning, it’s that trying to come up with a plan while you’re in the thick of it all is like leading a team of reindeer without having Rudolf’s nose to guide the way.
So, think: Are you opening presents first, or do you need something simple to get in people’s bellies before they start unwrapping (and unraveling)? Does Christmas brunch need to ride in the car to Grandma’s house? Does it need to be made ahead? Of course, your household’s breakfast preferences also come into play: Does your brood tend to crave baked goods? Waffles with maple syrup and salty bacon? Or do you lean toward eggs, spicy sausage sandwiches, or casseroles layered with cheese?
No matter your answer, you’ll find easy Christmas breakfast ideas for you and yours below. Then you can get back to finding the perfect gifts for everyone (that includes yourself, you know).
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Stevie Stewart1/53Caramel Rolls
Soft, plush, buttery, and absolutely drenched in caramel, this Midwestern specialty may take the place of any sticky buns or cinnamon rolls you had previously considered a go-to favorite.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones2/53Smoky Spanish Potatoes and Eggs
Designed for lovers of patatas bravas and huevos rotos, this Christmas breakfast idea has the best of both worlds with runny egg yolks, crisped potatoes, chile-based sauce, and creamy mayo.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson3/53Classic Eggs Benedict With Blender Hollandaise
Start with one of these ham recipes on Christmas Eve and use whatever remains in this classic brunch dish on Christmas morning. (Looking for more ideas for leftover ham? We’ve got a few.)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova4/53Cowboy Breakfast Casserole With Sausage and Spinach
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/53Masa Pancakes
Get some masa to make tamales for Christmas—and get enough to make these pancakes too. Buttermilk brings tang and fluffiness to these gluten-free hotcakes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad6/53Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole
This sweet breakfast casserole packs in all the flavors of your favorite French dessert—no blowtorch required. Serve with a fresh fruit salad, and you’ve got an easy but impressive Christmas breakfast spread.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Frances Boswell7/53Deep Dish Quiche With Garnishes
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson10/53Monkey Bread
Photo by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel11/53Savory Sesame-Carrot Oatmeal
This oatmeal has a secret: It’s made from leftover carrot-ginger soup. If you’re looking for a quick holiday breakfast that will keep you fueled through the morning, this energizing, veggie-packed dish is the one.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele12/53Banana Muffins With Brown Sugar Streusel
It’s Christmas morning! Don’t make regular old banana bread; make these crumble-topped cuties, which one reader called “the prettiest, most fluffy, bakery-style muffins I’ve ever baked.”
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow13/53Peppery, Creamy Greens With Eggs
The family’s been on a Christmas cookies–based diet, eh? Get some greens in them with this luxurious but totally easy breakfast recipe packed with mustard greens and arugula.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Emilie Fosnocht15/53Moravian Sugar Cake
If coffee cake and focaccia had a baby, it would look something like this undulating Moravian beauty, which gets its tender crumb courtesy of instant potatoes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch16/53French Onion Breakfast Strata
French onion dip meets savory bread pudding in this easy breakfast that leans on store-bought flavor boosters like French onion dip mix (you can also DIY it). Put the strata together the night before, then bake it come breakfast time.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou19/53Cocoa Brioche Morning Buns
These chocolaty pastries are like a gloriously flaky croissant on the top, a sticky bun on the bottom, and a rich, chocolate-studded brioche in the middle. Need a lo-fi option? Chunky chocolate chip muffins get the job done.
Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo20/53Sourdough Biscuits
This is not a time for bagels or scones or English muffins. Christmas morning is a time for these tangy little numbers made with sourdough starter and piled high with slices of brown sugar-glazed ham.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow22/53Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles
If you’re mostly focused on finding the perfect Christmas dinner recipes, you might prefer to keep the holiday’s brunch ideas simple. Make this waffle batter the day before and let it chill overnight, and then the ultimate crispy waffles will be ready in a snap.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht23/53Baked Apple Pancake
Like a step up from a simple Dutch baby, this easy breakfast shingles sliced apples in a baking dish, then gets a custardy cinnamon-spiced batter poured over the lot. Pop it into the oven, and that’s it.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson24/53Coconut Milk French Toast With Pineapple Syrup
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova25/53Glazed Cinnamon-Cardamom Buns
Photo by Eric Wolfinger29/53Baked Eggs in Sweet Potato Boats With Herb Relish
Holiday hosting tip: Cookbook author Max Lugavere roasts a few extra sweet potatoes at the beginning of the week, then stashes them in the fridge to make these baked sweet potato breakfast boats later on.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie De Luca31/53Crunchwrap for a Crowd
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens32/53Big-Batch Pancake and Waffle Mix
With this pancake and waffle dry mix on hand, all you need to do is whisk in eggs and milk for a complete batter while everyone starts scoping out what Santa left them. (While you’re at it, make a big batch of granola too.)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich33/53Sesame Chocolate Rye Breakfast Cookies
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews34/53Spicy Egg Sandwich With Sausage and Pickled Peppers
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian35/53Hot Chocolate Baked French Toast
Photo by Dane Tashima38/53Hummingbird Pancakes With Caramelized Pineapple and Pecans
Make Christmas breakfast extra special with this short stack inspired by hummingbird cake. Caramelize chopped pecans and fresh (or frozen!) pineapple in maple syrup, then spoon the sauce over fluffy banana pancakes.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell39/53Sheet-Pan Potato Hash With Fixins
We love a french fry, we love a hash brown, and we love potato chips too. These thin-sliced crispy sheet-pan potatoes fall somewhere in between all of those. That’s a very good thing.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Joe Sevier and Anna Stockwell42/53Fluffy Cathead Biscuits With Honey Butter
This recipe produces a fluffy (rather than flaky) biscuit, ready to be split and spread with honey butter. Or split and smother them in sausage gravy for a true Southern showstopper.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson43/53Bacon and Egg Casserole
This lattice-topped, make-ahead casserole is almost too pretty for its own good. Overachievers will use homemade pie dough, but store-bought puff pastry works too.
Photo and Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova44/53Sourdough Crepes
Crepes are a great way to use up discarded sourdough starter. Tender and a little bit tangy, they make an ideal blank canvas for sweet or savory toppings like jam, crème fraîche, demerara sugar, or lox.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone46/53Croque Madame Casserole With Ham and Gruyère
This easy casserole is another great use for leftover ham. Serve it with a crisp green salad and a glass of white wine.
Brian W. Ferry47/53Mushroom, Leek, and Fontina Frittata
File under the best do-ahead Christmas breakfast ideas, because frittatas are excellent served warm or at room temperature. By the way, you can put almost anything in a frittata.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo48/53Mangú de Plátanos
These Dominican mashed plantains have a mellow, tropical earthiness, making them an ideal canvas for colorful toppings like pickled red onions, avocados, and a perfectly fried egg.
Photo by Alex Lau50/53Breakfast Grilled Cheese With Soft Scrambled Eggs
The secret to the silkiest scrambled eggs is a dollop of cream cheese, stirred in right at the end. Piling them onto a sandwich with melted American cheese takes them even further.
Photo by Baxter Miller51/53Does Not Disappoint Breakfast Casserole
It’s all in the name with this Christmas breakfast casserole: It will not let you down. For more inspiration, peruse our collection of the best breakfast casseroles.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege53/53Mushroom and Kale Breakfast Skillet
We’re all about balance around the holidays, so have your Christmas candies and this veggie-filled Christmas breakfast idea too. It’s a nice reset, so you can keep going to all those seasonal parties you got invited to.
