30 Hearty Fall Breakfast Recipes
The mornings are getting cooler, which gives a perfect excuse for breaking out your favorite fall flavors and making a breakfast that gives a little more mileage. Autumnal ingredients like cinnamon, sweet potato, and maple syrup accentuate dishes ranging from oatmeal to frittatas. No matter whether you’re making a quick meal or drafting out a formal brunch, these recipes will get you in the autumn spirit.
2-Ingredient (More or Less) Sweet Potato Pancakes
2-Ingredient (More or Less) Sweet Potato Pancakes Recipe
Yes, you can make sweet potato pancakes with just two ingredients (give or take)! If you’re a little skeptical, you’ll become a believer after biting into them. They’re simple enough for weekdays, yet feel indulgent enough for weekend brunch. We’ve included a delicious topping that only three more ingredients. Roast a couple of sweet potatoes ahead of time, and try it this weekend!
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Sausage, Gravy, and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
Sausage, Gravy, and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches Recipe
This sandwich will rival what you get at the drive-through. Freezing the gravy in ice-cube trays makes portioning easy. For freezing and heating instructions, see below.
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Shrimp and Grits Casserole
Shrimp and Grits Casserole Recipe
This casserole is tangy and cheesy, but thanks to the tomato and mushroom mixture there’s a nice richness here as well—just how shrimp and grits should be. It’s perfect for a holiday potluck or buffet-style brunch, especially with a crisp green salad and a mimosa or Bloody Mary.
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Miso Walnut Sticky Buns
Miso Walnut Sticky Buns Recipe
Incorporating instant mashed potato flakes into this foolproof sticky bun dough is the secret behind their incredibly moist, tender texture. Meanwhile, using a bit of bread flour, in addition to all-purpose, helps provide structure and height. White miso paste, also known as sweet miso, adds a dynamic element of salt-sweet depth to both the filling and caramel topping—making these a most impressive addition to any brunch spread. Pro-tip: Don’t let the buns rest in the pan for too long after baking as the sticky topping will begin to solidify as it cools, making it difficult to turn them out.
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Crock-Pot Apple Butter
This Crock-Pot apple butter recipe legitimately could not be easier. Requiring just a handful of basic ingredients, apple butter is a low-effort and inexpensive fall treat to make—but it sure is an impressive one to share. And, thanks to the hands-off power of the Crock-Pot, the apple butter can simmer to perfection (and fill your kitchen with its heavenly aroma) while you’re out and about or taking care of other tasks around the house.
Note: There are two phases to the slow-cooking. First, you simmer your apples and apple cider vinegar in the Crock-Pot for 6 hours on high. You’ll then add sugar and spice to the crockpot and cook for another 4 hours on low, so be sure to plan accordingly before starting into the recipe. Slather your Crock-Pot apple butter over warm biscuits, toast, waffles, and anything else that could use a robust hit of sweet apple flavor.
Hungry for more? Check out Our 43 Best Slow Cooker Recipes For Fall next.
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Toasted Oat and Prune Breakfast Muffins
Toasted Oat and Prune Breakfast Muffins Recipe
Delicious and warm, these muffins are the perfect first step into the wonderful world of alternative flours. Toasty oats and brown sugar conjure up the comforting flavors of fall—no matter what time of year it is.
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Easy Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Easy Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
A little maple syrup in the blend adds a hint of sweetness and helps the patties develop a beautifully caramelized crust. We like to use dark maple syrup, formerly labeled as Grade B, because it has more intense maple flavor than lighter-colored syrup, so you can use less. This recipe makes a big batch but freezes well. Shape into patties before freezing for convenience, so you can use them as needed. While we like them for breakfast, they have enough savoriness that they’d also be great at dinner, served with snow peas, brown rice, and a tamari–rice vinegar dipping sauce.
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Copycat Starbucks Bacon & Gruyère Egg Bites
Copycat Starbucks Bacon & Gruyère Egg Bites Recipe
All the cheesy goodness of Starbucks Sous Vide Egg Bites, minus the high price tag and long drive-thru line.
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Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Pound Cake
Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Pound Cake Recipe
The nuanced brightness of sumac matched with warming notes of almond and jammy raspberries takes a classic pound cake construct over the top and into pure wow-worthy territory. While it may seem like a lot between the batter and the pound cake’s raspberry-sumac glaze (especially if this is a new seasoning to you), sumac—which is the dried, powdered berries of the sumac bush—is a spice you need not be overly reserved with. Given sumac’s delicate tart flavor, a fair amount is needed here to shine within the context of the dense, buttery cake.
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Hot Chicken-and-Waffle Sandwiches with Chive Cream
Hot Chicken-and-Waffle Sandwiches with Chive Cream Recipe
We did a taste test and loved the just-fried tenders from the Publix grocery store deli.
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Be-Still-My-Heart Breakfast Pizza
Be-Still-My-Heart Breakfast Pizza Recipe
As delicious as cold, last-night's pizza can be for breakfast, some occasions call for a little something extra. Perfectly cooked eggs, tender heart-shaped dough with a crisp bottom, and traditional hot Italian sausage make the cutest morning pizza. Add whatever extra toppings you, or whomever you're making this for, love. Just make sure not to crack the egg into the bacon heart, because it won't cook.
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Apple Pie Smoothie
This apple pie smoothie is an easy way to treat yourself and pack some nutrients into your day.
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Copycat Waffle House Hash Browns
Copycat Waffle House Hash Browns Recipe
Enjoy your favorite breakfast spuds—scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked—in the comfort of your own kitchen with our copycat version of Waffle House's iconic hash browns.
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Three-Ingredient Fig Jam
Three-Ingredient Fig Jam Recipe
This easy fig jam recipe is the perfect way to use up an abundance of fresh summer figs. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and simmer to perfection. Beyond the obvious breakfast-table applications, you can use your fresh fig jam in vibrant desserts (think as a filling between cake layers or for hand pies) or as a delicious homemade condiment for sandwiches, cheese boards, and more. Fresh fig jam can provide the perfectly sweet balance in all sorts of savory applications, but pairs especially well with salty meats, such as prosciutto, and rich cheeses like goat cheese and Brie.
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Sweet Potato and Bacon Frittata
Sweet Potato and Bacon Frittata Recipe
Smart shortcuts deliver a frittata that’s perfect for a busy weeknight or headlining a weekend brunch menu. Microwaving the sweet potatoes helps them cook faster; Canadian bacon adds flavor with half the saturated fat of regular bacon.
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Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe
In the US, cinnamon rolls are the classic pastry of all classic pastries. There’s a reason why Cinnabon exists. You can even scoop up cinnamon rolls at gas stations in Nowhere, Kansas. (Not that I’ve done that before or anything.) Cinnamon rolls are easy to find, but if you want to make your own, here’s the problem: They can be a pain. Yeast? Kneading? Real-life baking? Ugh, the horror. This is exactly why cinnamon roll pancakes can save your morning/day/life.
Pancake batter eliminates the need for actual dough. You can even use the stuff out of the box. No judgement here. It’s all about adding a buttery cinnamon filling to each and every pancake. Extra points for making swirls. The best part is when the cinnamon butter melts. It will literally cook into your pancake, infusing it with flavor. And in true frankenfood style, there’s also a cream cheese frosting. Maple syrup, who?
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
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Copycat Starbucks Egg White, Roasted Red Pepper, & Spinach Egg Bites
Copycat Starbucks Egg White, Roasted Red Pepper, & Spinach Egg Bites Recipe
These fluffy , perfectly portioned egg bites are super convenient and can easily be made ahead of time at home for a grab-and-go breakfast that only needs a few seconds in the microwave.
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Creamy Brioche and Egg Bake
Creamy Brioche and Egg Bake Recipe
This stand alone breakfast dish is an upgrade from the usual breakfast casserole. Baking eggs in brioche and heavy cream allows for perfectly set, soft, and runny eggs. Fresh herbs and rich egg and meaty sausage flavors round out this bake and give it irresistable texture. Ask for brioche at your local grocery store or bakery and they are sure to have it.
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Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Waffles
Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Waffles Recipe
The combination of brown sugar and cinnamon is a classic dessert flavor profile, so why not bring it into your waffle batter? Serve with maple syrup, or, if you're feeling particularly opulent, whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.
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Argentinian Pancakes Will Change How You Breakfast
Argentinian Pancakes Will Change How You Breakfast Recipe
Panqueques are one of Gastón’s specialties. Should you ask him to share his pancake recipe, he’s quick to answer, “It’s easy. Three-two-one: three eggs, two cups of milk, and one cup of flour.” Like my Grandma Dorita's, Gastón’s recipes are often vague. Fortunately, I was brought up in a kitchen with ambiguous directions and inexact measurements—puñados, dedos, pizcas y poquitos (handfuls, fingers, pinches and little bits). These panqueques are to the Argentine what crêpes are to the French, but slightly thicker, lighter and fluffier. Panqueques are simple, easy to make, and fun to serve; just remember that you’ll need to wait a few hours for the batter to chill.
After spreading with dulce de leche, panqueques may be shaped in a variety of ways depending on one’s own personal preference. We choose between the cigarette, which is filled and rolled like a cylinder, or the quarter-moon, folded with panache and made by spreading the filling on half of the panqueque and folding it over once then again. For breakfast, Gastón serves panqueques with dulce de leche and jam; for lunch, he fills them with soft cheese and dulce de leche; and for a special dessert he stuffs them with dulce de leche then flambés them with rum and caramelized sugar.
Panqueques con Dulce de Leche
Note: The unfilled stack of panqueques keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Spread with dulce de leche just before serving.
Excerpted from Dulce de Leche. Copyright © 2017 by Josephine Caminos Oría. Published by Burgess Lea Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group.
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Easy French Toast
French toast: not really French and not really toast. But it still rules. You can cover it in berries and literally any sweet food on the planet except for maybe Good & Plentys, but who knows, try it. Here’s a super basic, super easy French toast recipe that you should think of as your blank canvas for experimentation. Before you attempt a pumpkin-stuffed French toast or a decadent foie gras French toast, you need to learn how to crawl—mouth first into this iconic breakfast recipe.
Basic French Toast
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Apple Cider Doughnuts
Few things deliver fall comfort quite like sweet apple cider doughnuts. Gaining their distinct apple flavor from four sources—apple cider, freshly grated apple, apple butter, and apple cider vinegar—these homemade doughnuts are anything but bland. And, because there’s no yeast involved, you don’t even have to wait for the dough to proof; meaning, there’s less standing between you and your hot, fresh apple cider doughnuts. For the most robust apple flavor, be sure to use cider, not juice—and always shake the cider jug before measuring. To give them a perfect finishing tough, either toss the warm doughnuts with Pumpkin-Cinnamon Spice or coat the cooled cider doughnuts with a Buttermilk Glaze or Maple-Vanilla Icing.
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Classic Banana Bread
This healthier take on banana bread uses yogurt instead of butter, but it's just as moist and indulgent as classic recipes. This banana bread recipe isn't just easy. It's also highly customizable and can adapt to a number of flavors and substitute ingredients. Banana bread should form a crack down the center as it bakes--a sign the baking soda is doing its job. Serve toasted with a smear of cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or peanut and top with mixed nuts, if desired. You can even customize your bread with a crunchy streusal topping that the kids will love.
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Sheet Pan Fried Eggs
Say hello to the easiest way to make fried eggs for a crowd. In fact, this sheet pan technique for frying eggs might just be the best thing to happen to breakfast since oven baked bacon.
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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Toast
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamon Toast Recipe
Need to use up a small amount of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal that won't fill a bowl? Use it as a crunch-tastic accent for toast instead. This fun twist on cinnamon toast is easy enough for kids to make, and thanks to the cereal, no additional cinnamon sugar is needed.
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Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake
Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Snack Cake Recipe
Featuring a delightfully crunchy almond topping along with the delicate sunny brightness of sumac, this cake is effortlessly impressive. And given how easy it is to whip up, it’s a perfect go-to recipe for any occasion that calls for a special treat. Lightly toasting the almond flour before incorporating it into the batter imbues the cake with a delicious toasty depth; however, if you’re in a hurry, rest assured, the overall success of the recipe is not incumbent on this step. Serve as-is or with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
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Easiest Cinnamon Rolls Ever
Easiest Cinnamon Rolls Ever Recipe
Holiday mornings and chilly afternoons are made complete with warm, gooey cinnamon rolls. If you want to make them for breakfast, you can make the rolls the night before, cover them well, and refrigerate the unbaked rolls overnight. Just let them come to room temperature before baking them as directed. If you prefer a more gooey roll, bake for less time.