45 Brunch Recipes That Will Wow Your Guests (original) (raw)

A lazy morning, mimosas at noon and a menu that reliably features all our favorite foods…what’s not to love about brunch? Hosting it, on the other hand, can be a little tricky if you don’t have a solid selection of crowd-pleasing dishes in your repertoire. Fortunately, our roundup of brunch recipes has got you covered with fancy updates on sweet favorites (think: French toast sticks), savory show-stoppers like eggs in a basket, and lunchtime staples for anyone craving an expertly prepared sandwich. We’ve got a mix of ambitious baking projects for experienced chefs (hello, chocolate banana bread babka) and hands-off recipes that can simply be thrown together and left to cook while you brew coffee and catch up with guests. Read on and get ready to wow your guests.

Brunch Recipes: Chocolate Banana Bread Babka slices

1. Chocolate Banana Bread Babka

Serve it warm with strawberries and whipped cream, or dip it in egg and send it to the griddle for the most decadent slice of French toast your guests have ever tasted.

Brunch Recipes: Green Shakshuka in a cast iron skillet

2. Green Shakshuka

This cumin and coriander-spiked skillet breakfast boasts perfectly runny egg yolks that will make you genuinely excited to eat your greens (hello, spinach).

Brunch Recipes: Waffle Breakfast Sandwich with Chorizo on a plate

3. Waffle Breakfast Sandwich with Chorizo

Swap the snoozy bread and bacon combo for waffles and robustly-flavored chorizo sausage for a twist on everybody’s go-to hangover cure that’s craveworthy under all circumstances.

Brunch Recipes: Breakfast Caprese with Soft-Boiled Eggs on a plate

4. Breakfast Caprese with Soft-Boiled Eggs

Here, delightfully jammy soft-boiled eggs turn a colorful, eye-pleasing caprese salad into something with main course appeal—just keep in mind that there are precious few ingredients, so it’s best to make this one with the freshest, seasonal stuff you can find.

Brunch Recipes: A plate of Eggs Benedict with Easy Hollandaise Sauce on top of a light blue napkin.

5. Eggs Benedict with Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Skip the fancy French bistro and impress a group of friends with a truly foolproof benedict brunch at home instead. We promise you won’t end up with egg on your face, (so to speak).

Brunch Recipes: Tempeh Bacon Bagels on a plate with hot sauce and salt shaker

6. Tempeh Bacon Bagels

Attention all vegans: Tempeh and liquid smoke are the secret to a seriously convincing, plant-based bacon substitute.

Brunch Recipes: Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Broccoli Egg Muffins on a wooden board

7. Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Broccoli Egg Muffins

Don’t sweat it over a French omelet, friends: Egg muffins are a decidedly low maintenance and oh-so tasty way to enjoy eggs for breakfast. These veggie-packed puppies, which get a major flavor boost from store-bought salsa, are sure to become a brunch menu favorite.

Brunch Recipes: Platter of Powdered and non-powdered Doughnut Muffins

8. Doughnut Muffins

Here, the bready satisfaction of a muffin meets the sugary indulgence of a doughnut (without a vat of oil and a big mess). We just died and went to at-home baking heaven.

Brunch Recipes: Poached Egg with Frisée and Arugula Salad in rounded plate with red salt and pepper shakers in behind

9. Poached Egg with Frisée and Arugula Salad

Turns out a poached egg is all you need to turn a frisée salad into a healthy brunch feature that doesn’t look like an uninspired side. Pair with a hunk of crusty bread and you’ve got yourself one fancy dish.

Brunch Recipes: Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake sliced on a marble counter.

10. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake

Use this sweet and tart lemon loaf cake as a layer in a fresh fruit parfait and watch the whole brunch party swoon.

Brunch Recipes: Leek, Kale, and Goat Cheese Strata in a casserole dish

11. Leek, Kale, and Goat Cheese Strata

The richness of creamed kale and leeks is perfectly balanced by the pleasant tang of fresh goat cheese in this sinfully delicious egg casserole. Bring it to a brunch potluck and you’ll make some new friends.

Brunch Recipes: Avocado Deviled Eggs on a wooden platter.

12. Avocado Deviled Eggs

The only thing that can improve on the classic deviled egg is a creamy, perfectly ripened avocado. Serve this recipe—be it for a brunch gathering or evening cocktail party—and you’ll see what we mean.

Brunch Recipes: Cherry Tomato Galette with Garlic and Herbs on a plate and baking sheet.

13. Cherry Tomato Galette with Garlic and Herbs

This puff pastry sheet pan pizza—a lovely combination of ripe cherry tomatoes, fragrant herbs and a generous helping of Parmesan cheese—is simplicity at its brunch time best.

Brunch Recipes: Croque Madame Dutch Baby in a cast iron skillet

14. Croque Madame Dutch Baby

In case you missed it, a Dutch baby is an airy pancake-like canvas that takes well to savory and sweet toppings alike. If you’re in the former route, this deconstructed croque madame certainly fits the bill.

Brunch Recipes: Sheet Tray Pancakes with Peaches and Strawberries on a baking sheet and plate.

15. Sheet Tray Pancakes with Peaches and Strawberries

We love pancakes…when they’re delivered from our favorite local diner, that is. Slaving over a griddle in our kitchen? Not so much. Enter, the sheet pan pancake—an innovative hack that delivers all the comfort of a classic short stack with none of the hassle.

Brunch Recipes: Monkey Bread Danishes on marble counter

16. Monkey Bread Danish

A strong contender for first place on our list of favorite baked goods—this pull-apart treat is filled with rich cream cheese frosting, dusted with cinnamon streusel topping and guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Brunch Recipes: Two Individual Breakfast Shakshukas on a large plate.

17. Individual Breakfast Shakshuka

Shakshuka, an Israeli dish of eggs swimming in spicy tomato sauce, is a beloved brunch staple. This recipe one-ups the traditional preparation with Insta-worthy individual portions and a clever sesame bread base that sops up all the deliciousness.

Brunch Recipes: Skillet Blueberry Cornbread

18. Skillet Blueberry Cornbread

Aside from being incredibly yummy, this skillet cornbread, which is a bit like a giant blueberry muffin, really stands out for the fact that it’s not so cloyingly sweet as to clash with the savory items on your brunch menu.

Brunch Recipes: Close-up shot of Sheet Pan Pancakes

19. Sheet Pan Pancakes

We’ve already introduced the mind-blowing concept of sheet pan pancakes…and if you’re as excited as we are about this clever hack, you’ll probably want to try out a couple of recipes in order to find your favorite.

Brunch Recipes: Veggie Niçoise Salad with Red Curry Green Beans in a bowl.

20. Veggie Niçoise Salad with Red Curry Green Beans

Don’t be fooled by the name: Aside from the hardboiled eggs and creamy new potatoes, this recipe bears very little resemblance to a classic nicoise salad. It is, however, a curry spiked flavor bomb you’re likely to crave at breakfast, lunch and dinner. (And, yes, brunch, too.)

Brunch Recipes: Waffle Bread Pudding Recipe

21. Waffle Bread Pudding Recipe

Good news for culinarily-challenged hosts: Those frozen waffles you know, love and never burn aren’t just for feeding your kids. Here, a cheater’s bread pudding that uses the budget-friendly, freezer staple to achieve swoon-worthy results.

Brunch Recipes: Roasted Potato Galette with Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon on a plate

22. Roasted Potato Galette with Crème Fraîche and Smoked Salmon

Cheesy, creamy and full of smoked salmon flavor—this pretty potato galette scores major points for presentation and is fairly easy to pull off (provided you aren’t too afraid of a mandoline, that is).

Brunch Recipes: close-up image of seven Eggs Baked in Tomatoes sitting in a cast iron skillet

23. Eggs Baked in Tomatoes

Scoop out the insides of some of the season’s best and plumpest tomatoes, crack a few eggs and voila—a show-stopping brunch dish that tastes as good as it looks.

Brunch Recipes: five French Toast Sticks on a white dish with a side of maple syrup

24. French Toast Sticks

Bring a little bit of childhood nostalgia to the brunch spread with an elevated version of French toast sticks that features an extra custardy preparation and a fancy vanilla and honey dipping sauce. Ooh-la-la.

Brunch Recipes: close-up image of Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Muffins

25. Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Muffins

All the favorite breakfast sandwich fixings baked into a moist, savory muffin…need we say more?

Brunch Recipes: Deli Sandwich Dutch Baby in a cast iron skillet

26. Deli Sandwich Dutch Baby

The Dutch baby says pancake breakfast, the deli meat leans into lunch and the combination is a brunch hour homerun.

Brunch Recipes: Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Spicy Honey in a cast iron skillet on a table with white linen and ingredients on the side

27. Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Spicy Honey

Add a little Mexican flair to the brunch menu with boldly flavored chilaquiles that feature perfectly poached eggs and a spicy-sweet flavor profile that promises to please every palate.

Brunch Recipes: Skillet Gnocchi Bake with Sausage and Kale

28. Skillet Gnocchi Bake with Sausage and Kale

Crack a couple eggs on top of this hearty skillet dinner halfway through the baking time and you’ve got yourself a comforting brunch dish that will make the crowd go wild.

Brunch Recipes: Leftovers Frittata in a skillet and on a plate

29. Leftovers Frittata

Clean out your fridge to make this highly customizable and reliably tasty frittata and your dirty little secret will be every guest’s delight.

Brunch Recipes: Skillet Eggs and Chorizo with a bowl of cracked eggs on the side

30. Skillet Eggs and Chorizo

Quick, easy and practically mess-free—this one-pan egg bake relies on salty feta and a knock-your-socks-off combo of chorizo, jalapeno and chipotle chili to deliver a whole lot of kicky flavor without any fuss.

Brunch Recipes: three Chicken Pesto Focaccia Sandwiches

31. Chicken Pesto Focaccia Sandwich

Every good brunch menu has at least one solid lunch option. (It’s more than half the word, after all.) If you’re serving a large group, prepare these simple and surprisingly delicious pesto chicken sandwiches and then cut them into two-bite squares for a nicer presentation and cute tea party vibes.

Brunch Recipes: One-Pan Eggs with Asparagus and Tomatoes

32. One-Pan Eggs with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Runny egg yolks turn into a luscious sauce in this one-pan wonder, which is best made in the late spring or summer when the asparagus is still on point and the tomatoes are sweet.

Brunch Recipes: Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich on a plate

33. Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Presenting a riffable, no-cook sandwich that will woo all the brunch-goers who couldn’t pass up an early breakfast and are more than ready for a satisfying lunch.

Brunch Recipes: Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

34. Rainbow Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, an elegant, minimalist recipe like this requires only the finest ingredients. Save it for when peak tomato season has arrived and you can’t go wrong.

Brunch Recipes: Eggs Baked in Bread Bowl on a blue dish

35. Eggs Baked in Bread Bowl

Those who aren’t carb-adverse will be quite pleased to learn that chewy bread bowls are no longer reserved for New England Clam chowder exclusively. Crack some eggs in one of those suckers, garnish with herbs and let’s just say you’ll have no trouble cleaning your plate.

Brunch Recipes: Zucchini Ricotta Galette on a table

36. Zucchini Ricotta Galette

Creamy ricotta, summer zucchini and store-bought pie crust combine to make a galette that’s fresh-tasting and easy on the eyes, too.

Brunch Recipes: Tomato and White Bean Stew on Toast

37. Tomato and White Bean Stew on Toast

Colorful and packed with flavor—this stew-topped bruschetta is perfect as is, but add a sunny side up egg and you’ve got a next level brunch dish.

Brunch Recipes: Chopped Italian Salad Pizza on marble table

38. Chopped Italian Salad Pizza

For a more exciting meal, skip the lackluster side salad and serve this beautifully crisped pizza alongside pretty much anything on the brunch menu instead.

Brunch Recipes: Sheet Pan Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Dill

39. Sheet Pan Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Dill

Cooking eggs for a crowd is a breeze thanks to this clever sheet pan egg recipe, which calls for a handful of can’t-go-wrong mix-ins that deliver bold flavor.

Brunch Recipes: Mozzarella Meatball Frittata in a round dish

40. Mozzarella Meatball Frittata

Cheesy, meaty and easy to make—this Italian-inspired frittata checks all the boxes.

Brunch Recipes: Savory Cheese Waffles on a baking sheet

41. Savory Cheese Waffles

Make these cheddar waffles so guests can enjoy a creative and decidedly more delicious alternative to a snoozy slice of buttered toast.

Brunch Recipes: Slow-Cooker French Toast with Berries in a bowl with a drink behind

42. Slow-Cooker French Toast with Berries

Bust out the slow-cooker and make a big batch of this—a deconstructed version of the favorite brunch food that doesn’t require a team of line cooks to prepare for a crowd.

Brunch Recipes: plate of Cinnamon-Roll Pancakes with icing on the side

43. Cinnamon-Roll Pancakes

Because you should never ask your guests to choose between a gooey, frosted cinnamon roll and a plate of fluffy pancakes.

Brunch Recipes: plate of Baked Eggs and Potatoes with a glass of orange juice

44. Baked Eggs & Potatoes

Move over hash browns—oven-crisped mashed potatoes are our new favorite companion to eggs.

Brunch Recipes: Eggs in a Basket on a long, wooden cutting board with two glasses of orange juice, salt and pepper and a plate of bacon

45. Eggs in a Basket

And the award for best presentation goes to the French baguette with baked eggs! This recipe is incredibly easy to whip together but looks so impressive on the table. Serve it up on a wooden chopping board and then let each guest cut their own slice. (Side of bacon optional but encouraged.)

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Freelance PureWow Editor