25+ Christmas Breakfast Ideas
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Don’t spend Christmas morning working away in the kitchen! Instead, prepare a few of these delicious make-ahead Christmas breakfast ideas so you can relax and enjoy time with your loved ones. We rounded up the best of the best recipes on the internet!
P.S. My go-to for Christmas morning is the Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and 5 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole below. Be sure to check out our Easy Christmas Dinner Ideas too.
The BEST Christmas Breakfast Ideas to Make Ahead
We’ve learned over the years that prepping a delicious breakfast for Christmas morning ahead of time is genius (same with Christmas Dinner!).
So, we scoured the internet to help you find the VERY BEST make-ahead breakfast and brunch ideas for Christmas morning.
Also, if you’re still shopping, be sure to check out all 12 of our carefully curated, popular Holiday Gift Guides.
Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole
If making cinnamon rolls from scratch ain’t your thing, no worries. Try this super easy, fake-out cinnamon roll casserole that you can make ahead. With all that cinnamon, sugar, and cream cheesy frosting, you may never know the difference. 🙂
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole with Bacon and Gruyere
From Thriving Home
Friends and family will oooh and ahhhh over this gourmet breakfast casserole. Its depth of flavor and beautiful color come from the bacon, onions, garlic, kale, roasted red peppers, and Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses. Turn on the crockpot first thing in the morning, and it will be ready by a mid-morning brunch.
For a little faster version, try our Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole.
Blueberry Baked French Toast with Vanilla Glaze
from Thriving Home
No need to slave away over the stove flipping French toast. Serve everyone at once with this DELICIOUS baked French Toast casserole. Make ahead and pop in the fridge or freezer for an easy, impressive breakfast.
For a fast and tasty version the morning of, try our Pumpkin French Toast.
5 Ingredient Breakfast Casserole
by Thriving Home
Simple yet delicious! Make ahead and refrigerate or freeze. It’s also naturally gluten-free and versatile–swap out bacon for sausage or add in your favorite veggies.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
From Thriving Home
Our Christmas mornings aren’t complete without cinnamon rolls. We’ve made these for YEARS. Make ahead and refrigerate them using our instructions. Then bake fresh in the morning.
Or try our much faster Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole.
Spinach and Bacon Quiche
from Thriving Home
This is a well-tested, crowd favorite around here (that works for Christmas Dinner too)! Just a handful of ingredients come together to create this cheesy, decadent quiche. Make ahead and bake it the morning you want it. So beautiful and delicious!
Sheet Pan Pancakes
from Thriving Home
A fun twist on pancakes. Mix up the flavors to what your family likes.
Blueberry Avocado Muffins
from Thriving Home
A reader favorite! The tasteless (and nutritious) avocado keeps these muffins moist, while the blueberries and crumble topping bring the sweetness.
Breakfast Egg Muffins
from Thriving Home
If you have kids at home, this is a simple recipe they can help with. Make, freeze, and enjoy these single-serving egg casseroles on Christmas morning and beyond. Low stress and tasty!
Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake
from Averie Cooks
Christmas in a casserole! Buttery, soft baked French toast that tastes a lot like soft gingerbread and molasses cookies.
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake
from Sally’s Baking Addiction
You had me at dark chocolate. I mean at raspberries. Actually at coffee cake. I’ve decided there is nothing NOT to love about this gorgeous breakfast cake. Perfect for the holidays
Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage
from Budget Bytes
Make these homemade sausage patties ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze them, and cook them Christmas morning. They also reheat well in the microwave or oven after being cooked.
Ham and Cheese Quiche
from The Cozy Cook
This simple Ham and Cheese Quiche can be made ahead of time and is totally freezer friendly! A hint of caramelized onions along with savory ham and two kinds of cheese makes this an unbeatable flavor combination!
Freezer Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches
from Damn Delicious
Simple to make yet a special treat because of the croissants. These make ahead sandwiches are definitely Christmas worthy.
Berry French Toast Casserole
by Joyous Apron
Prepare the night before and pop into the oven when you wake up in the morning. You’ll end up with a moist on the inside, slightly crispy on the top French toast casserole with loads of fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Breakfast Burritos
from Thriving Home
Make a big batch of these eggy-cheesy-bacony burritos ahead of time for Christmas morning and beyond. Either thaw and heat up OR you can warm from frozen.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Banana Bread
from Thriving Home
A decadent-tasting, chocolatey sweet bread that includes some sneaky nutrition. (No one has to know!) Double and freeze this less-guilt recipe to have on hand for the holidays!
Baked Egg Cups (only 3 ingredients!)
by Thriving Home
Don’t be fooled by the 3 simple ingredients…these protein-packed egg cups are delicious for all ages. Give yourself a break and make these instead of scrambled eggs and bacon! Would pair well with a sweet dish like Cinnamon Rolls or Coffee Cake from this list.
Overnight Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake
from Damn Delicious
Soaked in maple syrup and topped with tender cinnamon apples and toasted pecans, your crew will love this beautiful, aromatic overnight French toast.
Make Ahead Biscuits and Gravy
from Simply Home Cooked
Who doesn’t love good biscuits and gravy? Who doesn’t want to spend time making it on Christmas? (Me!) Try this recipe that includes make ahead instructions, so you can have your cake biscuit and eat it, too.
Biscuit Breakfast Casserole
from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Here’s another fun way to get biscuits on the table without all the hassle the morning of! Eggs, sausage, peppers, and cheese meet buttery biscuits all in one dish.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
by The Real Food Dietitians
Get a well-rounded and nourishing breakfast featuring breakfast sausage, veggies, bacon, eggs, cheese, and tater tots. We’ve also included a make-ahead option so all you need to do is pop the prepared casserole into the oven in the morning.
Mini Cranberry Orange Cream Scones
from Budget Bytes
These festive two-bite scones can be made ahead, frozen, and warmed on Christmas morning. Yum!
Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole
from Gimme Some Oven
This gluten-free breakfast casserole doesn’t skimp on comfort or flavor. With hearty hash browns, eggs, and cheese as the anchor, the onions, garlic, and red bell peppers add color and pizzazz. Easy to prep ahead, stick in the fridge, and bake the next morning.
Gingerbread Muffins with Lemon Glaze
by Sally’s Baking Addiction
With beautiful crackly tops, robust spice flavor, and a zippy lemon glaze, I love the sound of these festive and unique muffins for Christmas morning!
Breakfast Enchiladas
from Ideas for the Home by Kenarry
Infuse some Tex-Mex into your Christmas morning menu with these easy-to-prepare Breakfast Enchiladas. Don’t the red and green bell peppers add a fun holiday pop?
Reindeer Pancakes
from Eating on a Dime
Make these fun reindeer-themed pancakes for Christmas morning. Kids will love Rudolph Pancakes and they are so easy to make.
If you want a slightly healthier pancake base for these, try Oatmeal Pancakes or Pumpkin Pancakes.
3-Ingredient Hot Chocolate
Make a batch of our homemade hot chocolate mix (only 3 ingredients) to have on hand for Christmas breakfast. In fact, you can use our free gift tags and gift making instructions, to prep one jar for each person in your family!
Make Ahead Banana Breakfast Cake
from Thriving Home
Want at least one (delicious) healthy-ish item on the Christmas breakfast table? Throw this nutritious sweet bread together in advance and serve it alongside a savory casserole in this round-up. It’s a family favorite around here.
French Toast Casserole with Streusel Topping
by Plated Cravings
Julia from Plated Cravings says, “Easy to prep in advance and topped with a crunchy Cinnamon Pecan Streusel, this baked french toast recipe saves you time in the morning and tastes so delicious.”
Amazing Mexican Breakfast Casserole
from Gimme Some Oven
Loaded with colorful ingredients, this unique breakfast casserole is naturally gluten-free (and can also be made vegetarian), easy to make ahead, and, according to Ali from Gimme Some Oven, “just ridiculously delicious!”
Coffee Cake
by Preppy Kitchen
John from Preppy Kitchen says you can make this melt-in-your-mouth coffee cake ahead, wrap tightly, and freeze. Then, warm up on Christmas morning using his instructions.
Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones
from Sally’s Baking Addiction
How gorgeous will these look on your holiday breakfast table? Sally gives several ideas at the bottom of the recipe for how to make them ahead of time–either weeks in advance or the night before.
FAQs about Christmas Breakfast
Consider using mini Christmas trees, ornaments, holiday-themed tablecloths, and festive napkin rings. Lighting candles always makes a table feel more special. You can also create personalized place cards or have the kids create a paper chain with red and green construction paper to run down the middle of the table.
For gluten-free options, you can make a gluten-free breakfast casserole, gluten-free pancakes using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, serve Make Ahead Yogurt Parfaits with gluten-free granola, or create a crustless quiche or frittata, like our Spinach Frittata.
Create Christmas tree-shaped pancakes and add blueberries and raspberries (or chocolate chips) as the ornaments. Place with a star-shaped dollop of whipped cream on the top of the “tree”. Another idea is to let kids decorate their own Christmas-themed waffles with whipped cream and green and red sprinkles.
To balance sweet and savory, consider offering a variety of options. For example, serve sweet pancakes or waffles alongside a savory egg dish like a Breakfast Casserole or Egg Bites. Fruit salad or smoothies, like our Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie, can also provide a sweeter counterpoint to heartier dishes.
What Christmas breakfast ideas are we missing? Please comment and share your own traditions or ideas!
Holiday Gift Guides for All Ages
We’ve done the work for you and curated gift guides with high-quality ideas for all ages. Check out our Holiday Gift Guides here.
I’m making your pumpkin chocolate chip oatmealthis Christmas morning! As my daughter says, it’s healthy AND a treat! ☺️
Yeah!!! I love that, Nikki. I made two batches this past weekend. We’ve been eating on one for days and the other is in the freezer for the holiday break.
That sounds delicious! Where can I find the recipe?
Which one do you want the recipe for? You can click the title of each recipe and the link will take you there! Hope that helps. Let me know if I can help in any other way.