52 Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas That Are Easy and Impressive
Your Mom is your favorite person in the universe, so you’ll want to pull out all the stops for her Mother’s Day breakfast. But the last time you tried to cook a bunch of new recipes, you ended up with burnt toast, soggy pancakes and too-strong mimosas. This year, stick with foolproof dishes that are statistically impossible to mess up (like tiramisu French toast casserole, bacon and egg ramen or breakfast tacos). Read on for 52 Mother’s Day brunch recipes that look impressive, but are secretly easy. Just pair your menu with an epic Mother’s Day gift and a pretty bouquet of flowers and she's sure to feel the love.
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1. Sheet Tray Pancakes with Peaches and Strawberries
You want to be chatting with Mom at the table—not flipping pancakes all morning. This sheet-tray gem solves your problem: Just pour in the batter and wait for it to bake, no flipping necessary.
2. Green Shakshuka
We love scrambled eggs, but they can get old fast. Serve this stunning Israeli egg dish instead, starring eight sunny-side up eggs in a sea of spiced spinach purée.
3. Monkey-Bread Danish
Dishing with mom over lattes and breakfast pastries > everything.
4. Waffle Bread Pudding
It's as simple as trading sliced bread for frozen waffles. (But there's no harm in going the extra mile with homemade cinnamon-sugar waffles, either.)
5. Roasted Potato Galette with Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon
Everything you love about a Nova lox bagel with all the trimmings, plus crispy, paper-thin layers of Parmesan potatoes.
6. Waffle Breakfast Sandwich with Chorizo
Can your mom never choose between sweet and savory breakfasts? This beauty is the best of both worlds. (Pro tip: Top it off with a drizzle of syrup.)
7. Maple Candied Bacon
Four ingredients have never made *this* much magic before. Add a few strips to a sandwich, serve it as a side or nosh on it straight out of the pan.
8. Eggs Baked in Tomatoes
TBH, we'd bookmark this to serve over pasta for dinner in the future if we were you.
9. French Toast Sticks
Make your mama feel like a kid again with these cuties she used to pack in your lunchbox. They're a bit more sophisticated, thanks to the rich egg custard and honey-vanilla syrup.
10. Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
Behold, the most epic breakfast invention ever. Each buttermilk-cheddar muffin is stuffed with scallions, chopped bacon and a whole hardboiled egg.
11. Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Spicy Honey
Orange blossom honey + ancho chili powder + garlic = the most divine, sweet-and-spicy condiment of all time.
12. Tempeh Bacon Bagels
If your mom is vegan, look no further than this plant-based handheld. The tempeh is coated in a sticky maple glaze spiked with smoked paprika and soy sauce.
13. Almond Peach Bread Pudding
Make this stunner once and Mom will ask for every year from then on.
14. Skinny Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Enchiladas
Just because it’s a holiday doesn’t mean you can't stick to your diet. Monique Volz’s lighter version of huevos rancheros is a great way to say “I love you” to Mom this year.
15. Berry Peach Chickpea Flour Breakfast Crisp
This berry and peach “crisp” feels a lot like dessert, but we love the simple healthy-ish additions like chickpea flour and coconut sugar for, you know, balance. (Thanks, Gena Hamshaw!)
16. Caprese Breakfast Casserole
Everything you love about a caprese salad (mozzarella, grape tomatoes and chopped basil) is included in this tasty breakfast casserole.
17. Asparagus and Brie Puff Pastry with Thyme Honey
Frozen puff pastry comes to the rescue in this simple-but-impressive dish. Wrap it around fresh asparagus, bake it and drizzle with honey.
18. Overnight Blueberry Waffle Breakfast Bars
Prep this casserole—which includes frozen waffles, blueberries, cream cheese and a streusel topping—on Saturday night. Just bake it for 40 minutes in the morning and Mother’s Day brunch is served.
19. Vegan Chilaquiles with Red Sauce
These Mexican-inspired chilaquiles feature a peppery tomato sauce and tofu instead of eggs. Did someone say seconds?
20. Spinach and Cheese Strata
Meet the strata, a savory bread pudding-esque dish that can be prepped in advance. Best of all, this recipe uses pantry ingredients, so you probably have most of what you need on hand.
21. Buttermilk Waffles with Rosé Raspberry Sauce
Impress Mom with a raspberry and rosé wine sauce that you can delicately drizzle over homemade buttermilk waffles.
22. Three Layer Chia Pudding
It takes just 10 minutes to put together Alejandra Graf’s chocolate and vanilla chia pudding, topped with cherries and mint leaves.
23. Breakfast Hash with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Don’t underestimate the power of a good hash, especially when it boasts both sweet and savory notes from sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and spicy sausage.
24. Black-and-White Pancake Cake
Go big or go home: Try Aida Mollenkamp’s chocolate pancake cake iced with mascarpone cheese to really wow her.
25. Mexican Breakfast Frittata with Corn Salsa and Avocado
Give your usual frittata a Mexican flair with slices of avocado, homemade corn salsa and your go-to hot sauce. (Thanks, Phoebe Lapine.)
26. Crock-Pot Egg Casserole
Ever dream of waking up and walking into the kitchen to find breakfast ready for you? It's possible, thanks to an egg, bacon and spinach casserole that cooks overnight in the slow cooker.
27. Orange Marmalade French Toast Bake
The beauty of French toast is that it can salvage day-old bread. Try it with this French toast bake that makes use of brioche loaves, orange marmalade and the milk you probably already have in the fridge.
28. Menemen Turkish Egg Scramble
Have you tried menemen? This traditional Turkish breakfast combines eggs, tomatoes and peppers for a hearty meal. Just add your favorite crusty bread.
29. Crispy Breakfast Potatoes with Chili Garlic Oil and Herbs
You’ll need a lot of starch to soak up the Mother’s Day mimosa bar, so here’s the perfect dish: crispy potatoes baked in chili garlic oil and herbs, tossed with soft poached eggs.
30. Bacon and Egg Breakfast Ramen
Noodles for breakfast are a thing in many Asian countries, which is why we are 100 percent behind this bacon and egg breakfast ramen.
31. Polenta, Refried Beans and Eggs Skillet Bake
If Mother’s Day snuck up on you, grab a few pantry ingredients: polenta, a can of refried beans, half a dozen eggs and a jar of salsa. It's everything you need to whip up Monique Volz’s egg skillet bake.
32. Mimosa Mini Muffins
Your mom's favorite cocktail in muffin form. (There's even Prosecco in the batter.)
33. Bagel and Smoked Salmon Bar
Aka heaven. Mom will think so, too, when she wakes up to this spread on Mother’s Day.
34. Toasted Coconut Pancakes
Put a spin on whole wheat pancakes with a sweet shredded coconut topping made with coconut sugar and coconut syrup.
35. Fried Egg and Cheese Tostadas
Open-faced breakfast tacos? We’re so in. Griddle a tortilla to make the base for scrambled eggs with cheese, a genius recipe by Katie Workman.
36. Baked Eggs with Swiss Chard and Green Olives
Swiss chard, green olives and thick-cut bacon make this baked egg dish extra savory. (Plus, you can finish it with flaky salt, chives and toasted baguette.)
37. Raspberry Croissant French Toast Bake
Sub in croissants for brioche in this French toast bake that’s laced with raspberries and chunks of cream cheese.
38. Puff Pastry Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Quiche
Put down the frozen quiche: You've got this. Heidi Larsen's method calls for a package of puff pastry, smoked salmon, cream cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce.
39. Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Dessert for breakfast? Yes, please. (C'mon, it’s Mother’s Day.)
40. Tropical Mimosa Smoothie
There's pineapple and banana in this, so it's basically a fruit salad, right?
41. Baked Tiramisu French Toast Casserole
Liz Harris’s toast is almost as easy as making a sandwich. Just spread melted chocolate and mascarpone cream between two slices of bread, dip it in an egg wash, and stack it in a baking dish.
42. Crab and Avocado Eggs Benedict
Don’t be intimidated by this classic brunch dish. Heidi Larsen's recipe includes blender hollandaise (!!!), fresh lump crab meat and avocado slices.
43. Cranberry Walnut Grain-Free Granola
You can make this grain-free granola up to two weeks in advance, so Mother’s Day morning will be a breeze. Serve it over Greek yogurt and fresh fruit.
44. Ultimate Spring Brunch Board
If you’re better at assembling than cooking, this brunch board is for you. Scatter a platter with smoked salmon, burrata, fresh fruit, cream cheese, breakfast breads, jams and just about anything else you can think of. Creativity is key.
45. Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
Most guests won’t know Monique Volz’s spinach and goat cheese quiche is actually gluten- and grain-free. The trick? It’s all in the sweet potato crust (which is prepped in mere minutes).
46. Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls
Skip the boxed cinnamon rolls in favor of Maria Lichty’s sweet rolls, topped with lemon cream cheese frosting and blueberries.
47. Smashed Berry Ricotta Lavender Toast
If you’re a beginner in the kitchen, you can still whip up an impressive Mother’s Day brunch. Try Aida Mollenkamp’s ricotta toast with mashed berries, honey and herbed nuts.
48. Dutch Baby Pancake with Sautéed Apples
This puffed pancake is surprisingly easy to make. Katie Workman will guide you through the process (which takes about 30 minutes) for this brag-worthy main dish.
49. Easy Breakfast Tacos
We dare you to name someone who doesn't like breakfast tacos. Go ahead. We'll wait.
50. Homestyle Vegan Grits with Tempeh Sausage and Brussels Sprouts
This plant-based take on a Southern staple will have you coming back for seconds. (Thanks, Gena Hamshaw.)
51. Salsa Shakshuka
This quick take on a classic proves that easy meals can also be delicious: Just bake the eggs with canned salsa, then top with avocado, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips.
52. Japanese-Inspired Avocado Toast
It’s a special day, so dress up your standard avocado toast with Japanese ingredients like roasted seaweed, ikura and sesame seeds.
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