30 Christmas Breakfast Ideas We're More Excited for Than Presents

When I was little, there were few mornings more exciting than Christmas. It would take me hours to fall asleep—I was either peeking out my bedroom door every 30 minutes to see if presents had arrived or writing a last-minute note to Santa—and when I finally woke up the next morning (usually around 6 a.m.), I'd jump on my mom and dad's bed until they groggily rolled into the living room so I could gleefully tear open my gifts.

Now that I'm older, I don't attack my parents at the crack of dawn, but I still find a holiday morning no less exciting—not for the presents, but for the breakfast.

Every year my family and I whip up a mini feast of some of the classics: pancakes or waffles, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a fresh pot of coffee. This year, I'm thinking of bringing a new recipe into the mix, so I dug around for some of the best holiday breakfast ideas we have on our site—from a French toast casserole by Chrissy Teigen to a cinnamon scone bread that begs to be slathered in butter.

1. Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs

The contest winner for Your Best Holiday Breakfast, these two-bite breakfast puffs are like a hybrid of spice cake, muffins, and cinnamon sugar doughnut holes—so there's something for everyone to love.

2. Strata with Sausage and Greens

In this crowd-friendly strata, you can use up just about anything lying around the fridge (and during the holidays, there's bound to be a lot). Bonus: You can prep it the night before, so all you have to do the next morning is pop it in the oven.

3. Chrissy Teigen’s French Toast Casserole With Salted Frosted Flakes

A Genius-approved recipe from Cravings queen Chrissy Teigen? Yep, we can safely say we're 100 percent on board with this sweet-and-crunchy French toast casserole topped with salted frosted flakes.

4. Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Gruyère

For the ultimate baked eggs combo, look no further than thyme-scented mushrooms, a bit of heavy cream, and a healthy sprinkle of Gruyère cheese.

5. Chickpea, Spinach & Chorizo Frittata

For something with a bit more kick, whip up this chickpea, spinach, and chorizo frittata that's bound to keep you satisfied until the pre-holiday dinner cocktails.

6. The Pumpkin Bread I Can't Stop Eating

If the recipe title is any indication, you won't be able to stop eating this warmly scented pumpkin bread with crunchy walnuts and grated apples.

7. Cranberry Spelt Scones

These cranberry-studded scones make a pitch-perfect holiday morning breakfast, according to one reviewer: “Fabulous! I made these for Christmas morning breakfast and followed the recipe exactly. These were very delicate, light, and airy.”

8. Tomatoey, Yogurty Shakshuka

This smoky, tomatoey egg dish was made for riffing—depending on your family's taste buds. If you want to keep the flavors a bit more neutral, follow the recipe and stick to one tablespoon of harissa; if you want to liven things up a bit, add a dash of cayenne and sprinkle chopped cilantro over top.

9. Lady & Pups's Magic 15-Second Creamy Scrambled Eggs

For the speediest-ever scrambled eggs, look no further than this creamy, 15-second version from our Genius column. The secret that makes them faster than all the rest: cornstarch.

10. Cardamom Hot Chocolate

A holiday morning breakfast wouldn't be complete without a cozy drink, right? Our pick: this homemade, cardamom-spiced hot chocolate. (Not sure if everyone at the table is a fan of cardamom? Just skip it.)

11. Orange Scented Olive Oil Sticky Buns

These sticky, citrusy sticky buns get their inspiration from a number of places, from Joanne Chang's pillowy focaccia dough to Melissa Clark's recipe for olive oil and orange cake.

12. Sweet Potato Waffles, Sweet or Savory

If you've got some leftover sweet potato mash hanging around the fridge, use it up in these bright and fluffy waffles that can go savory (with a fried egg) or sweet (with a dollop of whipped cream and maple syrup).

13. Scrambled Egg Muffins

If whipping up batch after batch of scrambled eggs doesn't sound like your idea of a relaxing holiday morning, make a dozen or two of these scrambled eggs muffins, which taste like an entire breakfast in one bite.

14. Chrissy Teigen's Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Breakfast Bake

Everything bagel fanatics, this one's for you. Chrissy Teigen does it again with a breakfast casserole that's got everything you could possibly want in a morning meal: everything bagel chunks, eggs, tomatoes, sausage, spinach, and lots of cheese (including an entire brick of cream cheese).

15. Cinnamon Scone Bread

Just imagine waking up to a warm loaf of this cinnamon scone bread, cutting yourself a slice, and spreading it with melty butter—oh, and don't forget a cup of coffee.

16. Our Best Quiche

According to Big Little Recipes columnist Emma Laperruque, “The best quiche has a tender, flaky crust; a silky, creamy custard; and, most of all, can be customized to no end.” And guess what? Our best quiche has all that, and then some.

17. Brown Butter Butternut Rolls

Another contest winner—for Your Best Recipe With Brown Butter—these butternut squash rolls are a can't-have-just-one mash-up of dinner rolls and monkey bread.

18. April Bloomfield's English Porridge

While porridge may not seem like the most exciting choice for a holiday breakfast, April Bloomfield's Genius-approved version is rich and comforting, plus it makes the perfect vehicle for just about any topping.

19. The Kitchn's Lofty Buttermilk Pancakes

These buttermilk pancakes are everything a buttermilk pancake should be: fluffy, light, crispy-edged, and the perfect plus-one to a big glug of maple syrup.

20. Alanna Taylor-Tobin's Stolen Granola with Extra Clumps

Take the pressure off breakfast by making this granola a night or two ahead of time, and on the morning of, laying out some fresh fruit, yogurt, and honey.

21. Persimmon Walnut Bread Pudding

Persimmons are only in season for a short time, so make the most of these sweet golden fruits by baking them into a lush bread pudding with challah, lemon zest, and creamy mascarpone.

22. Whole Grain Sweet Potato Muffins

These one-bowl sweet potato muffins couldn't be easier to make. Don't believe us? Just ask the reviewer who wrote: “These turned out quite well. Very easy to whip up and good for you too!”

23. Fresh Muesli with Apples, Currants & Toasted Almonds

The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity: All you need to do is soak oats, toast nuts, and grate some apples.

24. Cold Brew Negroni

It's Christmas morning—celebrate with a low-effort coffee cocktail that balances richness and bitterness. The best part? You can batch this the day before.

25. Skillet Strata With Bacon, Cheddar & Greens

“The ingredient list calls for prepped ingredients: sliced scallions, grated cheese, cubed bread, diced onion, etc. It doesn't take that long to do this, but if you're up for it, prep as you go: Dice the onion as the bacon crisps, cube the bread as the onion cooks, whisk the eggs and milk as the bread toasts,” writes recipe developer Alexandra Stafford.

26. Oven Scrambled Eggs

Make eggs for your entire family (and save some space on your stove) with this hands-off scramble technique. These are perfect to serve alongside biscuits and gravy, french toast, or a fresh bagel.

27. French Toast Sticks

The breakfast equivalent of chips and salsa, french toast sticks, and maple syrup are the perfect thing to graze on while opening presents.

28. Potato, Chorizo, and Cheddar Breakfast Tacos

The ultimate goal for Christmas breakfast is to make something delicious and tasty, easy breakfast tacos stuffed with potato, chorizo, and cheddar will always get that done.

29. Buttermilk Drop Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

A favorite among our community, this review from user H Vogel puts it best: “Made this for my family and we loved it. Best batch I’ve ever made.”

30. Horseradish Vodka Bloody Mary

Make yourself the Bloody Mary you deserve.

This article was updated in September 2023 to include more of our favorite recipes and products.

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What's your favorite holiday breakfast recipe? Tell us in the comments below!