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Christmas morning can be filled with anticipation and excitement, and what better way to kick it off than with an impressive brunch spread? Our festive recipe roundup hits all the mouthwatering notes from sweet to savory: Try a spanakopita-inspired quiche or sour cherry scones, sausage-stuffed rosemary biscuits or spongy crumpets. Read on for those recipes and more dishes you can add to your Christmas brunch menu.
Lobster Eggs Benedict
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
Elevate an already luxurious dish by adding fresh lobster to eggs Benedict for the perfect holiday brunch indulgence. We like to use toast here to accommodate all the lobster in a single layer.
Croissant Breakfast Casserole with Lemon Curd and Berries
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Tricia Manzanero / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Stuffed with lemon curd and cream cheese and baked in a cardamom-infused custard, this elegant breakfast casserole makes use of day-old croissants in the tastiest way possible.
Feta and Spinach Potato Crust Quiche
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This spanakopita-inspired quiche from F&W recipe developer Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman packs eggs, spinach, and tangy feta cheese into a smashed potato crust.
Ginger Spice Cake
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
A no-brainer for your Christmas brunch spread, Nashville baker Jennifer Latham’s tender spice cake comes together easily in the blender. She mixes dark molasses into the batter and garnishes each slice with candied ginger and pomegranate to make the seasonal staple extra-special.
Cinnamon-Apple Babka
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This incredible apple babka is like a giant cinnamon bun stuffed with apple pie and baked in a cast-iron skillet, complete with caramelized edges and a snow-white glaze.
Iron Skillet Cornbread with Grapefruit
Crispy fried beluga lentils are sprinkled atop blue cornbread slathered in a jalapeño-onion spread and lined with ruby red grapefruit segments for this holiday-worthy brunch dish.
Orange-Cardamom Morning Buns
Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Sticky, gooey, and not too sweet, these orange‑cardamom morning buns bring warm spice and bright citrus to your holiday table. Soft, buttery dough swirled with fragrant filling makes them a festive and cozy treat for Christmas brunch.
Rosemary Biscuits with Sausage and Cheese
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
Golden, flaky rosemary-laced biscuits are speckled with shredded cheddar, then split while warm and stuffed with bold blue cheese and savory duck or lamb sausage for a satisfying bite every time.
Swiss Chard Frittata
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Minty yogurt and earthy Swiss chard make this frittata a tangy, creamy, and satisfying addition to your brunch menu. The ingredients can be prepped ahead of time for easy assembly later on, or the already-baked frittata can be gently reheated.
Sour Cherry Scones and Ginger-Marmalade Cream
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren Mcanelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
Dried sour cherries and a bit of ground cardamom give these sophisticated yet simple cream scones their unique flavor. Serve them with clouds of gingery whipped cream for a memorable Christmas morning treat.
Double-Baked Three-Cheese Soufflés
Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Props Styling by Breanna Ghazali
Serve up a platter of rich, cheesy soufflés without the stress — these are designed to fall after their first stint in the oven. Once cool, they’re drizzled with cream, sprinkled with Gruyère, and baked again until puffed and golden.
Shakshuka (Tomato-Pepper Stew with Poached Eggs and Harissa)
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
Michael Solomonov’s paprika-tinged stew is packed with bell pepper, onion, and tomato, all simmered together with a touch of smoky harissa for gentle heat. Finished with a shower of fresh herbs and rich poached eggs, this dish begs to be scooped up with warm pita or crusty bread.
Cheesy and Creamy Hashbrown Casserole
Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Studded with onion and red bell pepper and enriched with sour cream and cheddar, this chive-topped hash brown casserole is a low-lift dish that will likely be one of the first things to disappear from your brunch spread.
Crêpe Monsieur
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Milwaukee chef Joe Muench’s playful crêpe riff on a croque monsieur sandwich features a filling of nutty, rich Alpine-style cheese and savory pieces of ham. Each crêpe is garnished with a drizzle of a zippy Dijonnaise sauce and chopped dill pickles for a balancing, tangy bite.
Orange Soufflé Coffee Cake
James Ransom / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Ruth Reichl’s airy bundt cake is fragrant with orange and draped in silky chocolate, a sweet, delicate treat that’s right at home on the Christmas morning table.
Overnight French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans
Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Irresistibly custardy and nearly effortless, this make-ahead French toast is perfectly accented with tart, juicy cranberries and crunchy pecans; add a touch of bourbon to the egg mixture if you’re feeling fancy.
Wild Mushroom and Swiss Dutch Baby
Liz Mervosh makes this puffy pancake extra-savory with grated Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, topping it with wild mushrooms, shallot, and arugula. The Food & Wine Test Kitchen shares how to make the Dutch baby rise like a pro.
Buttermilk Crumpets
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer and Paige Grandjean / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
“What makes a crumpet a crumpet are the unique holes throughout the finished product, which form during cooking as a result of the leavening process,” says F&W’s Melanie Hansche. “It affords a texture that’s chewy and a little spongy on the inside, crispy on the bottom. The sponginess is instrumental in soaking up butter, which is the crumpet’s inherent purpose.”
Brown-Butter Pancakes with Sheet Pan Berry Syrup
Andrea Slonecker infuses this batter with toasty browned butter to fry up on the griddle into fluffy, lacy-edged flapjacks. Her super-fast sheet pan fruit syrup comes together in minutes.
Huevos Rabo de Mestiza (Poached Eggs in Tomato-Poblano Rajas Sauce)
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Cookbook author Pati Jinich combines charred poblanos, canned tomatoes, and sautéed onions to make a thick sauce that cradles the eggs as they poach. Garnish with queso fresco and cilantro, then serve immediately with corn tortillas for a hearty brunch dish that’s ready to eat in less than an hour.
Aebleskivers with Raspberry Jam
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Round, pillowy, and slightly sweet, these tiny jam-filled Danish pancakes are a Christmastime tradition. You’ll need a cast-iron aebleskiver pan to make them.
Breakfast Egg Cups with Parsley Gremolata and Mushrooms
These elegant, savory herb-topped eggs bake up in a muffin pan, so it’s easy to make brunch for a group. Use a semisoft cheese like Brie or Taleggio, which stays creamy when baked.
Brown Butter–Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Eva Kolenko
Toasty brown butter enriches both the cinnamon filling and icing for these decadent cinnamon rolls from F&W food editor Paige Grandjean.
Kale Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Brighten up your holiday table with this hearty kale salad. A vibrant whole-lemon vinaigrette brings a burst of fresh citrus to the combo of shaved brussels sprouts and curly kale. Thin Honeycrisp apple matchsticks add refreshing sweetness, while toasted pecans contribute a rich, crunchy finish.
Bakewell Coffee Cake
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Inspired by the classic English tart, Cheryl Slocum swirls rich frangipane and vibrant cherry preserves into a tender vanilla batter for this no-fuss morning treat. She finishes the cake with a scattering of crunchy almonds.
Poached Eggs with Red Wine Sauce
Anne Willan, founder of the prestigious École de Cuisine la Varenne in France, shares classic oeufs pochés en meurette, egg-topped buttered toast rounds from Burgundy that are reminiscent of eggs Benedict.
Cornmeal Pancakes with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
Chefs Daniel Patterson and René Redzepi use a blend of stone-ground cornmeal, rice flour, and all-purpose flour for these golden, fluffy flapjacks. A pat of brown butter dotted with fresh lemon and sage is the perfect complement — along with warm maple syrup, of course.
Ham and Cheese Danish
This buttery ham and cheese pastry was inspired by 2022 F&W Best New Chefs Genie Kwon and Tim Flores, who serve the crowd-pleaser at Kasama in Chicago. A flaky pastry is topped with nutty Gruyère cheese sauce, salty ham, and crunchy turbinado sugar.
Sausage and Red Onion Sheet Pan Quiche
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 a.m. classic is prepared in a rimmed baking sheet. It can feed a small crowd, yielding 12 servings total.
Crêpes
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.
Brown-Butter Banana Bread
You’ll need three cups of mashed banana for this recipe; 2020 F&W Best New Chef Lena Sareini insists on waiting until your bananas are extremely ripe — very speckled and mushy — for the ultimate banana flavor. Brown butter imbues the loaf with a deep, caramel-like note of nutty richness.
Christmas-Morning Casserole
Chef Bryan Voltaggio’s classic baked casserole built on bread and eggs features bites of pepperoni, mushrooms, and gooey cheese. Assemble it the night before, then simply bake it off in the morning.
