33 Merry Christmas Brunch Recipes

Curate your holiday morning spread with seasonal babka, breakfast casseroles, berry syrup, and more.

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on November 29, 2023

Cinnamon-Apple Babka — Cinnamon-Apple Babka. Photo:
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Christmas morning can be filled with anticipation and excitement, and what better way to kick it off than with an impressive brunch spread? From a pillowy Dutch baby to gooey cinnamon rose rolls, and luscious breakfast egg cups to cheese-encrusted biscuits, our festive recipe roundup hits all the mouthwatering notes from sweet to savory. Read on for those recipes, and more dishes you can add to your Christmas brunch menu.

01 of 33

Caramelized Apple Bread with Candied Ginger and Almond

Caramelized Apple Bread with Ginger and Almond — Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall

Like a tarte Tatin, this treat is also topped with caramelized apples. But instead of cake, the base is a buttery yeasted bread with a creamy almond-paste filling. Even better, the apples sizzle in caramel before they're arranged in a baking pan that's been sprinkled with crystallized ginger, ensuring gently spiced flavor in every bite.

02 of 33

Cardamom Baked French Toast

Cardamom Baked French Toast Recipe — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners

To make this twist on baked French toast, inspired by the Swedish cardamom-infused buns called kardemummabullar, you'll spread slices of tender, eggy challah with a sugary cardamom butter, then toast them until light gold.

03 of 33

Cinnamon-Apple Babka

Cinnamon-Apple Babka — Cinnamon-Apple Babka.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Serve a gooey, buttery cinnamon bun twisted together with the flavors of apple pie.

04 of 33

Cinnamon Roses

Cinnamon Roses Recipe — Michael Piazza

This simple yeasted dough is soft and tender, yielding golden, tear-apart rolls. For the best “bloom,” tightly roll the dough, and use unflavored dental floss to cut roses; it pinches the rolls less than using a knife. These look beautiful on any holiday spread.

05 of 33

Brown-Butter Pancakes with Sheet-Pan Berry Syrup

Andrea Slonecker

For this elevated version of a classic breakfast, browned butter infuses the barely sweet batter, which fries up into fluffy, lacy-edged flapjacks. The sheet-pan fruit syrup comes together quickly; frozen berries burst in the oven, releasing their juices to mingle with caramelly brown sugar and a touch of lemon.

06 of 33

Lemony Crêpe Casserole

Lemony Crepe Casserole — Jennifer Causey

Reminiscent of classic bread pudding, this sweet-tart crêpe casserole has a beautiful lacy top and tender-but-sliceable center, adorned with a buttery lemon-tinged maple sauce. It's made with the ease of store-bought lemon curd and crêpes.

07 of 33

Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Breakfast Pastry

Blueberry and Meyer lemon Breakfast pastry — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

This sweet, easy breakfast pastry comes together without much planning (just thaw some puff pastry the night before). While the cream cheese filling and assembly are essential, feel free to play with your choice of fruit preserve in place of the blueberry preserves, or try adding a few chocolate chips if the occasion calls for it.

08 of 33

Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms

Prosciutto Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata Recipe — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners

These elegant, savory herb-topped eggs bake up in a muffin pan, so it's easy to make breakfast or brunch for a few days — or for more than a few people. Serve any leftover breakfast egg cups sandwiched between buttered, toasted English muffins or brioche slices.

09 of 33

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss Recipe — Gregory DuPree

A large-format pancake with a light, airy interior and rich, savory toppings, this Dutch baby is perfect for brunch. Add the toppings around the edges, leaving the center clear to allow it to rise properly. Preheating the pan is also crucial to a beautiful rise; the batter should begin to puff immediately after you pour it into the pan.

10 of 33

Salmon and Arugula Frittata with Pesto

Eric Adjepong's salmon and arugula frittata with a side salad — Emily Kordovich

Chef Eric Adjepong uses salmon two ways in his pesto-infused frittata, topping the eggs with cooked fresh salmon before baking it, then garnishing the frittata with thinly-smoked salmon just before serving.

11 of 33

Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits

Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits — Greg DuPree

"The buttermilk dough bakes atop a pile of grated cheddar, bringing not just a wonderfully caramelized flavor, but a clever textural element in the form of crisp, lacy 'feet' that form around the bottom of each biscuit," Food & Wine's Kat Kinsman writes of this recipe from Megan Scott. "Add a hefty amount of chopped scallion into the mix and it's a savory, joyous match for the ages."

12 of 33

Crêpes

Basic Crepes Recipe — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke

This basic crêpe recipe is our light, delicate go-to for brunches and a sure crowd pleaser with a topping or filling bar for guests to customize their sweet or savory treat.

13 of 33

Chocolate Babka

Chocolate Babka

This amazing chocolate babka from pastry chef Melissa Weller at Sadelle’s in New York City gets extra flavor in the swirl from chocolate cookie crumbs. As a bonus, the tender-crumbed babka is topped with a thick and luscious chocolate glaze.

14 of 33

Chilaquiles with Tomatillo Salsa and Fried Eggs

Vegetarian Chilaquiles Recipe — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Bringing a skillet of chilaquiles topped with all the fixings to the table is a very wise Christmas brunch move. Start out by firing up your broiler: Lightly charring the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeños, and onion gives the green salsa terrific depth of flavor. If you don't have time to fry the tortilla chips at home, just pick up a bag of your favorite store-bought brand.

15 of 33

Aebleskivers with Raspberry Jam

Ebelskivers With Raspberry Jam — Ebelskivers With Raspberry Jam.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

These round, slightly sweet Danish pancakes are filled with jam and traditionally served at Christmas time.

16 of 33

Pesto-and-Cheese-Stuffed Brioche Scrolls with Bacon-Tomato Jam

Pesto-and-Cheese-Stuffed Brioche Scrolls with Bacon-Tomato Jam — Pesto-and-Cheese-Stuffed Brioche Scrolls with Bacon-Tomato Jam.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

These buttery pesto-and-Asiago-cheese-stuffed brioche spiraled pastries are a perfect treat for any time of day. These savory cousins to cinnamon rolls feature buttery brioche scrolls filled with nutty pesto and salty Asiago cheese. The recipe, from Timmy Gibbons and Bobby Schaffer of Chicago’s Lost Larson bakery, begins with a sweet and buttery brioche dough.

17 of 33

Make-It-Your-Own (MIYO) Tofu Scramble

Cast Iron Skillet with Tofu Scrambled Eggs Recipe — Haile Thomas / Will Coleman

"Nutritional yeast adds a rich and nutty 'cheesy' flavor, while the layering of herbs, spices, and add-ins really brings the scramble to life!" cookbook author and activist Haile Thomas writes.

18 of 33

English Muffins

English Muffins — Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Make Model Bakery's famously oversized, pillowy English muffins at home, thanks to baking expert Rick Rodgers’ The Model Bakery Cookbook.

19 of 33

Buttermilk Biscuits and Pat LaFrieda's Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits and Pat LaFrieda’s Sausage Gravy — William Hereford

Dry white wine helps cut through the richness in the gravy, bringing a balanced acidity to this hearty dish. Homemade sausage is well-seasoned and not overly sweet, so choose a savory or spicy blend if substituting for store-bought sausage.

20 of 33

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Japanese Souffle Pancakes Recipe — Gregory DuPree

The secret to high-rise soufflé pancakes is all about speed and temperature. Cold egg whites whip more slowly than room temperature ones, but they form stronger, more uniform bubbles. And, whipping them on medium speed incorporates more air. Finally, piping the batter in one swift pass allows you to create more height from the beginning without overcooking each pancake.

21 of 33

Sourdough Buttermilk Waffles

Sourdough Pancakes Waffles Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

These waffles call for sourdough starter discard — collect it in a bowl in the fridge, adding to it until you have enough for the recipe. These tangy waffles pair nicely with maple syrup.

22 of 33

Brown-Butter Banana Bread

Brown Butter Banana Bread — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

Brown butter adds a deep, caramel-like note of nutty richness to this make-ahead banana bread. To hit the proper note, 2020 F&W Best New Chef Lena Sareini insists on waiting until your bananas are extremely ripe — very speckled and mushy.

23 of 33

Buttermilk Crumpets

Buttermilk Crumpets Recipe — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Paige Grandjean / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Crisp on the outside with an airy, spongy center, crumpets are lovely hot out of the pan but also reheat beautifully in the toaster. Buttermilk helps to keep them tender and light, while spelt flour lends a nutty flavor.

24 of 33

Sesame Bagel Breakfast Casserole

Sesame Bagel Breakfast Casserole — © Christina Holmes

This breakfast-sandwich-inspired casserole with sesame bagel pieces is best assembled the night before, allowing the bread to soak up the egg custard. Simply pop in the oven the next morning and sip on mimosas while it bakes.

25 of 33

Pain au Chocolat

Pain au Chocolat — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Pain au chocolat is all about the perfect pairing of flaky, buttery pastry with rich chocolate, so you want to ensure that there's chocolate in every bite. To do so, space the batons side by side with a layer of dough in between. Tuck the dough seam under the batons to prevent unfolding during baking.

26 of 33

Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche

Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

Inspired by a foot-long quiche that chef Cedric Maupillier served at Convivial in Washington, D.C., this quiche is prepared in a rimmed baking sheet. It makes plenty for the whole crowd, yielding 12 servings total.

27 of 33

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine — © Abby Hocking

Crisp bacon bits, Gruyere cheese and sour cream flavor the rich and creamy classic quiche, which is encased in a flaky butter-based crust. The secret to this quiche's super-silky texture is the small amount of sour cream in this recipe whisked into the eggs. A flaky tart dough gives it a buttery flavor base that marries with the tender bacon-infused egg custard. Be sure to use pie weights or baking beans when you blind-bake the crust, so it holds its shape and doesn't shrink in the oven.

28 of 33

Christmas Morning Casserole

© CHRISTINA HOLMES

Chef Bryan Voltaggio loves this make-ahead dish: a classic baked bread-and-egg casserole with bites of pepperoni, mushrooms, and gooey cheese. It's as good for dinner as it is for breakfast.

29 of 33

Cranberry Gingerbread

Cranberry Gingerbread — © John Kernick

With plenty of tart and tangy fresh cranberries, this loaf is perfect sliced, spread with sweet butter and served alongside a cup of hot tea.

30 of 33

Christmas Morning Biscotti

Christmas Morning Biscotti — John Kernick

"These biscotti spiced with cocoa nibs and anise seeds are my Italian interpretation of biskotso, a Filipino twice-baked cookie I grew up eating with hot cocoa," says chef Merrin Mae Gray about these cookies.

31 of 33

Rye and Crème Fraîche Strata with Smoked Salmon

Rye and Creme Fraiche Strata with Smoked Salmon — John Kernick

In this playful riff on a bagel with cream cheese and lox, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes a custardy rye bread pudding with capers, then tops it with smoked salmon and red onion. It's warm, comforting, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

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Chocolate Cream and Orange Brioche Buns

Chocolate Cream and Orange Brioche Buns — Chocolate Cream and Orange Brioche Buns.
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

These festive, doughnut-like, buttery brioche pastries are filled with fluffy chocolate cream and orange marmalade.

33 of 33

Savory Bread Pudding

Savory Bread Pudding — © Abby Hocking

This bread pudding from chef Sohui Kim is studded with bacon and Swiss chard, plus two types of cheese — Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can prepare it up to a day in advance and then bake it the day you serve it.

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