15 Easy And Delicious Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day (colloquially speaking, at least), but that doesn't mean it has to be complicated. Of course, you could keep it simple by pouring cereal and milk into a bowl or grabbing a breakfast bar from the pantry, but those choices will often leave your appetite unfulfilled, condemn your morning to culinary dissatisfaction, and force you to count down the hours until lunchtime. Luckily, you can stow the cereal box and discard limp, microwaveable bacon-and-egg sandwiches — because there are far more delicious options for an easy, undemanding breakfast.
So, spend your morning dining on sumptuous cinnamon sweets, savory hash browns, and veggie-packed frittatas — not to mention French toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes, and breakfast burritos. It may sound like all these dishes would complicate your already busy morning routine, but this collection of 15 recipes will keep your palate satisfied without too much pre-coffee effort. Breakfast is about to become your favorite meal of the day, too.
Brunch-Friendly Kale And Mushroom Strata
This layered casserole recipe developed by Kristen Carli of Camelback Nutrition and Wellness is packed with plenty of veggies and a whole lot of flavor. The earthy nuttiness of the kale and the savory, woodsy taste of the mushrooms are complemented by a rich mixture of French bread, garlic, egg, Parmesan cheese, and mustard. And if this delectable combination already sounds like you'll be going back for seconds, you're in luck — the dish is perfect for both a big party and for leftovers enjoyed alone.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
There's no breakfast dish more sweetly classic than the cinnamon roll, but if the pastry prospect feels too involved, a slow cooker can simplify the process in this recipe developed by Deniz Vergara. The dough will still need a little kneading from you, but the low heat of the slow cooker precludes the requirement of a dough-rising step. Once the hands-on part is done, you can spend time with family or enjoy a cup of coffee while the cinnamon scent fills the air.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls
Matcha Crepes
These crepes developed by Deniz Vergara are the exception to the Kermit the Frog-based adage, "It's not easy being green." So, ignore The Muppets in favor of the matcha because this bright green tea powder lends a beautiful verdant hue and a mellow, slightly sweet flavor to the classic French pancake, and you'll end up with a light and tasty breakfast that can be customized with fruit and sweet syrups. It will be showstopping for brunch with friends or elegant for breakfast alone.
Recipe: Matcha Crepes
Perfect Crepes
Top them with berries and cream or drizzle them with dark chocolate sauce, sprinkle them with herbs or fill them with greens and cheese — crepes make a versatile palette for your breakfast palate. This easy recipe created by Jennine Rye of The Marshside Pantry helps you perfect cooking the basic crepe so that you can use it day after day and your tastebuds will never get bored. The trick is to not hold back with your crazy toppings and try something new every time.
Recipe: Perfect Crepes
Diner-Style Crispy Hash Browns
You may not be able to recreate the exact atmosphere of sitting in a red-vinyl-lined booth with a thick, heavy mug of black coffee and the low murmur of contented patrons — but you can at least make your hash browns just as crispy and flavorful as diners do. No need to gather grease to make it taste right, either; this recipe developed by Deniz Vergara works just fine and delivers just as much flavor with clarified butter or ghee.
Recipe: Diner-Style Crispy Hash Browns
Chai Spice Overnight Oats
Oats are the way to go if you want to begin your day on a healthy note. They contain beta-glucan, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and encourages intestinal and gut bacteria health. But this recipe developed by wellness coach Miriam Hahn has even more benefits than that. The mix of allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg that's added to the oats is both sweet and spicy, and the overnight preparation method means you can wake up to a delicious dish rather than working in the morning.
Recipe: Chai Spice Overnight Oats
Spinach Artichoke Frittata
Put the pita chips away — the spinach-artichoke combo works just as well for breakfast as it does for dip. This bold and nutty frittata developed by Kristen Carli of Camelback Nutrition and Wellness also works just as well for a crowd as it does for a single meal, and since you can whip it up in less than 40 minutes, it's not just a delicious dish, but a quick one, too. It's a recipe you'll come back to again and again for both taste and convenience.
Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Frittata
Bacon Grease Country Gravy
Don't tell your grandma, but this country gravy recipe developed by Erin Johnson might rival the one you grew up on. It will enhance any breakfast food you add it to, from biscuits or hash browns to eggs or French toast (yes, really), and it takes less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish. There isn't a lot to this tasty bacon-based condiment, so you're sure to start trying it on every morning meal.
Recipe: Bacon Grease Country Gravy
Classic One-Skillet Sausage Gravy
When sausage is added to the gravy equation, there really aren't many other ingredients needed to create something appetizing. All you'll need for this recipe created by Erin Johnson is breakfast sausage, flour, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (to offer just a little warm sweetness to the savory flavor). Then, add it to your favorite breakfast foods to start your morning off right — it lends both substance and flavor to all sorts of dishes.
Simple Brioche Bread Pudding
When you hear "bread pudding," you might be thinking of dessert — but if you change your culinary mindset, a decadent breakfast can be in your future. It's a sustainable one, too, since you can use older bread to bake up bread pudding, then combine the leftover bread cubes with butter, milk, eggs, and spices to create something sweet and rich. This is another dish that works well with additives, so first get the hang of this basic recipe created by Christina Musgrave of Tasting with Tina, then start to experiment.
Recipe: Simple Brioche Bread Pudding
Simple Classic Waffles
Nothing says "breakfast" quite like waffles, so if you want to master the day's basal meal, you need to have a dependable recipe (such as this one created by Erin Johnson) in your cooking repertoire. The ingredients for plain waffles are pretty basic, too, and are most likely already in your kitchen — just have your waffle iron handy to get the crispy edges and the iconic waffled shape (for lack of a better word). Then add butter, syrup, or fruit to your taste.
Recipe: Simple Classic Waffles
Classic Banana Walnut Bread
Bananas are a quintessential breakfast food and bread is, too, so this combination developed by Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating is the next logical step. The sweet flavor and soft texture are taken to the next level with the walnuts' salty, nutty taste, and this breakfast dish emerges with a little bit of everything. It will be just as satisfying plain as it will be with a little bit of butter or a chocolate spread.
Recipe: Classic Banana Walnut Bread
Apple-Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes
Although the fall-inspired flavors here are undeniable and may conjure visions of sweaters and vibrant leaves, these apple and cinnamon pancakes are delicious all year round, so don't just set them aside for October. Even more, this recipe developed by Stephanie Rapone is two-in-one — the apple cinnamon topping and the basic buttermilk pancake batter complement each other perfectly, but you can also switch them out and mix them up to pair with other dishes. It's a recipe worth keeping in your pocket.
Easy Brioche French Toast
Soft and buttery brioche is exactly what French toast needs to be taken from a plain meal to a luxurious breakfast in this recipe created by Ting Dalton of Cook Simply. Plus, it couldn't be simpler — slices of bread are quickly cooked in an egg-milk-and-butter mixture for a rich flavor that will wake you right up. It won't need much on the taste side of things since it's already moist and sweet, but you can add syrup or fruit if your heart (and tastebuds) so desire.
Recipe: Easy Brioche French Toast
Weekday-Friendly Breakfast Burrito
If you're a heavy sleeper, you'll need to rely on something substantial to wake you up. This incredibly filling breakfast burrito developed by Michelle McGlinn wraps potatoes, bell peppers, sausage, eggs, and cheese in flour tortillas and calls it a day (or calls it a morning, rather). The individual ingredients won't take long to assemble, so your full stomach will be ready to face a daunting schedule of work meetings or vigorous weekend activities in equal measure.