Presents Can Wait! Start Your Christmas Morning with This Easy Brunch Menu

Karla Walsh
·3 min read

It's no secret we love a good brunch any day of the year. Make one on (or around) Christmas extra special with holiday-inspired brunch recipes. Whether you forgo Christmas dinner altogether or need to serve a group of overnight guests, this brunch menu will make the perfect complement to a crackling fire and presents on Christmas morning. This Christmas brunch menu, including sliver dollar pancakes, baked apples, and a bacon frittata, will ensure you're well-fueled for a day of gift-sharing, caroling, and family time.

Andy Lyons

Appetizer: Cornmeal Cakes with Berry-Fig Chutney

Heat up the griddle and start flipping! These simple cornmeal cakes get fancied up with spreadable cheese (try goat cheese, Boursin, or Brie) and a chutney that includes figs, honey, and thyme. Top each cake with fresh berries and a sprig of mint for a festive presentation.

Multitasking Tip: As you griddle up more batches of cornmeal cakes, keep the cooked ones warm. Here's how:

  1. Preheat oven to 225°F.

  2. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan, then evenly distribute cooked cakes in a single layer on the wire rack.

  3. Place the prepared pan in the oven until it's time to serve.

Get the recipe: Cornmeal Cakes with Berry-Fig Chutney

Andy Lyons

Fruit Side Dish: Maple-Glazed Baked Apples

Baked apples are a fall and winter favorite. This five-ingredient recipe takes the classic to the next level with plenty of sweet maple and cinnamon flavor. The trick to evenly spiced goodness throughout is coring the apples, then inserting a cinnamon stick into each before baking.

Ingredient Info: For the best results, opt for crisp apples (like Jonathan, Jonagold, or Winesap) rather than apples with a softer texture (like Red Delicious or Golden Delicious).

Get the recipe: Maple-Glazed Baked Apples

Andy Lyons

Bread: Fruit and Walnut Bread Bars

Get the recipe: Fruit and Walnut Bread Bars

Blaine Moats

Entree: Bacon, Potato, and Kale Frittata

It's not brunch without bacon and eggs! Serve them in a different way this holiday with a frittata studded with colorful red potatoes and kale. Use your broiler for this recipe to ensure a crispy browned edge.

You can also try these tasty flavor combos:

  • Sausage + Bean

  • Asparagus + Crab

  • Sweet Pepper + Ham

  • Roasted Red Pepper + Smoked Salmon

  • Green Chiles + Chicken

  • Spinach + Tomato

  • Artichokes + Red Onion

  • Sweet Potato + Spinach

Get the recipe: Bacon, Potato, and Kale Frittata

Dessert: Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Combine one indulgent breakfast favorite (cinnamon rolls) with a dessert delight (bread pudding) for a treat that will get everyone talking.

Cinnamon roll pieces act as the "bread" layer in this dreamy dessert. And since it's a holiday, serve these parfaits gooey and warm, top with a hearty dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with a caramel rum sauce.

Get the recipe: Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Caramel Rum Sauce

Andy Lyons

Drink: Strawberry and Sage Shrub

Move over, mimosas. Christmastime calls for something a little more special. Try a shrub—a mixture of fruit, vinegar, herbs, and spices that acts as a starter for a totally modern cocktail.

This fizzy holiday drink still uses champagne as the mixer but gets its flavor from strawberries, lemon, sage, and honey. You can make the strawberry blend up to three days in advance, so all you have to do at brunch is pop the bubbly and say your toast!

Get the recipe: Strawberry and Sage Shrub