67 Best Brunch Ideas for a Relaxing Weekend Feast
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Hosting brunch can sometimes feel like a bit of an undertaking. There are hundreds of brunch ideas for you to iterate on, whether you’re thinking sweet, savory, or something in between. And while brunch food favorites are favorites for a reason, sometimes you want to ditch the bacon and scrambled eggs for a less familiar face. That’s why we’ve made this list of a few of our favorite brunch recipes. Scroll down for showstopping project bakes, crowd-pleasing large-format dishes, and lots of options that you can prep the night before, so you can take it easy in the morning until your guests arrive. The only thing left for you to do is to figure out what to drink.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/67Classic Eggs Benedict With Blender Hollandaise
The ultimate fancy restaurant brunch food doesn’t have to come to come from a restaurant—the expert tips in this recipe mean you can offer your friends and family an elegant brunch complete with fluffy English muffins, ham or bacon, and that runny yolk you get with only from a correctly poached egg. With the help of a blender, this recipe simplifies what is arguably the most challenging part of this classic brunch dish: the hollandaise.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce3/67Coconut-Cardamom French Toast With Raspberry-Rhubarb Compote
Jewel-like berries and tart rhubarb play off a creamy coconut filling in this stuffed French toast. The custard and compote are perfumed with cardamom for a multidimensional take on the brunch favorite.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht4/67Baked Apple Pancake
Flipping pancakes on a griddle can be a bit high-maintenance for an early meal—especially if you’re cooking for a large crowd. Instead, try this large-format take on the brunch staple, decorated with a pretty top layer of sliced apples. This oven-ready pancake has the light and fluffy texture of a Dutch baby and requires only five minutes active prep time.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley5/67Shakshuka
This stovetop shakshuka recipe makes use of both whole canned tomatoes and tomato paste for a full-flavored, bright red sauce. This take on the classic egg dish is loaded with sweet Hungarian paprika, cumin, caraway, and Swiss chard for some much-welcome leafy greens.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich7/67Brown-Sugar-Glazed Bacon
Nothing screams “brunch food necessity” quite like bacon. The brown sugar adds a sticky, sweet edge to the bacon’s saltiness, making for the ideal companion for French toast—or just bowls of yogurt and granola.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht8/67Chocolate Chip Scones
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart10/67Chilaquiles Rojos
These chilaquiles invite you to use up the leftover food in your fridge and pantry. Use store-bought chips or make your own by frying up some just-past-their-prime tortillas. Then top them with leftover rotisserie chicken or chorizo, homemade salsa roja, and fried eggs for the ultimate brunch vibes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert11/67Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Frozen hash browns get well acquainted with cheddar after a little nudge from some creamy béchamel in this breakfast casserole.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad12/67Skillet Soufflé Pancake
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Frances Boswell13/67Deep Dish Quiche With Garnishes
A flaky yet custardy quiche will brighten your morning, especially if you have the foresight to make it the day before. This simple iteration is made with just chives and shallots flavoring the eggy filling. You can dress it up with salty prosciutto, smoked or cured salmon, a bed of greens, or whatever combination of garnishes you may fancy.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/67Blueberry Scones
These scones get magnificent height full of flaky layers thanks to frozen, grated butter. There’s a hint of sweetness that pairs well with the tartness of the blueberries, but you can also use raspberries, torn blackberries, or chopped strawberries.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews15/67Spicy Egg Sandwich With Sausage and Pickled Peppers
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/67Buttermilk Waffles
With a crispy exterior, a fluffy interior, and a shape that traps pools of maple syrup, waffles are a timeless brunch food. If you have yet to purchase a waffle iron, allow this foolproof recipe to convince you. You might want to make extra so you can stash them in your freezer for easy breakfasts in the future.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell18/67Diner-Style Western Omelet
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege19/67Mushroom and Kale Breakfast Skillet
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova20/67Glazed Cinnamon-Cardamom Buns
Transport yourself to Paris with these brioche-like buns. These lacquered pastries have a sweet cinnamon filling inside a cardamom-scented dough that is worth breaking out your stand mixer for.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li21/67Spiced Chickpeas and Greens Frittata
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne22/67Blueberry Pancake Cobbler
This blueberry-filled bake’s pancake-like topping makes a strong case for eating dessert for brunch.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch23/67French Onion Breakfast Strata
Made with DIY French onion dip mix and gooey Gruyère, this breakfast strata is a savory solution for those looking for a French toast replacement. Set up a Bloody Mary bar with lots of garnishes for folks who are looking for a morning cocktail.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova25/67Cowboy Breakfast Casserole With Sausage and Spinach
Do yourself a favor and prep this dish the night before your next daytime soiree so the toasted bread can soak up the eggy custard overnight. Then throw the casserole dish into a cold oven when you wake up and watch it blossom into a sausage-, spinach-, and cheese-packed brunch centerpiece. We've made this dish for Christmas morning more than once.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert26/67Breakfast Burritos With Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
These bacon-, bean-, egg-, and cheese-filled burritos feature homemade flour tortillas for a handheld option that’s great for an on-the-go weekend.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell27/67Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins
Sweet blueberries, savory cornmeal, and a pop of lemon zest come together for bakery-quality muffins to start the morning.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad and Lillian Chou28/67Khachapuri for a Crowd
This large-format version of the classic Georgian dish is as crowd-pleasing as brunch ideas get. After a relaxing dough-making process, you’re left with a golden brown cheesy bake that is sure to vanish within minutes of serving.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell30/67Swirl Spice Cake
Don’t mistake this swirl spice cake for just another coffee cake. Cardamom, dried orange peel, and fennel seeds are marbled throughout this breakfast bake via a multiuse coffee spice blend.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht32/67Chilled Irish Coffee
This chilled take on the whiskey-based cocktail is a great way to combine a little booze and a hit of caffeine at brunch. The coffee mixture can be made ahead of time, but cold brew fanatics can use their favorite bottle and adjust to taste with simple syrup.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton33/67Hong Kong–Style French Toast
In this variation of French toast from Hong Kong, peanut-butter-filled milk bread is fried in butter until the exterior is golden and crisp, then drizzled with sweetened condensed milk for a next-level French toast experience.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell34/67Asparagus and Two-Cheese Quiche With Hash-Brown Crust
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell35/67Crumb-Covered Poached Eggs
This recipe yields three perfect brunch ideas: a playful bacon and eggs moment, a cheesy pancetta-packed bite, or a herby-crispy creation.
Photo by Cara Howe37/67Steel-Cut Oats With Squash and Tahini
A bowl of simple oats gets an autumnal upgrade with a roasted, mashed butternut squash topping and a maple syrup, tahini, and brown sugar combo for a creamy finish.
38/67Mimosa
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova40/67Sheet-Pan Cider-Ricotta Pancakes With Pear Compote
Photo by Alex Lau42/67Classic English Muffins
This recipe for homemade English muffins employs a few smart tricks, offering a faster path to warm rolls with those coveted chewy nooks and crannies.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich43/67Citrus-and-Dill Gravlax
Photo and Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova44/67Sourdough Crepes
These tender crepes, made with discarded sourdough starter, make an ideal blank canvas for sweet or savory toppings like jam, crème fraîche, raw sugar, or lox.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova45/67Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Glazed Bananas
This waffle recipe from Gourmet combines the crisp of Belgian waffles with the tang of buttermilk for a brunch dish you’ll want on regular rotation. When you’ve got ripe bananas—and you’re not craving banana bread—this is a great way to use them up.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele46/67Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
A trio of lemony ingredients—fragrant lemon zest, tart juice, and rich lemon curd—are combined to create this these extra-citrusy muffins.
Photo by Jim Henkens48/67Broiled Eggs
If you’re cooking brunch for a crowd—for Mother's Day, maybe?—but want something other than a scramble, this muffin-tin method gets you pretty close to the elegance of poached eggs, with more ease and the added benefit of all the eggs cooking—and finishing—at the same time.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova49/67Buttermilk French Toast
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell52/67Sheet-Pan Potato Hash with Fixins
Mashed, fried, boiled, or baked, the trusty potato is a valuable kitchen staple any hour of the day. In extra-crispy, almost chip-like, sheet-pan hash form, it becomes a magnificent base for add-ons like smoked fish or roe. And the inclusion of crème fraîche and fried eggs brings substance to this salty brunch dish fit for a crowd.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks54/67Easy Everyday Pancakes
Requiring only a handful of pantry staples and 20 minutes of your time, these homemade pancakes are as simple, fluffy, and delicious as breakfast recipes get.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton55/67Masa Pancakes
When shopping for gluten-free flour for this brunch recipe, make sure to buy one that lists xanthan gum as one of its ingredients which helps bind everything, creating structure so the pancakes come out light and fluffy.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad58/67Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou60/67Tomato Galette
Photo by Alex Lau65/67Turmeric Eggs with Kale, Yogurt, and Bacon
You can add roasted sweet potato or cooked grains to this well-balanced bowl to make it even more hearty. (Might as well roast a few extra sweet potatoes while you’re at it.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua66/67Crispy, Crunchy Chicken and Waffles
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson67/67Bacon and Egg Casserole
