Ever since Phoebe was born, we’ve invited both our families to join us bright and early at our house on Christmas Day for gift unwrapping and a big, festive brunch with Christmas breakfast recipes. There’s nothing cozier than lazing around in pajamas until noon, sipping cocoa out of a big holiday mug, and playing with whatever new toys were wrapped up under the tree (and by “toys,” I mean cookbooks and jewelry if I’m lucky.)
The centerpiece to our breakfast is always my mom’s famous Almond Kringle straight out of the oven, and I usually make a big fruit salad, crispy bacon, and mimosas to pair with it.
In that vein, today I’ve rounded up 20 show-stopping Christmas morning breakfast recipes that are sure to be the piéce de resistance to any morning holiday gathering—whatever that looks like for you this year! Although I couldn’t resist throwing in just one chia seed parfait, the rest are sufficiently indulgent to feel like once-a-year treats. Click through and prepare to pin…
Homemade Croissants from Top with Cinnamon
Why We Love It: Homemade croissants might be a bit more labor-intensive than other Christmas breakfast recipes, but after one bite, you’ll know they are worth it. Plus, while they take some time, they aren’t necessarily hard to make. These are the perfect addition to your Christmas breakfast menu or to snack on before the rest of your guests arrive.
Hero Ingredient: The frozen butter is the secret here.
Chai French Toast from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: This gluten-free chia-infused French Toast will definitely be on my Christmas morning buffet this year. My sister has a gluten allergy, so this recipe is perfect for her, but it’s also a family favorite considering no one can tell it’s gluten-free. If you’re looking for a festive showstopper for your holiday breakfasts, this is it.
Hero Ingredient: The chai concentrate takes this french toast to a whole new level.
Poached Egg & Prosciutto Breakfast Sandwich from Salt & Lavender
Why We Love It: This easy breakfast sandwich only takes 15 minutes and is incredibly delicious. It’s as simple as it gets but does not skimp on flavor. I personally prefer fried eggs over poached eggs, and I can confirm that this recipe works perfectly with any style of eggs.
Hero Ingredient: Lemon-y mayo is the ultimate breakfast sandwich spread.
Baked Chilaquiles With Black Beans and Kale from The Bojon Gourmet
Why We Love It: This twist on classic chilaquiles is perfect for Christmas morning because the last 20 minutes all take place in the oven. Meaning: if you time it right, you can pull it out of the oven right when your guests are ready to eat. You can also double this recipe and bake it in a lasagna dish if you need to feed a crowd.
Hero Ingredient: The addition of kale is a sneaky way to bring greens into breakfast.
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: These pumpkin spice mini cinnamon rolls are the easiest, cutest, and most delicious way to finish off pumpkin spice season. Make them for breakfast, then warm up the leftovers for dessert, ’cause they’re versatile like that! And they couldn’t be easier, since they use store-bought crescent roll dough and jarred pumpkin butter.
Hero Ingredient: The spiced maple frosting is the icing on the cake (literally).
Blueberry Banana Pancakes from Love and Lemons
Why We Love It: These blueberry banana pancakes are inconspicuously vegan and gluten-free, meaning you won’t tell a difference. If you’re wanting to keep your Christmas breakfast recipes on the more traditional side, this is the recipe for you. Feel free to swap blueberries for any berries you have on hand… or for some chocolate chips.
Hero Ingredient: Who knew bananas were so versatile?
Rustic French Toast with Roasted Raspberries & Almond Ricotta from The Artful Desperado
Why We Love It: The Artful Desperado calls this recipe “rustic” because it turns a sliced baguette into the ultimate festive breakfast. I’m imagining setting up a french toast bar where guests can slather on these toppings to their own liking. Plus, the raspberries just look like Christmas to me.
Hero Ingredient: The ricotta “cheese” made with almond milk is a recipe you need to bookmark.
Baked Apple Cider Donuts With Brown Butter Glaze from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: If you’re like Camille and me (i.e. afraid of deep-frying at home), baked donuts are a fantastic not to mention a healthier alternative to fried and bonus, these guys bake up in seven minutes or less. Camille used a cozy, winter-inspired glaze, packed with the flavors of both brown butter and brown sugar. It’s the kind of glaze that forms a perfectly crispy sugar coating that adds just the right amount of candy-like bite to these soft, fluffy apple cider donuts.
Hero Ingredient: The apple cider concentrate really shines.
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal from A Cup of Jo
Why We Love It: Baked oatmeal is the perfect solution for serving oatmeal to a crowd. This recipe includes blueberries and maple flavors, but once you learn the method, you can include any of your favorite oatmeal toppings.
Hero Ingredient: My favorite part of oatmeal is always the cinnamon (I like to add extra on top).
Overnight Pull-Apart Brioche Cinnamon Roll Bread from Half Baked Harvest
Why We Love It: Overnight cinnamon roll bread is my new favorite way to curb my everlasting winter cinnamon roll cravings. It’s perfect for Christmas morning because you make it the night before, and just bake it whenever you’re ready to serve. Plus, it’s a finger food, which makes for easy eating and serving.
Hero Ingredient: The warm eggnog in the dough is a fantastic festive touch.
Raspberry & Chia Seed Superfood Parfait from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: If you’re into a lighter, fruiter type of breakfast, these superfood parfaits are a great option. These are prepped the night before and simply sprinkled with fresh fruit and granola when you’re ready to eat. Plus, look how pretty they look in a fun glass! I would serve these in a festive martini glass for Christmas brunch.
Hero Ingredient: Granola always adds the perfect crunch to chia seed pudding recipes.
Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Joy the Baker
Why We Love It: This recipe is a bit of a challenge, but the results are equally beautiful and tasty. Don’t be too intimidated though, the recipe lays out all of the steps very clearly and with extra detail. By the time you’re dusting your creation with powdered sugar, you’ll know it was all worth it.
Hero Ingredient: This recipe wouldn’t be the same without the tri-berry combo.
Apple Almond Breakfast Cake from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: This apple cake is pretty perfect for any type of day, but it is especially perfect with tea or hot coffee on Christmas morning. It’s full of fall and winter flavors like apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg, while balanced out with the nutty flavor from the almonds.
Hero Ingredient: The small apple chunks are an explosion of flavor with every bite.
Build-Your-Own Waffle Bar from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: Not a year goes by that my family does not have a waffle bar on Christmas morning. I love the idea of creating a build-your-own bar because it doubles as a meal and an activity. It’s also a perfect way to combat any picky eaters in your bunch since everyone can pick and choose their toppings.
Hero Ingredient: Whatever you want it to be! (Mine is chocolate chips).
Glazed Apple Fritters from The Kitchn
Why We Love It: This decadent recipe makes deep-fried apple fritters that you’ll dream about long past New Year. If you’re unfamiliar with deep frying, don’t worry! This post includes all the tips and tricks you need to pull it off.
Hero Ingredient: I would coat everything with this glaze if it were up to me.
Pesto & Goat Cheese Frittata
Why We Love It: A great frittata is perfect for Christmas brunch since it’s baked and allows me to hang out with my guests instead of being chained to the stove. This one, with pesto, goat cheese, and arugula, combines all of my favorite flavors. It’s certainly a one-pan brunch that you and your guests will love.
Hero Ingredient: I rarely get as excited about any ingredient as much as I do about goat cheese.
Salted Caramel Apple Muffins from Camille Styles
Why We Love It: These muffins make it perfectly acceptable to enjoy salted caramel goodness first thing in the morning. The light, fluffy batter is studded with chopped apples and currants, and small doses of cinnamon and cardamom. The smooth caramel glaze that gets poured all over the top of each muffin is rich, shiny, and well, everything I could have dreamed of.
Hero Ingredient: Caramel glaze all day every day.
Almond and Raspberry Croissants from Hint of Vanilla
Why We Love It: Sometimes there’s nothing better than a warm croissant with butter and jam. This recipe goes ahead and puts the raspberries directly into the croissant, so you can skip the spreading of the jam and go straight to the best part: the eating. The raspberries also add beautiful color to the pastries and the almonds balance out the fruitiness.
Hero Ingredient: Raspberries, for their look and their taste.
Cranberry & Pumpkin Seed Granola
Why We Love It: According to Camille, besides being delicious (and a million times better when it’s homemade), having fresh granola baking in the oven makes the house smell completely mouthwatering. Plus, you’re guaranteed to feel so productive filling a few jars full of homemade cereal that will last you through Christmas and into the New Year.
Hero Ingredient: I love the dried cranberries in this recipe.
Build-Your-Own Bagel Bar
Why We Love It: Bagels are my number one favorite breakfast food. I personally always opt for an everything bagel smeared with a good cream cheese, but I know others like to go a little topping-crazy. That’s why this guide to a build-your-own bagel bar might be the ultimate Christmas breakfast since everyone can create exactly what they want.
Hero Ingredient: To each their own.
Breakfast Tacos
Why We Love It: Who doesn’t love a good breakfast taco? I mean, this is Texas. On Christmas morning, all you need to do is whip up a big batch of scrambled eggs, set out some toppings and some hot sauce, and let everyone pile their plates to their hearts’ desires. My family likes to chop up the leftover ham from Christmas Eve dinner and crispy it up like bacon in the morning.
Hero Ingredient: A good tortilla is key.
Baked Butter Pecan French Toast from Half Baked Harvest
Why We Love It: This french bread recipe is made with a vanilla and cinnamon egg custard, maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecans… anyone else’s mouth already watering? Just wait until you smell it cooking in the oven. The bourbon maple syrup makes this recipe extra cozy and perfect for Christmas morning.
Hero Ingredient: The pecans add the perfect crunch to the fluffy french toast.
Gingerbread Muffins With Vanilla Bean Glaze from Ahead of Thyme
Why We Love It: These muffins turn your favorite holiday dessert flavor into breakfast in just 30 minutes. They are light and airy while still being flavorful and warm, and of course, super festive. This recipe will have all of your Christmas morning guests walking into your home asking, “What smells so good?”
Hero Ingredient: The dark molasses gives these muffins a rich taste and color.
Bacon, Potato, and Egg Casserole from Two Peas & Their Pod
Why We Love It: Breakfast casseroles are great Christmas breakfast recipes because they can be made ahead of time. The savory flavors also balance an often heavily sweet meal. This recipe can also be totally customizable depending on what you want to mix in. I plan on adding some spinach to sneak in some veggies.
Hero Ingredient: Bacon is always a must-have for me when it comes to egg casseroles.
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake from Half Baked Harvest
Why We Love It: My grandmother brings a coffee cake every year to our Christmas breakfast, and I can’t imagine the meal without it. This coffee cake is actually infused with coffee and is easier to make than you would think. It also has a cream cheese layer in the middle, which keeps it so moist, and so flavorful.
Hero Ingredient: The brewed coffee makes this recipe extra decadent.
I’ve never even THOUGHT of roasting raspberries. They’re my favorite berry – a must try for me.
Jess
http://www.citycomfortsdc.com/holiday-diy/
I’m going for the chia seed pudding, cinnamon rolls, roasted raspberries and….well, everything else! Can one have breakfast more than once in a day?
http://purrfectlyinspired.com
That prosciutto and egg sandwich looks to die for! Beautiful site! Love it ALL!!!
great recipes. love the ideas
Kisses from http://poshnessary.com ?
These recipes all look amazing!
For the 1000th time I want to say, I LOVE the aesthetics of all your posts! I open them just to feast my eyes. The food, the locations, the people…all of it. You really rock.
Fabulous content/articles don’t hurt either…;-)
Thank you Toni!!! That truly means the world to hear feedback like that. Thank you for reading! 🙂
Wow! This is an awesome line up! Great ideas. Thank you!
Hi, what is the recipe for that chia and I guess raspberry in that tall glass because it look great and I would love to try the recipe thanks for your time….
Hi! That’s our Raspberry & Chia Seed Superfood Parfait. You can find the recipe here: https://camillestyles.com/food/raspberry-chia-seed-superfood-parfait/ Enjoy!