40 Best Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes

If you grew up celebrating Christmas, then you know that the holiday is defined not only by good cheer, amazing sweaters, and lots of presents, but also by — typically — a seemingly never-ending parade of delicious food. From the Christmas dinner table groaning with roasted stuffed turkey, baked ham, and mashed potatoes; to holiday cookie swaps overflowing with shortbread, chocolate crinkles, and gingerbread; to global traditions such as the Feast of the Seven Fishes, there's certainly no shortage of food over the Christmas holiday. 

Ideally, these gastronomic celebrations also include a festive Christmas Day breakfast that can be enjoyed before, during, or after unwrapping all those fun presents, a morning feast defined by indulgent dishes that embody the spirit of the season. Here, then, are some of our favorite breakfast recipes for Christmas morning, from fluffy panettone French toast to rich eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. 'Tis the season to get cooking!

All around the globe, Christmas meals typically feature some kind of fruitcake, and Italy's offering to the world is panettone, a light, fluffy, sky-high yeasted bread that's packed with liqueur-soaked dried cherries, currants, and orange peel. 

Frequently given as gifts over the holidays, panettones can start to pile up in the kitchen — which is when it's time to make panettone French toast. This version features thick slices of the sweet bread soaked in a rich custard, griddled in plenty of butter, heaped with orange-scented whipped cream, and drizzled with maple syrup and chopped pecans.

Recipe: Panettone French Toast

Lest you think that casseroles are only served at dinner time, this breakfast strata, which layers sliced bread, chopped ham, and grated Swiss and cheddar cheeses, is here to change your tune. 

Bound with an eggy custard that needs to soak in overnight before baking and being topped with a crunchy finale of butter-toasted corn flakes, the ooey-gooey casserole is perfect for preparing on Christmas Eve, as it can be popped into the oven on Christmas morning for a filling, no-fuss breakfast.

Recipe: Ham And Cheese Strata

Although traditionally a Jewish recipe, with origins in Eastern Europe, there's certainly no way that a rich, cinnamon-scented babka would be amiss on the Christmas breakfast table. 

Made from a buttery yeasted dough that's then braided together with a brown sugar-sweetened cinnamon filling, the babka emerges from the oven fluffy, richly scented, and just crying out for a companion mug of hot coffee. Think of the bread as the Jewish version of cinnamon rolls.

Recipe: Traditional Cinnamon Babka

If you love fluffy, starchy breakfast treats such as popovers and pancakes, then you'll certainly love a Dutch baby, which is basically a cross between the two. To make this big pancake that's crispy on its edges and puffy and soft in its middle, you start by preheating a cast iron skillet in the oven until it's screeching hot. Then, you add plenty of butter and pour in a batter made from eggs, milk, ricotta cheese, and just a touch of flour to hold it all together. 

Once baked, the impressively puffy pancake will start to deflate, so quickly garnish it with your choice of fresh fruit, powdered sugar, and syrups, and serve immediately — to a chorus of oohs and aahs.

Recipe: Fluffy Dutch Baby

While the dish might not be the first one that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, chilaquiles — that Mexican breakfast preparation of tortilla chips or fried strips of tortillas that are simmered in either red or green salsa — actually makes a great choice for Christmas morning. 

This green version heaped high with tangy crema, mild cotija cheese, sliced avocado, a fried egg, and plenty of fresh cilantro is not only delicious, it's an effective hangover helper if you happened to overindulge at Christmas Eve dinner.

Recipe: Homemade Chilaquiles

If you're one of those people who can never decide between eggs, hash browns, and sausage when you hit up the diner for breakfast, then this rich, jam-packed breakfast casserole is for you. Layers of cooked breakfast sausage, frozen shredded hash browns, shredded cheeses, and sliced green onions are bound together in a baking dish with sour cream-enriched beaten eggs.

The casserole emerges from the oven puffy, golden, and warm — and it can be made up to two whole days in advance and stored in the fridge until you're ready to bake, making it a perfect, no-fuss option for Christmas morning.

Recipe: Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Who doesn't love tucking into a warm, fluffy muffin in the morning — preferably accompanied by a hot mug of coffee or cocoa? These festive muffins packed with seasonal winter fruit — Bartlett pears and jewel-red cranberries, to be exact — are warmly spiced with ginger and black pepper. 

Think of them as a cross between a fruit muffin and gingerbread — just the Christmassy ticket for a leisurely morning spent unwrapping presents.

Recipe: Spiced Cranberry Muffins

If there's anything better than a white bread sandwich spread with creamy, chocolatey Nutella, then it's got to be one that's soaked in custard and then fried in butter. 

That's essentially how this stuffed French toast is made, and the result is an oozy, richly indulgent version of the classic that cries out for a dusting of powdered sugar and some sliced fresh fruit.

Recipe: Nutella French Toast

If you've ever dipped a spoon into the hot, savory Chinese rice porridge known variously as jook and congee, then you know how satisfying this homey, simple dish can be. A basic rice and stock (or water) porridge that's cooked until loose and soupy, congee is typically topped with a range of ingredients, from sliced scallions to dried shrimp to salted duck eggs (via Unfamiliar China).

In this case, the mild congee is crowned with soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallions, and a soft-boiled egg, and it makes a homey Christmas morning breakfast that can be set out family style for folks to serve and top to their liking.

Recipe: Classic Congee

Monkey bread is a pull-apart bread that's made by rolling small portions of dough in cinnamon sugar, piling them in a bundt pan, and then dousing them with a buttery brown sugar sauce. As the dough balls rise and expand in the oven, they fuse into a whole, but each ball essentially remains doused in its very own portion of icing. Once inverted and served, folks pick apart the bread with their hands — like monkeys, presumably — making the bread a fun, communal experience that's perfect for Christmas morning with the family. 

This version gilds the lily by using pre-made refrigerated cinnamon rolls, which produces a delicious double-cinnamon effect, and gets glazed with the rolls' reserved icing while still warm.

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread

If you've ever eaten at the American comfort food chain Cracker Barrel, then chances are you've encountered its signature hashbrown casserole, a mix of shredded potatoes and onions that's heartily seasoned and baked in the oven with shredded Colby cheese. 

Here, Tasting Table recipe developer Cecilia Ryu takes inspiration from that hearty dish, mixing in sour cream and cream of chicken soup for an extra-rich, extra-creamy result. Utilizing frozen shredded hash browns and bagged shredded cheddar, the casserole comes together quickly and can easily be made among the Christmas morning hubbub.

Recipe: Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

If you love soft, fluffy pancakes fresh from the griddle but you don't eat gluten, then you'll want to add this simple recipe to your arsenal — stat. 

A basic mix of gluten-free flour, xanthan gum for stability, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk, the pancakes are griddled in butter before being served with your choice of fresh fruit, yogurt, maple syrup, and other classic pancake toppings.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pancakes

Is there any sweet treat more emblematic of the cold winter months than an apple cider doughnut? A variation well known to residents of the northeastern United States, where the cinnamon sugar-dusted doughnuts are a farmers market mainstay, apple cider doughnuts are scented with warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and typically feature an apple cider reduction as part of their wet ingredients. 

This recipe from the test kitchen ups the apple ante not once, but twice, incorporating jammy apple butter into the doughnuts and serving the warm fritters with a warm homemade caramel sauce made with even more apple cider.

Recipe: Apple Cider Doughnuts

A white, fluffy sandwich bread that's popular in Japan, milk bread began to take the United States by storm around 2018, according to Bon Appétit. Readily available in Asian specialty food stores, milk bread is the star of Tasting Table recipe developer Eric Ngo's easy take on French toast. 

In it, slices of the mild, enriched bread are soaked in a vanilla-scented custard, griddled in butter, and served with whipped cream, strawberries, and maple syrup. Coming together in just 10 minutes, it's a nice, quick option for a jam-packed Christmas morning.

Recipe: Milk Bread French Toast

Hash is a pretty delicious breakfast option, typically combining potatoes, onions, and any leftover meat you might have kicking around into a rich, crispy fry-up. 

This Mexican-inspired take incorporates green bell pepper, Fresno chile, and pork chorizo, which are fried with the potatoes and onions until the dish is crispy yet tender, then finished with lime juice and fresh cilantro. Eggs are then cooked right into the hash until the whites are just set, and breakfast is served.

Recipe: Chorizo Hash And Eggs

Christmas morning makes us think of fresh-from-the-oven goodies and steaming cups of coffee and hot chocolate — and for that delicious vision, ooey-gooey homemade cinnamon rolls are just the thing. 

These classic yeasted rolls spiraled with buttery, cinnamon-scented brown sugar are definitely a bit labor-intensive, so if you want to enjoy them on Christmas morning, it's a good idea to make and slice the rolls, fit them into the baking pan, and let them rise. From there, they can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before heading to the oven for their 20-minute bake time.

Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

How delicious is a cannoli, that rich Sicilian dessert of a crispy fried pastry shell stuffed with rich, sweetened ricotta cheese folded with chopped chocolate and orange zest? Pretty darn delicious, and more than welcome at breakfast time when it's layered between warm, fluffy pancakes. 

That's the approach Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone takes in this breakfast-meets-dessert — spreading a ricotta-and-mascarpone, cannoli-inspired sweetened filling between a stack of freshly griddled pancakes and then topping the whole thing with whipped cream. It's an indulgent way to kick Christmas morning off right.

Recipe: Cannoli Pancakes

You might be used to coffee cake strewn with pecan- or walnut-packed streusel, but have you ever tried a version that works nuts right into the batter? That's what this soft, rich cake does, featuring a cup of almond flour in the cake batter along with the usual suspects of all purpose flour and sugar. 

Layered with a non-nut streusel of butter, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, you could call this dessert a reverse coffee cake — one that's super tasty alongside a warm mug of java.

Recipe: Nutty Coffee Cake

If you've ever grabbed a roasted red pepper egg white bite to enjoy alongside your Starbucks Americano, then you're already familiar with the idea of breakfast cups, which feature whole scrambled eggs or egg whites and are packed with flavorings from roasted veggies to shredded cheese. 

This version from Tasting Table recipe developer Susan Olayinka goes healthy and nutritious, folding chopped tomato, spinach, and bell pepper into beaten egg whites and baking the mix in a mini muffin tin. The little bites would be perfect for a Christmas morning spread alongside fruit salad and toast.

Recipe: Egg White Breakfast Cups

If you've been snowed in under a Christmas blizzard, then you might want to while away the long hours working on these elaborate — and delicious — homemade croissants. 

To make the flaky pastries we usually buy in a bakery, you'll create a yeasted dough, then "laminate" it by folding and rolling it with plenty of unsalted butter. Once laminated, the dough is rolled out super-thin, cut into triangles, and then rolled into a croissant shape starting from the wide end. The croissants are brushed with egg wash, baked until golden and deliciously fragrant, cooled, and then served.

Recipe: Croissants

Gingerbread? Love it. Granola? Love that, too. This unexpected granola fuses the best of those two classics, uniting rolled oats, chopped walnuts and pecans, and slivered almonds with a slick, sweet coating of coconut oil and maple syrup that also calls in gingerbread in the form of molasses and ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

Once mixed, baked, and cooled, the granola is cut with dried cranberries, and its holiday flavors make a perfect breakfast buffet addition for Christmas morning.

Recipe: Best Gingerbread Granola

Generally fairly simple and make-ahead-friendly, breakfast casseroles become even more hands-off when they're made in the slow cooker overnight while you sleep. 

That's the idea behind this eggy hash brown, breakfast sausage, and shredded cheddar version from Tasting Table recipe developer Erin Johnson. The whole shebang is loaded into the slow cooker in the evening, then the machine is set to low for eight hours as it slowly cooks the casserole to fragrant, steamy perfection. On Christmas morning, in the midst of unwrapping presents and mixing Bloody Marys, all you'll have to do is open the slow cooker and spoon out portions of the delicious dish.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

If you love the delightfully thin, tender French pancakes known as crepes, but you've been too intimidated by batter-making and pan-swirling to attempt them, then this recipe is for you. 

A straightforward mix of flour, eggs, milk, and butter, the runny batter is poured into a buttered nonstick skillet, cooked for about two minutes a side, then served with your choice of traditional fillings that get rolled inside — such as yogurt, honey, fresh fruit, Nutella, peanut butter, or a classic combo of sugar and lemon juice that melts together inside the crepe. 

A key point of the recipe is chilling the prepared crepe dough for between one and 24 hours for a more tender result, so during the holiday flurry you can quickly throw the batter together, chuck it in the fridge, and forget about it until Christmas morning.

Recipe: Easy Crepes

If low-and-slow scrambled eggs folded with sweet caramelized onions and tender, salty smoked salmon sounds good to you, then you'll love this L.E.O. — lox, eggs, and onions — recipe from Gabe Kennedy, the 2015 winner of ABC's cooking competition "The Taste." 

Finished with chives, Aleppo pepper, and flaky salt, it's a beautiful, Christmas-appropriate elevation of a plain ol' egg scramble.

Recipe: L.E.O. (Lox, Eggs, And Onions)

In case you were under the impression that cinnamon rolls couldn't get any more indulgent, then these fluffy bright-pink rolls — made from a box of red velvet cake mix, natch — are here to change your mind. 

That boxed mix is beaten in a mixer with instant yeast, all-purpose flour, and water, left to rise, and then rolled out into a big rectangle. The dough is spread with a standard cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter filling, rolled into a log, sliced into rolls, then baked nestled all together in a dish. The pièce de résistance? A homemade cream cheese icing, which is slathered all over the rolls while they're still warm.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls

As seen earlier with the L.E.O. recipe, eggs and lox are a match made in heaven, the salinity of the latter standing firm against the richness of the former. 

In the case of eggs Benedict, the salty lox are even more welcome as a contrast to the creamy drape of hollandaise sauce and the fatty, runny egg yolk. Served atop English muffins, of course, and sprinkled with chopped fresh chives, this indulgent Benedict is the perfect option for a Christmas Day brunch.

Recipe: Eggs Benedict With Salmon

Typically thicker than their standard counterparts, with deeper "pockets" left by the specialized waffle iron (via Belgian Boys), Belgian waffles are an extra-special treat that are particularly well-suited to soaking up rich toppings such as melted butter, whipped cream, and syrup. 

This straightforward recipe from Tasting Table recipe developer Kristen Carli comes together in just a few minutes, creating crisp-but-fluffy waffles that are perfect for accompanying strips of crisp bacon and fresh fruit.

Recipe: Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

We all know how delicious rich cinnamon rolls are, but we also know that the pastries are loaded with butter, eggs, and milk, making them not the best choice for vegans. 

That's where this vegan version comes to the plant-based rescue, leaving out the eggs and utilizing vegan butter and oat milk. They're a great option for anyone at Christmas breakfast who isn't eating animal products.

Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Mexican "ranch-style" eggs that are typically cooked in a tomato-based salsa and served with refried beans, huevos rancheros is a filling dish that can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. 

In her version, recipe developer Catherine Brookes goes for an onion- and red bell pepper-accented sauce, into which she folds drained canned black beans, scenting the sauce with cumin, paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. The hearty, subtly spicy dish is perfect for scooping up with warm tortillas or crunchy tortilla chips.

Recipe: 1-Pan Huevos Rancheros

It's truly difficult to imagine croissants ever remaining uneaten after breakfast or brunch, but if that's the (unprecedented) position you find yourself in, you can use up those leftover pastries in this rich, delicious breakfast casserole. 

To make it, torn croissants are scattered over the bottom of a buttered casserole dish, then soaked in an eggy custard base flavored with crisped pancetta and sautéed onions. The whole is topped with shredded cheese, which creates a rich crust in the oven. 

Best of all, the casserole is make ahead-friendly, so you can pop it in the fridge the night before Christmas and bake it off in the morning.

Recipe: Croissant Breakfast Casserole

If there's a more winter-appropriate muffin variety than this orange- and vanilla-scented treat packed with tart whole cranberries, then we certainly can't think of it. 

These fluffy, easy-to-make muffins from Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone are an excellent choice for a Christmas morning breakfast, studded with soft, bright-red fruit and finished with a drizzle of orangey glaze.

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Muffins

One of those egg dishes that is almost endlessly versatiles, frittatas can feature a multitude of ingredients, from mushrooms to purple potatoes to all types of cheeses. But a classic version is undoubtedly spinach, and this one adds sautéed shallots and garlic as well as fresh goat cheese to the mix, too. 

Since frittatas can easily be made ahead of time, you can prepare the dish a day or two in advance and tuck into it on Christmas morning.

Recipe: Easy Spinach Frittata

There's something beguiling about brown butter, which is simply butter that's cooked until the milk solids start to caramelize a bit. When they do, they bring a nutty, toasty flavor to whatever dish the butter is starring in, from chocolate chip cookies to a tropical rum cocktail to this lovely, moist banana bread. 

Along with the sour cream that's stirred into the batter, the brown butter brings deep richness to this simple quick bread, which can be made plain or with typical banana bread add-ins such as chopped nuts or chocolate.

Recipe: Brown Butter Banana Bread

Bacon and eggs go together like peanut butter and jelly, like bread and butter, like hot cocoa and marshmallows — so it's no wonder these two superstars join forces on our plates so very often. 

This cheesy egg bake is a worthwhile one to add to the bacon-and-egg rotation, featuring plenty of whisked eggs that are shot through with chopped bacon, shredded cheddar, and a sauté of onions, peppers, and spinach. Once baked, it can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's a good make-ahead option for a busy Christmas morning.

Recipe: Cheesy Bacon Egg Bake

If you're having trouble deciding between banana bread and pancakes for breakfast, then these sweet, fluffy banana pancakes could be just the ticket. Made from a simple batter featuring mashed ripe bananas, buttermilk, coconut oil, and maple syrup, the pancakes are griddled and then served warm with additional sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Recipe: Fluffy Banana Pancakes

In another breakfast-dessert mashup of two classics, this absolutely indulgent cinnamon roll bread pudding tempts with its warm aromas of butter, yeast, and cinnamon. 

To make it, start with a can of prepared refrigerated cinnamon rolls, bake the rolls, and then cut them into pieces before adding them to a mixing bowl along with chopped pecans. Then, fold in a rich custard made with milk, eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla, allowing the cinnamon rolls to soak it up. Finally, this mixture is tipped into a greased baking pan, baked, and then drizzled with a quick icing while it's still warm. Who could say no?

Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

If rich, custardy egg dishes are among your favorites at breakfast, then you need to add a classic quiche Lorraine to your lineup.

This seasoned egg, milk, and heavy cream mixture is poured into a deep pie dish lined with premade pie crust. Batons of thick-cut bacon are added in there as well, lending their salty, porky goodness to the finished product. Once sliced, the quiche is wonderful next to a simple green salad.

Recipe: Easy Quiche Lorraine

Count us among those eggnog fiends who want to tip the cool, creamy, rum-scented beverage into everything come Christmastime — from bundt cake to cheesecake to ice cream. 

If you feel the same way about eggnog, then you'll want to put it to use in this French toast casserole, which takes cubed brioche bread, packs it into a greased baking dish, and soaks it with a rich custard featuring — of course — prepared eggnog, plus nutmeg and vanilla. Once the custard soaks in, the bread pudding is topped with a simple streusel and then baked, emerging soft on the inside and crisp, nutty, and sugary on top. 

This is a great make-ahead recipe, as the bread has to soak for at least 4 hours and up to overnight, so you can prepare it on Christmas Eve and put it in the oven on Christmas morning.

Recipe: Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Judging by this list, it seems like Christmas is the season for mashups, and this cross between pecan pie and muffins doesn't disappoint.

Tasting Table recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings all the flavors of the classic holiday dessert to muffin form, creating a dense, jam-packed treat packed with chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, and molasses. As a bonus for those on special diets, the muffins are naturally gluten-free, and can be easily made vegan using dairy-free chocolate and flax eggs.

Recipe: Pecan Pie Muffins

Everyone needs a quick, easy, and delicious pancake recipe in their back pocket, and we're convinced that this version from Tasting Table recipe developer Alexandra Shytsman is just that recipe. 

Working all-purpose flour, baking powder, sea salt, milk, and egg into a lightning-fast batter, the fluffy, tender pancakes are griddled in neutral oil and then topped with your choices of fixin's, from maple syrup to fresh fruit to nut butter.

Recipe: Easy Pancakes