Would-be brunchers long for an indulgent weekend meal and a bottomless mimosa. You can create that at home, where everything happens on your schedule for a lower cost. Here are 25 delicious brunch recipes to get you started, including cocktails and options for special diets.
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This decadent French toast features the battered and fried bread stuffed with fluffy mascarpone and lemon zest and topped with a peach sauce.
Recipe: Allrecipes
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Pizza for breakfast? This recipe features bacon, eggs, cheese, and herbs, but can be easily customized — add some pesto, take off the bacon, add other kinds of cheeses, whatever you want.
Recipe: Smitten Kitchen
Related: Surprising Facts About Pizza, America's Favorite Comfort Food
If there's anything that sounds better than "breakfast burgers," it's "maple aioli." Add havarti cheese, crunchy bacon, and a fried egg and we'll take two.
Recipe: How Sweet Eats
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Cinnamon rolls make a wonderful breakfast. So do doughnuts. Bring those two beauties together and pair it with freshly brewed coffee.
Recipe: Top With Cinnamon
Just because a recipe is indulgent doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. These banana pancakes are vegan, gluten free, sugar free (optional), and not all that hard to make. But they're still fluffy and satisfying.
Recipe: The Big Man's World
Based on their ubiquity, you'd think it's easy to make a great bloody mary — it's not. It's not that most recipes are hard, but they require a balancing act between salty, sour, a bit of sweetness from the tomatoes, and umami. This recipe gets it right. One reviewer calls it "the best bloody mary I have ever had."
Recipe: Food.com
If you haven't heard of a New Orleans fizz, perhaps you've heard of a Ramos gin fizz (its other name). It's a classic cocktail, invented in New Orleans by Henry C. Ramos in the late 1800s. The shaken egg white makes it fluffy; you'll know you've made it correctly if your straw can stand up in it.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
This vegan Malaysian pancake dish is protein packed, thanks to the chickpeas, and perfectly spiced. If you're more of a savory brunch eater, this may become your go-to.
Recipe: Delicious
Bacon + pumpkin + maple = magic, as evidenced in this scrumptious autumnal tart. It calls for frozen puff pastry, cutting down vastly on prep time (only 10 minutes) and is a creative and tasty brunch option.
Recipe: RecipeTin Eats
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The genius of this recipe is what makes it very easy: The bread soaks up all the sweet saucy goodness overnight, and the next morning, all you have to do is bake. The inside is custardy, offset by crispy caramelized sugar on top. And, while it feels indulgent, it's only 265 calories per slice. If you have brunchers with a gluten intolerance, simply use gluten-free bread.
Recipe: The Recipe Rebel
The ingredients for this super savory egg bake are all fairly simple, and it doesn't take much work to make. But it feels like a complicated restaurant dish — everyone will think you toiled over the stove for hours. Bonus: It reheats very well, assuming you have leftovers. (You won't.)
Recipe: The Kitchn
Chef and TV personality Carla Hall's grits recipe uses aromatics, vegetables, and herbs for extra oomph. But there's no cream — which may sound surprising but is actually quite traditional, because the creaminess associated with grits is the product of plenty of stirring, similar to risotto.
Recipe: Garden & Gun
This mouthwatering recipe calls for exactly four ingredients, including flaky sea salt. It's done in less than an hour and pairs beautifully with Champagne.
Recipe: Food & Wine
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A strata is essentially a savory bread pudding, a dish for using up leftovers. As such, it's incredibly versatile and feels much fancier than it is. It will impress those at brunch and make room in your fridge.
Recipe: Food Network
Basically, this is just an elegant open-face sandwich. But because you're using ingredients such as brioche, prosciutto, Gruyère, and frisée, it feels like something special. The recipe hails from award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, owner of A.O.C. wine bar, where it's been a menu staple since 2003.
Recipe: Food & Wine
Buttermilk pancakes, but with cream cheese in the batter and a strawberry filling. Pair with sparkling rosé and prepare to out-brunch every other brunch you've ever brunched.
Recipe: Good Housekeeping
If you have nostalgia around Pop Tarts, you'll adore this homemade version. If you don't have strawberry or raspberry jam, most other fruit jams would be lovely.
Recipe: Good Housekeeping
Shakshuka, basically baked eggs in a spiced tomato sauce, is a popular Middle Eastern dish that can be enjoyed really any time of day. This recipe includes plenty of tips for nailing it, including avoiding a cast-iron skillet and adding tomato paste for richer flavor.
Recipe: Cookie + Kate
There are few brunch pastries more charming than a simple cream scone. This no-frills version includes some tasty variations, including double ginger, cinnamon chocolate, and lemon rosemary.
Recipe: Bon Appétit
For a quick culinary trip to France, whip up these fruity crepes. You can even make the crepe batter ahead and keep it in your fridge for up to two days. Simply stir before using.
Recipe: Country Living
This coffee cake is originally from Bon Appétit Test Kitchen contributor Jessie Damuck's grandmother, Kathy, and is both a family favorite and one of Bon Appétit's "essential" recipes. It also can be made up to three days ahead.
Recipe: Bon Appétit
This charming summery punch, with a base of sparkling rosé and strawberry lemonade, will likely be the first thing to go at your brunch. Make sure to put some aside for yourself before that happens.
Recipe: Country Living
Not only is this colorful and flavor-packed, but also vegan. Feel free to sub in favorite fruits or nuts, and dried fruit can be replaced with fresh fruit. Soy yogurt can be replaced for coconut yogurt or dairy yogurt. Think of the recipe as a delicious template and let your imagination be your guide.
Recipe: Discover Delicious via Izzy’s Wellness
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A cross between a White Russian and a Thai iced coffee, this recipe is based on John Goodman's character in "The Big Lebowski." Featuring blackstrap rum, cold brew coffee, chocolate bitters and more, this coffee cocktail will become a brunch favorite.
Recipe: Saveur
Instead of smoked salmon, this genius vegan "lox" sandwich features roasted and marinated carrots, vegan cream cheese, capers, and fresh dill. After the carrots are roasted, a vegetable peeler is used to make thin strips placed in a briny marinade. Leftover carrot lox can be stored in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
Recipe: My Darling Vegan