30+ Crowd-Pleasing Christmas Brunch Recipes

Chicken in Waffles Recipe

This decadent brunch recipe is just like chicken-n-waffles, except we literally put the chicken in the waffle—thus, making it easier to eat. Also, incorporating the chopped fried chicken into the delightfully toothy cornmeal waffle batter allows evenly distributed, full-on fried chicken flavor to come through in every bite. Top these waffles off with a pat of softened butter, a generous pour of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of leftover crispy fried chicken crumbles for a legendary brunch feast.  

Christmas Breakfast Casserole  Recipe

This warm and comforting casserole is everything you could want in a Christmas morning breakfast: rich and cheesy grits, rounded out with sausage, bacon, and poblano. 

Blueberry Pound Cake Muffins Recipe

What's better than blueberry muffins? Blueberry pound cake muffins. These are sweet, fluffy, and rich, with a crispy caramelized top. The blueberries add color and flavor, and the lemon zest adds just enough tartness. 

Fluffy Pancakes Recipe

Pancakes are the ultimate comfort breakfast, but these pancakes are truly a fluffy cake you craft over the stove. They're sweet and savory, with an incredibly bouncy texture wrapped in a buttery, golden crust. All you need for pancakes that go above and beyond is a little extra time and attention. Resist the urge to mess with the pancakes while they're cooking—if they move too much, they'll start to crumble.  

Apple Pie French Toast Casserole Recipe

This overnight casserole could be breakfast, but it could also be bread pudding—in short, it's the perfect thing to serve on a chilly Saturday morning. Cinnamon and comforting, it's just sweet enough to be eaten as-is, but it's also nice topped with a little butter and maple syrup. The chopped pecans absorb some of the moisture from the apples, leaving a nice caramelization and crunch. Assembly is super easy: Get everything together the night before, or even the day of—just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for an hour. Serve with your toppings of choice and a cup of coffee. 

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. 

Salsa-Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Salsa is the star of this simple potato side dish. It's such a simple recipe, but you won't believe how good they taste! One reviewer says, "It's hard to find a new, different recipe for potatoes, but here it is - delicious and easy - the two best words to describe this potato!"

Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

For a special breakfast that's sure to impress, this easy Cinnamon Apple Pull-Apart Bread is a must. Not only is it a looker, but every fluffy crevice and golden fold of this loaf is smattered with irresistibly buttery, apple and cinnamon-brown sugar goodness. Using canned biscuits keeps this pull-apart bread recipe simple enough for bakers of all skill levels; however, it's what you bring to the convenience dough product that yields a treat that tastes completely homemade. 

Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Bites Recipe

"Wash these warm, sugary doughnut bites down with a shooter of ice-cold chocolate milk. I like to stick the milk in the freezer about 10 minutes before serving."

Blueberry Scones Recipe

When we set out to create the best basic blueberry scone recipe, we knew it needed to be buttery and tender, but not cakey or overtly sweet—dense for sure, but not dry. These deliver on every front. While these blueberry scones are divine as-is, you can customize the recipe with whatever flavor add-ins you like. Try mixing in some spices—we found that ground ginger and ground cardamom (about 1/4 teaspoon each) to be great aromatic flavor compliments to the blueberries—or you could add a little fresh citrus zest to the dough. 

Skillet PB&J Monkey Bread Recipe

Ooey gooey peanut butter and jelly goodness! Kids and adults alike will go nuts for this sweet and decadent treat, which gets its chewy, light-as-air feeling from store-bought pizza dough. 

Sheet Pan Ricotta-Chive Biscuits with Baked Eggs Recipe

Our sheet pan take on "egg-in-a-hole" is such a perfect play for a fun, and totally photogenic, weekend brunch. A slab of rich, tender, and herbaceous biscuit cradles just-right, over-easy eggs (you'll have set whites and delightfully runny yolks after 7 minutes of baking), drizzled with hot sauce and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. 

Winter Citrus Salad Recipe

This simple fruit salad is the perfect celebration of seasonal citrus fruit. It's an effortlessly gorgeous dish that's perfect for a winter brunch, but is easy enough to enjoy any day of the week, especially if you're looking for a boost of flavor or vitamin C. Pomegranate anrils and kiwi slices add extra zing and variety to fresh orange and grapefruit segments. 

Sticky Cinnamon Roll Babka Buns Recipe

If you're looking for decadence, you're in the right place. Though the dough requires multiple steps, the result is a bun that is sweeter, stickier, and more gooey than any bun you've had before. Our chefs joke about wanting to take a nap after experiencing the richness of this dessert. Saigon cinnamon is recommended for a stronger spicy-sweet flavor, but regular cinnamon can be easily substituted. Serve with coffee at brunch or as an afternoon treat. 

Keto Chaffles Recipe

This keto-friendly take on waffles is crisp and golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside—like cloud bread, but better. They work great for savory breakfast sandwiches and lunch, and have a similar flavor to French toast when some cinnamon and vanilla is added. Make and freeze a big batch of these chaffles to pop in the toaster whenever a bread craving strikes. 

Copycat Bo-Berry Biscuits Recipe

Enjoy the Bojangles favorite whenever the craving strikes with our easy-to-follow copycat Bo-Berry Biscuit recipe. These indulgent blueberry biscuits feature freeze dried blueberries rather than fresh because the freeze dried berries provide a perfect pop of blueberry flavor without bursting and adding excess juices to your dough. (You can find freeze dried berries at grocery stores like Whole Foods.) To make your Bo-Berry biscuits ahead of time, simply prepare the dough, cut into circles, and freeze the unbaked biscuits for up to one month. 

Hoppin' John Casserole Recipe

Get all your New Year's good luck in one dish with this casserole full of bacon, peas, rice, and collards. The mixture of soft rice with tooth collards and peas, plus chopped bacon makes for a nice variety of textures. It's great on its own, but it's also a great side dish for fried chicken or pork chops. 

Sheet Pan Fried Eggs Recipe

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. 

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!

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.  

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. 

Spinach, Bacon, and Gruyère Breakfast Strata Recipe

This dish has fewer than 20g of total carbs--about half of what you'll find in classic bread-based casseroles. Greek yogurt, eggs, and cheese pack a mighty protein punch, while a touch of bacon seasons to perfection. The strata is best if allowed to soak overnight. Not only does this build in make-ahead convenience, it also allows the bread to fully absorb the egg mixture--yielding a creamy texture inside, while the top bread pieces get delightfully crisp.

Holiday Brunch Tonic Recipe

This fizzy beverage takes on a festive feel with the scent of rosemary-infused sugar syrup. Garnish with extra rosemary sprigs, if desired. Serve shortly after mixing everything together so the tonic will sparkle.

Double-Berry French Toast Casserole Recipe

Looking for a wow-worthy brunch dish? Look no further than this berry tasty French toast! Simply use your favorite in-season berries for an unforgettable restaurant-worthy breakfast that the whole family will enjoy.

Classic Banana Bread Recipe

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.

Mixed Vegetable Shakshuka  Recipe

This veggie-packed sheet pan shakshuka is easy to prep and, equally important, an absolute breeze to clean up. It's a great meatless weeknight meal option, and would also make for an impressive no-fuss brunch entree for a crowd; just serve with toast and a fresh fruit salad.

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. 

Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe

Besides being simple enough to whip up on a moments notice, as it bakes, this easy apple cinnamon bread puts off the kind of warming, buttery, spiced aromas that usher in all the fall feels. And given just how well a warm slice pairs with a cup of coffee, don't be surprised if you find yourself making a loaf of apple cinnamon bread on a weekly basis throughout the season. 

Ham Biscuit Casserole Recipe

Serving brunch for a crowd is so easy with this simple and hearty casserole. With all of the best elements of a great breakfast in one pan, this easy casserole is sure to be a winner.

Sandkaka Recipe

Potato flour serves as the backbone for this delightfully simple Swedish classic. Though gluten-free, sandkaka is similar in texture to a dense, buttery pound cake and, thanks to the starchiness of the potato flour, will retain its moisture for days. 

Grits Cakes with Poached Eggs and Country Gravy Recipe

For a wow-worthy breakfast on Christmas morning, this recipe truly delivers. The delicious texture of the grits meshes perfectly with a protein-packed egg. One reviewer even said, "Family members who don't normally like grits ate the grits cakes by themselves!"