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35 Brunch Recipes for Pulling Off the Homemade Brunch of Your Dreams

35 Brunch Recipes for Pulling Off the Homemade Brunch of Your Dreams

By Food & Wine

Updated February 26, 2021

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

Whether your go-to order is a simple omelet or a stack of pancakes, it’s easy to create a restaurant-worthy brunch spread at home. We’ve gathered some of our favorite recipes here, from sweet, flaky pain au chocolat to eggs benny toast, a spin on the classic eggs Benedict. With over 30 to choose from, you’ll have plenty to fill your menu.

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Pecan-Plantain Sticky Buns

Pastry chef Paola Velez created these pecan-covered treats as a tribute to her Dominican mom’s love of both plantains and sticky buns. The soft, ripe plantain gets cooked down to a smooth filling with a touch of brown sugar and a slew of spices, including not only cinnamon and vanilla but also black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger for added depth.

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Tater Tot Waffles with Smoked Salmon and Caviar

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Credit: © Eva Kolenko

Here, Jen Pelka tops tater tot waffles with caviar and smoked salmon, creating a delicious and decadent dish that’s ideal with Champagne.

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Ratatouille Toasts with Fried Eggs

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This is an ideal make-ahead brunch recipe; the luscious ratatouille tastes even better when made the day before.

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Butternut Squash and Kale Strata with Multigrain Bread

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Credit: Con Poulos

This is a terrific make-ahead breakfast strata from baker and pastry chef Zoe Nathan, who uses multigrain bread to add a distinct flavor to the satisfying casserole.

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Brioche with Prosciutto, Gruyère and Egg

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Credit: © JOHNNY MILLER

"I love a good frisée salad," says Suzanne Goin. "And of course I love toasted, buttery bread, with big slabs of melted cheese and prosciutto and an egg on top." Her sumptuous open-face sandwich, a staple at her A.O.C. wine bar since the place opened in Los Angeles in 2003, combines all her favorite things.

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Arugula-Endive Salad with Honeyed Pine Nuts

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Credit: © Quentin Bacon

This salad reinvents the classic combination of blue cheese and honey with crumbled Maytag blue and a crunchy, brittle-like garnish made from honey and pine nuts. Pine nuts have a subtle flavor that goes especially well with milder honeys, but other nuts, like pecans and walnuts, work nicely here, too.

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Glazed Lemon-Ginger Scones

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Credit: Con Poulos

Aimee Olexy’s lemony, cream-based scones are light, moist and laced with pieces of chewy candied ginger.

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Ham and Sausage Strata

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The strata needs to be refrigerated for at least four hours or overnight before baking, so plan accordingly.

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Homefries with Jalapeños

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Credit: Â© Fredrika StjÃ¤rne

Fresh jalapeño slices add a kick to these homefries, along with cumin seeds and red onion.

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Glazed Cinnamon Rolls with Pecan Swirls

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Baking these cinnamon rolls in big batches makes the effort worth it—they take time but are so satisfying.

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Homemade Bagels

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The trick to these crisp, chewy bagels is the poolish, a fermentation starter (also known as a mother dough) made with bread flour, yeast and water. It is quickly assembled the night before the bagels are made.

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Open-Face Egg and Griddled Ham Breakfast Sandwiches

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Credit: © Nicole Franzen

F&W's Justin Chapple poaches a dozen eggs at once in a muffin pan in the oven, making his cute and tasty breakfast sliders extraordinarily easy to prepare for entertaining.

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Blueberry Dutch Baby

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Credit: © Eva Kolenko

Cookbook author Ben Mims uses pomegranate juice to sweeten the batter for this light and berry-rich pancake.

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Asparagus-and-Zucchini Frittata

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Credit: © John Kernick

Chef Chris Behr’s versatile frittata with crisp spring vegetables can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Serve for brunch with an accompanying platter of crusty bread, fresh fruit, cheese and salumi, or for lunch with a green salad.

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Quinoa Egg Bowl  with Pecorino 

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Credit: © John Kernick

Cookbook author Melissa Clark takes inspiration from Caesar salad in this quinoa bowl, which includes a soft runny egg and a lemony, cheese-spiked dressing. It’s one of the best grain bowls we’ve ever had.

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Maple-Bacon Popovers

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Credit: Victor Protasio

“Preheat the pan in the oven—that step is key to the popover’s dramatic rise,” Gail Simmons writes.

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Zucchini Muffins with Coconut-Cashew Streusel

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Credit: Jen Causey

Zucchini muffins get a tropical makeover thanks to an easy stir-together coconut-cashew streusel topping punched up with a lime-and–coconut milk glaze. Grated zucchini keeps the muffins extra-moist and tender, while cardamom adds a nice citrusy, floral note.

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Boursin Omelet

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Credit: Victor Protasio

This beautifully basic omelet is the sleeper hit of chef Michael Tusk’s French-inflected bar à vin menu at Verjus in San Francisco. An homage to his love of dairy, spreadable garlic-herb cheese melts richly into the creamy center of the tender eggs. While it makes for a delicious and satisfying breakfast, this omelet is best with some crusty baguette, a crisp salad, and a glass of Chardonnay.

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Pain au Chocolat

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Pain au chocolat, sometimes referred to as a chocolate croissant, means chocolate bread—and this recipe ensures that there’s chocolate in every bite.

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Potatoes Benedict with Make-Ahead Poached Eggs

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Credit: Jennifer Causey

“In this take on eggs Benedict, crispy potato rounds are a fun, gluten-free substitute for the everyday English muffins,” Justin Chapple writes. “A combination of extra-virgin olive oil and butter gives the potatoes incredible flavor and a golden, crunchy crust that provides the best-ever canvass for poached eggs. My favorite accompaniment is a hollandaise that’s laced with assertive horseradish.”

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Bloody Maria with Carrot-Papaya “Sangrita”

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Credit: Anna Stockwell

Bartender Ivy Mix, owner of the tequila cocktail bar Leyenda in Brooklyn, bases her take on a Bloody Maria (a Bloody Mary made with tequila instead of vodka) on the Sangrita, a traditionally tomato-based Mexican drink that often accompanies shots of tequila. Mix’s version features carrot and papaya juice for a light and fruity accent, making her cocktail ideal for brunch or mid-afternoon sipping.

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Brown-Butter Banana Bread

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Credit: 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 decadent 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. “Be patient,” she says. “That’s the only way the banana flavor is going to show through.” For an easy next-level topping, make this Banana-Caramel Sauce.

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Carrot Cake Marmalade with Yogurt and Fresh Fruit

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

At Molly’s Rise and Shine in New Orleans, diners rave about the yogurt bowl topped with sunny roasted carrot marmalade. This take on chef Mason Hereford’s marmalade gets big flavor from stewing carrots and apple with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise for a warmly spiced result.

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Escarole Shakshuka

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Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Eggs poached in a savory sauce are livened up with the addition of silky, sweet escarole and tangy feta. A deliciously bright addition to your breakfast or brunch spread, serve with crusty bread or toast for sopping.

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Crispy Skillet Latke with Kale

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

For Ashkenazi Jews (those hailing from Central and Eastern Europe), latkes are the heart and soul of Hanukkah. Instead of frying batches of traditional pancakes, here the whole lot of shredded potato batter is pressed into a sizzling frying pan and finished in the oven. The oversized pancake emerges golden with a tender center and crackly shoestring curls around the perimeter. To amp this dish up for brunch, serve it topped with lox.

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Oaxacan Coffee

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Credit: Victor Protasio

With a float of whipped cream and just enough sweetness to temper the bitter coffee and herbal notes in the mezcal, this spiked coffee cocktail is well-balanced and fortifying.

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Polenta Dutch Baby with Ham and Swiss

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Credit: 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.

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Egg in a Bagel Hole

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Credit: The Ingalls

Adding water to the skillet helps cook the eggs evenly without burning the bagel halves, resulting in a lightly toasted bagel wrapped around a perfectly runny yolk. Savory smoked salmon and creamy avocado complete this classic breakfast.

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Crispy Cheese Burritos with Chorizo and Eggs

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

When Richard Chang was chef and owner of Tacos La Tehuanita truck in Los Angeles, he wowed crowds with his burnt-cheese-roll taco, made by griddling cheese until crisp and rolling it up around various fillings. This version pairs chorizo-studded black beans and eggs with creamy avocado for richness.

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Earl Grey Tea Bread

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Credit: Victor Protasio

“Tea loaves have roots that branch out across Britain and Ireland, from Irish barmbrack to Welsh bara brith and Yorkshire tea bread,” Ruby Tandoh writes. “There are purists in all corners and plenty of debate about which version is best, but the basic premise remains the same wherever you go: strong tea is used to make a silky, only lightly sweet cake batter, often with spices, which is then baked into a hearty loaf with dried fruit. In this version, Earl Grey tea, along with the addition of a little orange zest, brings a welcome aromatic edge, which I’m especially fond of at this grey time of year.”

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Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

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Credit: 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.

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Eggs Benny Toast

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Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Paige Grandjean / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

The secret to this super-simple eggs Benedict? Cornstarch. It stabilizes the emulsion in the hollandaise, helping to prevent the sauce from breaking while it cooks over direct heat. Easier than poaching, gently steaming eggs results in delicately tender whites and smooth, creamy yolks.

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

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Credit: 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!” Haile Thomas writes.

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Sourdough Pancakes with Maple-Molasses Strawberries

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

At Little Goat Diner in Chicago, 2011 F&W Best New Chef Stephanie Izard makes fluffy pancakes using sourdough starter and tops them with oat streusel and fruit. Here, we use molasses-steeped strawberries, making a breakfast that’s balanced with sour, sweet, and bitter flavors.

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Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche

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Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

At Convivial in Washington, D.C., Cedric Maupillier’s foot-long quiche takes this breakfast classic to the next level. This version, prepared in a rimmed baking sheet, makes plenty for the whole family.

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