53 Easter Brunch Ideas That’ll Make Everyone Hop to the Table
While some holidays have prescriptive menus, Easter brunch recipes run the gamut from breakfast favorites to dinner classics, savory to sweet, and everything in between. It’s the perfect meal for creative cooks: A glazed ham happily shares space with scones and coffee cakes. Maple-syrup-soaked waffles and pancakes are welcome and encouraged, as are frittatas, quiches, and all sorts of egg recipes.
To help you navigate this vast and thrilling world of possibilities, we compiled our best Easter brunch ideas—the ones we’d like to see on our own holiday tables. We’ve got Easter standbys like eggs Benedict and hot cross buns, and inventive riffs on traditional brunch dishes like cardamom-coconut French toast and a geometrically pleasing carrot tart. There are no wrong moves here, so pick your favorites and hop to the kitchen.
Head this way for a roundup of all our favorite Easter recipes →
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad1/53Skillet Soufflé Pancake
This cloudlike pancake has the airiness of a soufflé but is decidedly less fussy to make. Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar and bowl of fresh fruit for a perfectly elegant Easter brunch.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley2/53Shakshuka
This Israeli shakshuka recipe from chef and cookbook author Einat Admony starts with sautéed onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños. Make sure to pick up a fresh carton of eggs since they’re the real stars here. (Just look at those yolks!)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad3/53Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole
You don’t need a torch to make the crunchy top of this “crème brûlée” French toast casserole. A sweet, citrus-scented custard coats the bread, and a hot oven does the rest.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow4/53Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce
These salmon patties make a wonderful meal all on their own (maybe served with a frisée salad), but they’re also great stacked on a bun or used in place of English muffins for a riff on eggs Benedict.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich5/53Brown-Sugar-Glazed Bacon
If any morning is the right morning for candied bacon, Easter morning is it. These glazy strips are the perfect complement to a citrusy salad and fluffy scrambled eggs or omelet.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow6/53Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles
For a rich, sourdough-like flavor, let the batter for these waffles sit in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cook after a 30-minute rest. Either way, they’ll come to the table with moist, chewy interiors and perfectly crisp shells.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne7/53Honey Buns
These pillowy honey buns are made with the tangzhong method, an easy-to-master technique that creates soft centers and caramelized tops. Store-bought cinnamon rolls could never.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson8/53Classic Eggs Benedict With Blender Hollandaise
No list of Easter brunch ideas would be complete without eggs Benedict. Our classic version features Canadian bacon, easy hollandaise, and perfectly poached eggs.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne11/53Lemon Meringue Pie
This tangy dessert is an Easter classic. This version from the Gourmet dessert archives uses more lemon juice than most for a puckeringly sweet pie.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne12/53Roasted Asparagus With Garlic
These simple asparagus spears may be minimalistic, but they’re still crave-worthy. They’re an ideal Easter side dish, served with eggs Benedict, swiped through that creamy hollandaise.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert13/53Whiskey Daisy
This light-hearted cousin of the whiskey sour gets a punch of sweet citrus from orange liqueur and sparkle from seltzer.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart15/53Chilaquiles Rojos
Top this plate of chilaquiles with thick slices of avocado, pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro, and jarred salsa or homemade salsa roja for a hearty, savory Easter brunch.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Frances Boswell18/53Deep Dish Quiche With Garnishes
Made with crème fraîche and chives, this quiche is good enough to be eaten plain. But a buffet of garnishes—smoked salmon, avocado, braised leeks, crunchy radishes—take it over the top.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog19/53Brown Sugar–Mustard Glazed Ham
Wonderfully easy to make, this roast is impressive any time of day. Serve it at brunch alongside hot cross buns and fruit salad, or for Easter dinner with veggies and a carrot cake for dessert.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova20/53Buttermilk French Toast
This buttermilk French toast transforms challah into a luxurious riff on the classic brunch dish. It’s easy to halve or multiply the recipe if you’re cooking for a crowd.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen22/53Orange Sweet Rolls
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/53Naturally Dyed Pickled Easter Eggs
No Easter basket is complete without hard-boiled eggs. These pickled beauties get their vibrant hues from all-natural dyes made with turmeric, beets, purple cabbage, and more.
Photo by Eva Kolenko24/53Blue Cornmeal Pancakes With Blueberry Butter
A pinch of coriander and a whole lot of blueberries create a compound butter to slather all over these buttermilk-cornmeal pancakes. Any leftover butter is also great on toast, oatmeal, or rice pudding.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson25/53Bacon and Egg Casserole
A show-stopping centerpiece for any Easter brunch, this lattice-topped breakfast casserole couldn’t be easier to pull together. Make the filling and cut (frozen) puff-pastry strips in advance, bake the entire dish the day before, and reheat right before serving.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews27/53Cream of Asparagus Soup
This springy French soup is easy to make in advance, so it’s an ideal first course or side dish when asparagus is in season.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks28/53Toasted Coconut Cold-Brew Iced Coffee
No Easter morning is complete without a cup of joe. This refreshing cold-brew coffee is spiked with toasted coconut syrup and topped with a creamy coconut milk floater.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne29/53Simple Bread Pudding With Melted Ice Cream Sauce
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne32/53Capirotada
Toasted coconut, dark brown sugar, and golden raisins make this Mexican bread pudding absolutely unforgettable. It’s best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Photo and Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova33/53Sourdough Crepes
A great use for discarded sourdough starter, these crepes are tender and a little bit tangy. They make an ideal blank canvas for sweet or savory toppings like jam, fresh fruit or veggies, crème fraîche, demerara sugar, and more.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce34/53Coconut-Cardamom French Toast With Raspberry-Rhubarb Compote
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson35/53Poppy Seed and Pecan Strudel
Store-bought phyllo dough streamlines the time needed to make this pecan-and-poppy-seed-stuffed strudel, a play on a traditional Ukrainian pastry, makoviy rulet.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell36/53Savory Dutch Baby for Two
Dusted with thyme, black pepper, and Parmesan, this savory Dutch baby pairs beautifully with a springy fruit salad. For the ultimate make-ahead Easter brunch menu, prepare the batter up to two days in advance.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou37/53Cocoa Brioche Morning Buns
Chocolate-studded brioche sits beneath the flaky, croissant-like tops of these sweet morning buns. The dough requires an overnight rise, so make it in advance and then assemble and pop your pastries into the oven on Easter morning.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Joe Sevier and Anna Stockwell38/53Fluffy Cathead Biscuits With Honey Butter
These Southern buttermilk biscuits get their name from their large size—almost as big as a cat’s noggin—and are fluffy and tender rather than flaky and crisp. We like buckwheat honey for the butter.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova39/53Cinnamon Toast Bites
These toasted challah croutons have a crispy, cinnamon-sugar coating, making it all but impossible to eat just one. Serve as an appetizer or side dish, just don’t expect any leftovers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Jerri Joy, Food Styling by Anna Hampton40/53Carrot Tart With Ricotta and Almond Filling
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell41/53Deviled Egg Salad Spread
Put all those Easter eggs to good use in this easy, deviled eggs-inspired spread. Serve it on toast points or alongside a few handfuls of your favorite crackers.
Photo by Tara O'Brady42/53Blueberry-Ginger Slab Biscuits
These pillowy biscuits are lovely with blueberries, citrus, and candied ginger, but the versatile dough can also be a blank canvas for any combination of flavors and fillings. Try them with cherries and mini chocolate chips, or with Parmesan and sautéed spinach.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi43/53Spanish Frittata With Herby Yogurt and Greens
A cross between a Spanish tortilla and Italian frittata, this easy Easter brunch recipe can be customized with whatever herbs and cooked vegetables you like best.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson44/53Classic Carrot-Coconut Cake
Carrot cake, but with a little creamy coconut flair: Our version of this classic mash-up includes cinnamon and ginger alongside dark brown sugar and tangy buttermilk. Top it with generous swoops of classic cream cheese frosting.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian45/53Hot Chocolate Baked French Toast
Two brunch favorites, hot chocolate and French toast casserole, merge in this decadent dish. Prep the whole thing in advance so all you have to do on Easter Sunday is bake and serve, preferably with some extra chocolate sauce on top.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks46/53Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake
Appearances can be deceiving—as is the case with this simple-looking glazed pound cake that has bold stripes of blueberries within its citrusy crumb. This Easter cake can be baked, filled, and glazed up to three days prior to serving.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson47/53Banana Coconut Muffins
Ripe bananas and toasted coconut bring worlds of flavor to these easy Easter muffins. Serve them warm with fresh coffee and mimosas.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone48/53Diner-Style Bacon for a Crowd
The best way to make bacon for an Easter Sunday crowd is this easy diner method, which nods to the French confit technique.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle50/53Eggs Baked in Crispy Prosciutto Baskets
The best Easter baskets might in fact be these crispy prosciutto cups filled with cheesy, thyme-flecked eggs. Bake them in a muffin pan and serve hot just as your guests arrive.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks51/53Diner-Style Buttermilk Pancakes
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich52/53Cold Roast Salmon With Smashed Green Bean Salad
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell53/53Asparagus and Two-Cheese Quiche With Hash-Brown Crust
