Breakfast

19 Recipes for Breakfast on the Go

Make these granola bars, overnight oats, and muffins ahead of time, and eat well every morning of the week.
A stack of British flapjacks on a plate with tea.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

A leisurely breakfast on the couch (or in bed, with the right tray) can hit the spot on a Sunday morning, but most days I’m looking for breakfast on the go. Usually around 8 a.m. I’m gulping down a cup of coffee and grabbing the first granola bar or piece of fruit I see on my way out the door.

The recipes below prove that quick breakfasts don’t have to be joyless. With a little weekend baking, prepping, or freezing, you can get off to a good start every morning without sacrificing those last 10 minutes of snoozing. Just grab a bright pink chia seed pudding, a crunchy triangle of granola bark, or a make-ahead breakfast sandwich packed with eggs, cheese, fried onions, and Calabrian chile paste and greet the day.

  • Everything breakfast pretzels on a cooling rack.
    Photo by Sarah Kieffer
    1/19

    Everything Breakfast Pretzels

    If most cereal and granola bars are too sweet for your taste, then this recipe from Sarah Kieffer is the answer to your breakfast-on-the-go prayers. Think of it as a cross between a soft pretzel and an everything bagel.

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  • Photo by Paige Green
    2/19

    Granola Bark

    Elisabeth Prueitt’s granola bark works like a granola bar when you need to pack a quick breakfast, but you can also crumble it into crunchy clusters to sprinkle over your yogurt.

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  • Photo by Romulo Yanes
    7/19

    Strawberry Leather

    Who says fruit leather is just for kids? This strawberry leather doesn’t even require a food dehydrator—just a low-and-slow oven.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    8/19

    British Flapjacks

    Not to be mistaken for American flapjacks (a.k.a. a stack of pancakes), these British oat bars make a fantastic on-the-go breakfast or snack.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
    9/19

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    The secret to the over-the-top lemon flavor in these muffins is a combo of lemon zest, juice, and store-bought lemon curd (we recommend slathering some of the leftover curd right on the muffins).

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman
    10/19

    Kolaches

    For Texans, there’s no grab-and-go pastry quite like the kolache, a fluffy bun that can be filled with dried fruit, sweetened cheese, or any number of savory options.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams
    11/19

    Quick and Cheesy Omelet Roll-Up

    Craving something warm and savory with no time to spare? These omelet roll-ups take five minutes to make.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou & John Bjostad
    12/19

    Shao Bing

    These sesame flatbreads are part of a classic Taiwanese breakfast, and they can be easily made ahead and frozen.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    13/19

    No-Bake Energy Bites With Ginger and Turmeric

    These bites are packed with dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, and they’re rolled in the crumbs of chocolate-covered espresso beans for a caffeinated punch.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    14/19

    Make-Ahead Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

    These egg sandwiches are big on flavor from melty cheese, fried onions, and Calabrian chile paste, and they can be made ahead of time and frozen so that they’re ready when you are.

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  • Alex Lau
    15/19

    Overnight Oats

    Open to infinite variations and requiring truly nominal effort, this creamy overnight oats recipe is the ideal breakfast for those short on time.

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  • Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    16/19

    Granola Scones

    The flavors of a granola bar meet the flaky, buttery texture of a scone in this compact breakfast treat.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    17/19

    Nut Butter Granola Bars

    Bound together with honey and nut butter, these just-sweet-enough bars are sturdy enough to throw in a beach bag and substantial enough to power you through til sunset.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    18/19

    Blood Orange–Chia Pudding

    Why drink O.J. with your yogurt when you can mix it in?

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  • Ditte Isager
    19/19

    Nutty Grain and Oat Bars

    These nutty oat and grain bars are densely packed with flavor and texture, and each batch can be sliced into 16 servings for breakfast on the go all week long.

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Anna Hezel is a Buffalo-born, Brooklyn-based food and culture writer. Before joining Epicurious in 2022, she was the senior editor at TASTE. Anna has written about food, drinks, and culture for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Rolling Stone, GQ, Eater, and more. She’s the author ... Read More
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